MALVERN-based singer Vassily Savenko will be appearing at Cheltenham with a programme of songs which was successfully premiered at the Wigmore Hall, London, last week.

Bass-baritone Savenko will be joined by Moscow pianist Alexander Blok for the concert, entitled British Poets - Russian Romances. Both artists have received rave reviews for the two Russian Images albums they have released on Hyperion records, and a new CD is due out later this year.

The concert, on Friday, May 4, is being held at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, starting at 7.30pm. It will include beautiful songs by Glinka, Tchaikivsky, Rachmaninov, Musorgsky, Arensky and Rimsky-Korsakov. There will also be settings of Robert Burns poems by Sviridov, a composition which was premiered to acclaim at the Wigmore Hall concert.

Tickets, at £10, for the Cheltenham concert are available by calling 01242 258002.