ROLLING countryside surrounding a Roman Catholic seminary provides the impressive setting for an evening of music and song.

The Catholic church's overseas aid charity Cafod is staging the Proms in the Park event at Ushaw College, five miles west of Durham.

Organisers of what is the church's diocesan summer celebration will be praying the weather remains kind for the gala night, on Saturday, July 5.

Bede Wind Philharmonic, made up of accomplished musicians from across the North-East, will provide the music, with a solo singing performance from soprano Ruth Lackenby.

Miss Lackenby, from Gateshead, who has sung to acclaim with the Northern Symphonia, paid a visit with members of the orchestra yesterday to admire for themselves the setting of the Proms night celebration, which dates back almost 200 years as a training college for the priesthood.

Concertgoers are invited to attend in groups and bring picnics, wine and candles, while space can also be booked in advance for gazebos.

Pre-booked tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children up to 16, or £12 and £6 on the night, although there are savings for parties of ten adults. There is also free car parking and limited bed and breakfast accommodation on a first come, first served basis.

The college gates open at 6.30pm with the concert scheduled to start at 8pm.

Further details are available from Kevin Haigh, of Cafod, on 0191-410 2779.