MASSED voices come together to celebrate the hospice movement at Durham Cathedral tonight.

Five North-East hospices will be represented at the concert, which will feature 600 singers from choirs across the region, culminating in a stirring rendition of Haydn's masterpiece Creation.

Durham is one of 300 venues nationwide staging Voices for Hospice 2000 concerts, with participating orchestras all striking up at 7.30pm.

Staged every three years to raise money for hospices world-wide, tonight's is the fourth and so far largest mass participation event of its kind.

Hospices in Durham, Lanchester, Jarrow, Stockton and Hartlepool will benefit from the concert.

Leading the singing tonight will be Danish soprano Marianne Cotterill, bass James Arthur and tenor David Pope, from New Zealand.

Tickets, costing £7.50, are available at the door for what organisers promise will be "a memorable experience"