A number of treats are in store when St Albans Choral Society gives a festive concert of Christmas music, carols and entertaining readings at Marlborough Road Methodist Church.

Rising young baritone Henry Manning, who is in demand as an opera singer and concert recitalist across the UK and Europe, will sing solos in Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Bob Chilcott’s O Little Town and Harold Darke’s In the Bleak Mid-Winter.

Adding to the enjoyment at this ever-popular family concert will be the choir of Fleetville Junior School, who will perform a variety of Christmas songs.

The Choral Society, conducted by George Vass and accompanied on the organ by Richard Harvey, will also sing Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin, Poulenc’s motet Hodie Christus natus est, and Sleep, Holy Babe by composer Alexander Campkin, who will be in the audience.

There will be an opportunity for concert-goers to join in with some of the most popular carols, such as Good King Wenceslas.

“This is a wonderful heart-warming evening to get people in the mood for Christmas,” said Mr Vass. “It always brings in a capacity audience so we’d urge people to buy their tickets now.”

The performance is on Sunday, December 15, at 7pm and tickets are available at £13 (£1 for children) from SACS Ticket Line on 07884 231958 or online at allaboutstalbans.com