At long last, the Brighton Festival Chorus gives its first Christmas Concert in Brighton for several years.

The 120-strong chorus comes to the Dome on Saturday evening with a seasonal concert to get us all into the festive spirit.

The concert will feature highlights from Handel's Messiah with soloists Christopher Maltman and David Mackenzie-Wicks.

Baritone Maltman is currently riding high since he won the Lieder prize at the Cardiff Singer Of The World competition two years ago.

He is in constant demand for recitals and is also a member of English National Opera, where roles have included Count Almaviva and Figaro.

The second half of the concert will include two pieces of music currently being used to provide background to television advertising campaigns.

The first is John Taverner's The Lamb, used by Orange mobile telephones, and the other is an aria from a Bach Christmas Cantata being used to back the current Lloyds TSB advertising campaign.

Also included in the programme will be Vaughan Williams' Fantasia On Christmas Carols and Corelli's Christmas Concerto for Strings and Harpsichord, which is said to have inspired author Louis de Bernieres to write his best-seller, Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Music for the concert will be provided by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the conductor will be James Morgan (tickets: 01273 709709).

Two other local choirs are also in action this weekend with their seasonal concerts.

The Brighton Orpheus Choir will be fielding a chorus of more than 100 for its Christmas concert at St John's Church in Preston Village, Brighton.

Supported by the Arun Sinfonia, the concert will feature Haydn's St Nicholas Mass and Schubert's Magnificat.

Stella Hall conducts and the concert begins at 7.30pm (tickets: 01273 552670 or on the door).

On Sunday evening, Hurstpierpoint College Chapel is the venue for the Ditchling Choral Society under its new conductor, international tenor Neil Jenkins.

More than 30 seasonal favourites will be served up, including Paul McCartney's Anthem For A Nativity, from his Liverpool Oratorio, and Howard Blake's Lullaby.

This piece is based on the original theme from The Snowman, which was dedicated to the Society. There will also be several carols arranged by Neil Jenkins.

The chorus will be accompanied by Excelsior Brass and Perfect Interval and will also feature arrangements from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story and other show tunes (tickets: 01444 417654 or available on the door).

The concert begins at 7.30pm.