ONE hundred years since the end of the First World War will be commemorated at a special Dudley concert next month.

Gig Caritas is joining forces with Dudley Town Hall to stage the ‘1918 Memorial Concert’ on Saturday March 24, featuring works composed in the name of peace.

The main piece of the concert – which will feature the 70-strong Restoration Chorus, 60 players from Stourbridge Chamber Orchestra and Third From The Right Productions providing readings – will be Karl Jenkins’ hugely popular ‘The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace’, supported by the work of composers such as Faure, Tippett, Holst and Haydn.

The concert will also feature guest soprano soloist Louise Maguire, who will be returning to her home region from Reims, in France, where she now lives and performs.

Councillor Dave Tyler, Mayor of Dudley, said: “I'm really looking forward to attending this event. It's so important for us to remember those who gave their lives on the fields of battle and this promises to be a poignant and memorable evening.”

The evening will also be in aid of the mayor’s three chosen charities for this year – Dudley Mind, Dudley Alzheimer’s Society and the YMCA Black Country Group.

Tickets for the concert cost £12 plus booking fees, and are available online at www.boroughhalls.co.uk or by calling 01384 812812.

Halesowen News:

Keith Horsfall, musical director for Gig Caritas, said: “Karl Jenkins’ magnificent work ‘The Armed Man’ is a wonderfully approachable but intensely moving musical plea for the cause of peace. Its large forces and wide range of musical styles combine to create an unforgettable experience that is not to be missed.

“This provides an opportunity to have an immensely enjoyable evening whilst at the same time remembering those who gave their lives throughout the last century so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today.”

Doors open at 6.45pm, with the concert starting at 7.30pm.