THE 50th anniversary of Kidderminster's twinning with the German town of Husum will be celebrated in song next month in a concert featuring Kidderminster Male Choir, the Valentines ladies choir and West Mercia Constabulary Band.

The Golden Jubilee Town Twinning Concert will be held at Kidderminster Town Hall on Saturday, May 14 and music lovers hoping to attend are being warned to buy tickets early.

That is because the last concert with the same line-up - which raised £4,000 for the Tsunami Disaster Fund - proved so popular that more than 100 people had to be turned away at the door.

Next month's concert will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of VE Day, according to Valentines musical director, Pam Cunningham.

It will also be tinged of sadness, however, she said, following the death of former Kidderminster mayor, Norman Broome, who was organising it when he died last month.

Mrs Cunningham explained Mr Broome had helped to forge Kidderminster's link with Husum and chaired the twinning association for 25 years.

She said a tribute would be paid to the former council leader - who had just returned from Husum when he died - at the end of the concert.

The event, which will open with the British and German national anthems, will feature a range of musical styles, with the choirs singing songs from the shows and the band's programme, including New York, New York and the finale from Edward Gregson's Laudate Dominum.

"The Kidderminster songsters will be in full force so we're absolutely looking forward to it," Mrs Cunningham said, adding that all three groups taking part had visited Husum at least once.

"We benefit from this link no end and have forged great friendships with the Husum people," she added.

"It's lovely because you look at the list of names when they are due to visit and look forward to catching up with them."

She added the Valentines hoped to return to Husum in two years and the concert was being held to raise cash for the twinning association, which helps to fund Kidderminster residents' trips to the town.

More information and tickets for the concert, which starts at 7pm, can be obtained by calling the venue on 01562 732158.