A school celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special gala concert. 

A highlight of the Abbey Gate College show saw 75 former choir members join the current choir, making a spectacular sound featuring 140 voices.

The concert was directed by Stewart Smith, who is retiring after more than 39 years as director of music at the school in Saighton, near Chester.

During this time, he has led a thriving music department with many of his former pupils progressing to careers in opera, music production and cathedral music.

At the concert, the audience also enjoyed performances from the infant and junior school choir, instrumentalists and vocalists.

The choir has sung in most English cathedrals including London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, where they will return next April.

The choir has toured to various locations including France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark and the USA.

The concert welcomed the new head of music James Andrews. As well as being a former pupil of the college, he is an ex-head chorister of Chester Cathedral and a graduate of the Birmingham Conservatoire.

He takes up his post in September.