The gifted trio of Lance Pierson, Belinda Yates and Heather Chamberlain, who together form In Voice and Verse, have assembled a pageant of readings and music called Elizabeth to Elizabeth to celebrate the nation's monarchs and highlights from our history.  

It's the latest offering from an ensemble which has brought some notable texts to imaginative life.

Previous works have included a celebration of the Book of Common Prayer, while the trio performed The Bible in Voice and Verse 74 times across the UK last year to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Authorized version.

This programme offers music by Handel, Beethoven, Purcell, Holst and Britten, as well as 'Rule Britannia' and the National Anthem.

The words include poetry by Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Milton, Tennyson and John Betjeman. It could have been jingoistic, but wasn't. It was fast-paced and humour played a major role.  

I collected people's views after the concert and all were positive. People liked the information projected on the screens so they felt informed as well as entertained. They liked the blend of serious (Charles I's speech from the scaffold) and entertaining (the Vicar of Bray).

Comments were made about how the team complemented each other, and how the pace, which was lively, made it so enjoyable. Here's a selection: 'Really quite moving'; 'Delightful - I'm impressed with the way they have put their programme together'; 'Lovely, I think it's amazing'.

The next stop is Leyland on Saturday. Chelmsford, Fulham or Norwich all follow.

To find out more visit www.invoiceandverse.co.uk or contact 020 77376544.

Reviewed by Margaret Starr, a member of All Saints' Church, Faringdon, where In Voice and Verse performed Elizabeth to Elizabeth on June 9.