A LEADING opera baritone whose career has included the legendary La Scala Milan, Covent Garden and Gylndebourne is set to give concerts in rural Ryedale to help buy a new mini-bus for the district's elderly and disabled.

Chris Holmes has recently been appointed part-time administration assistant with the British Red Cross Society in Malton after being forced to quit his professional singing career due to a neurological complaint.

Now living at Kirkham Abbey, Chris - whose stage name is Christopher Thornton-Holmes because Equity the theatrical union already had a Chris Holmes on its books - has had an impressive career in the opera world but is now taking on a new challenge to replace the Red Cross's 15-year-old mini-bus.

Through the Gazette & Herald, he is this week launching an appeal to raise £26,000 which he hopes to do through grants and a chain of events including concerts and after dinner speaking. "Friends from Covent Garden and Glyndebourne have also offered to take part," said Chris.

Born in Dewsbury, he had his first role on stage as a callow youth of 16 playing the larger-than-life part of Mr Bumble in "Oliver!" with the local amateur dramatic society. "I had to push a cushion down my costume to give me the extra weight!"

After singing with several other choirs he finally landed a place with the famous Huddersfield Choral Society at the second attempt. "I was turned down initially but advised to have singing lessons and then return which I did and I was then successful," said Chris.

He got further advice from the late Scottish baritone Iain Wallace who heard him sing and advised him to seek a place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he was a student for four years.

Work as a television extra and under-studying followed and eventually he got work with Glyndebourne and Scottish Opera which led to under-studying Richard Van Allan at Covent Garden and working alongside such opera stars as Dame Margaret Price and the conductor Sir Colin Davis.

He later toured with Opera North and Opera 80, now the English Touring Opera, appearing at a catalogue of venues from Sadlers Wells to the Grand Theatre in Blackpool.

Chris, now 49, opted to extend his singing career overseas and sang in the chorus of Opera de Nice.

He returned to Glyndebourne and did television work before going to La Scala in 1991 where he remained for nine years.

His working life took another turn when he and a business partner ran a narrow boat hotel, but after falling into rivers and canals four times as a result of his neurological condition and working 14 hours a day, decided to quit.

Now his aim is to raise sufficient money to replace the fast-wearing-out minibus the Red Cross uses in Ryedale to provide the elderly and handicapped a better quality of life.

He is offering to give concerts and do after-dinner speaking to enable the society to reach its target.

"I want everyone to be involved in this project. The Red Cross has many hard-working volunteers in Ryedale. Many people don't realise that in addition to working for society at a national level in high profile disasters and emergencies, they do a tremendous job of work locally providing wheelchairs, therapautic facilities, help for housebound people, and transport," said Chris.

Anyone able to help is asked to contact him at the British Red Cross Society, Ryedale Community House, in Wentworth Street, Malton (01653) 696188.

Updated: 09:26 Wednesday, September 25, 2002