YORK choirs Millegro and Prima Vocal Ensemble are merging into one “powerful new group” under the Prima name.

“Six years of glorious music making are set to reach new heights this year with this exciting merger,” says musical director Ewa Salecka.

“We’re already working on a thrilling new repertoire for our big summer show, World In Union, at the Grand Opera House on June 20, and even before that, the choir will be honoured to support the sensational tenor Russell Watson at York Barbican on March 6.”

Prima Vocal Ensemble will be joining “The People’s Tenor” from Salford on stage at his Up Close And Personal concert to perform opera classics and some of Russell’s own original music at 7.30pm.

Looking ahead, Ewa has been working closely with the team at the Yorkshire Arboretum, Castle Howard, for Yorkshire Voices, a summer picnic concert in the grounds on July 4 that will feature many choirs from around the area.

Further afield, plans are afoot for a Christmas festival and competition in Krakow in Ewa’s home country of Poland, and in the wake of Prima’s Carnegie Hall performance last year, they have been invited to return to New York in early 2016.

“Alongside such wide-ranging experiences, there are also plans for many group educational sessions open to all in York, with vocal and theory workshops having already begun in earnest,” says Ewa, who runs the ensemble in tandem with pianist Greg Birch.

After the demise of Millegro, Ewa has formed a new chamber choir, PrimaVox, a group of 20 singers, many of them Millegro and Prima members, but the invitation to join is being extended to the wider sight-singing York community too.

The choir’s first appearance will be on April 13 at St Helen’s Church in York at 7.30pm. “This exciting and intimate event will feature a visiting Chamber University Choir from Zielona Gora in Poland and the programme will cover a wide range of sacred and secular choral music, both a cappella and accompanied with some exceptional soloists from oversees,” says Ewa.

On April 25, PrimaVox will perform for Jessie’s Fund at St Chad’s Church as the part of the York charity ‘s 20th anniversary celebrations of helping children through music. For all tickets and concert information for both the chamber and community choirs, visit primavocalensemble.co.uk

“For workshops and all our many projects coming up in 2015, now is certainly the time to get in touch if you want to be a part of the excitement,” says Ewa. She and Greg can be contacted on 0780 9401164 or via primavocalensemble.co.uk