Cerys Matthews, Hayley Westenra and Joe Brown at Albans Arena

THREE chart-topping artists are due to grace the Alban Arena stage next week. Rock & Roll guitarist Joe Brown, who celebrated his 50th year in the music industry last year, will kick the festivities off on Thursday (October 22) with a two-hour show alongs

THREE chart-topping artists are due to grace the Alban Arena stage next week.

Rock & Roll guitarist Joe Brown, who celebrated his 50th year in the music industry last year, will kick the festivities off on Thursday (October 22) with a two-hour show alongside his long-serving band.

As well as a plethora of gospel, folk and electric rock hits, Joe will also be playing tracks taken from his most recent album, More Of The Truth, which was released last year.

Former lead-singer of Catatonia Cerys Matthews will take to the stage on Friday (October 23) to showcase her new album, Don't Look Down, which was released earlier this month in both English and Welsh.

Cerys, who has had an equally successful solo career, dueting with Tom Jones, will be playing songs she's collected over the course of her travels and will be backed by two of Nashville's finest young musicians, Kevin Teel and Mason Neely.

New Zealand-born soprano Hayley Westenra will be the final performer on Saturday night (October 24), when she will be singing everything from classical favourites to folk songs and pop.

Voted Classical Performer of the Year at last year's Variety Club Showbiz Awards, Hayley, who has sung with the likes of Andrea Bocelli and Il Divo, is bound to deliver an impressive performance.

Ticket prices range from �20 to �25 and all three shows start at 7.30pm. To find out more and to book your tickets, visit www.alban-arena.co.uk or ring the box office on 01727 844488.

l The Glenn Miller Orchestra show at the Arena this Sunday (October 18) begins at 5pm and not 7.30pm as stated in last week's Herts Advertiser.