A MEMORIAL concert to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War is to be held in Dudley next year.

Dudley Borough Halls has joined forces with Gig Caritas for A 1918 Memorial Concert, which will be held at Dudley Town Hall on Saturday March 24.

It will feature the 70-strong Restoration Chorus and 50 players from Stourbridge Chamber Orchestra plus readings from Third From The Right Productions.

The concert, which starts at 7.30pm, 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.

Musical director for the evening will be Stourbridge-based Keith Horsfall, with the evening in aid of the Mayor of Dudley’s three chosen charities – Dudley Mind, Dudley Alzheimer’s Society and the YMCA Black Country Group.

The main work in the concert will be Karl Jenkins' popular The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace supported by works by Faure, Tippett, Holst and Haydn.

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."

Keith Horsfall, musical director for Gig Caritas, said: “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.”

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