RENOWNED Bavarian chamber choir, Schwabinger Kantorei Munchen, will perform a festive programme of German and English music in St Mary's Church, Ross-on-Wye, and the Priory Church, Leominster, on May 6 and 7 respectively.

The visit marks the first leg of an exchange programme with Hereford Chamber Choir, whose members are arranging the concerts and whose return visit is scheduled for 2006.

Founded in 1955, the choir comes from all parts of Munich and is well-known for its concerts, which not only include large scale works such as Mendelssohn, the Bach Passions, Requiems by Mozart, Brahms, Verdi, Faure and Rutter, but also less well-known works by Max Reger, Michael Tippett and Hector Berlioz.

It is its third tour to the UK and the programme for Ross and Leominster includes Bach cantatas, the Mozart Coronation Mass and Purcell's Evening Hymn.

The choir and soloists will be accompanied by organ, by strings and woodwind from the Musical and Amicable Society and by trumpets from the Hereford Trumpet Trio.

Conductor for the evening will be Candida Kirchhoff, with soprano soloist Ruth Gomme and alto soloist Jutta Neumann.

Tickets are available on 01432 761599, and from Leominster Priory office.

For further details about the choir see www.chorkonzerte.de/skm