Dates for your diary

The Manama Singers will perform at a concert to be held at the Crowne Plaza's Bahrain Conference Centre on November 7.

Members will perform three works by German composers of the romantic period, Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn.

A choir of more than 100 singers, including visiting singers from Dubai, Oman, Dhahran, Riyadh, Qatar and the UK will perform at the concert.

Former Bahrain resident Danae Eleni, who now lives in the UK, will make her Bahrain debut on the night, while British baritone Howard Wong will appear for the first time as a soloist.

The singers will be accompanied by the Bahrain Sinfonia, with musicians based in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, who will be joined by players from Dubai, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and the UK.

Sinfonia leader Theresa Finzi will play the solo part in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.

The orchestra will also perform Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave), a work inspired by the natural beauty of Scotland.

The singers' music director and Bahrain Sinfonia founder Alistair Auld will conduct all three works.

Doors open at 6.15pm and the show begins at 7.30pm.

Tickets are priced at BD12, BD9 and BD6 and will be available at Alosra Supermarket, Budaiya, The Bookcase and Dilmun Club, Saar.

For details visit www.manamasingers.com.

The Bharathi Association will host a Tamil comedy festival Asathappovathu Yaru on November 7 at the Karnataka Social Club (KSC), in Manama. The event begins at 8.30pm and is free for all Tamil comedy fans.

The festival will feature Tamil comedians including stand-up gurus Madurai Muthu, Madurai Marudu, Vadivelu Ganesan, Kovai Guna, Kovai Ramesh and Venkatesh. Also attending will be comedians Rara Prabhu and Michael Augustine alongside show director Rajkumar.

Fans can enjoy a variety of comedy including mimicry, mime, skits, monologues and cinematic dance performances.

The show is the first of a string of events including literary, cultural and social service events, which have been planned by the association to take place later this year.

Doors open at 6pm and the curtain will rise at 6.30pm on November 7.

Tickets are priced BD5, BD2, and BD1.

For details contact general secretary Kabeer Ahamed on 39404100 or entertainment secretary Pandy Narayanan on 39288609.

Disney's High School Musical returns to Dubai after a successful show earlier this year at the Centrepoint Theatre at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre from November 12 to 15.

High School Musical is the story of Gabriella and Troy and their friends at East High School faithfully brought to life on stage in a colourful explosion of energy and fun.

The production includes all of the favourite characters and songs from the movie, plus two new songs written especially for the stage. The show is directed by John Payton and produced by Lucy Blakeman and John Payton for Popular Productions limited.

Performances will be held at 7.30pm from November 12 to 15 with matinee shows at 4pm on November 13 and 2.30pm on November 14 and 15.

For details contact 00971-43414777.

The Palm Association is hosting a charity auction and gala ball at the Sheraton Hotel's Al Taj Ballroom on November 21. The Palm Ball will begin at 7.30pm and tickets are priced at BD30. Dress code is black tie. For details contact Sorrell on 39967896.

Award-winning Indian classical singer Sudha Raghunathan will perform at the Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE) hall in Juffair on November 21.

She will be accompanied by violinist Embar S Kannan, who has been a part of renowned maestro IIlayaraja's orchestra since 1991, and mridangam player Skanda Subramaniam who has performed with leading musicians in India and abroad since 1986.

Entry is free.

The event is organised by the Indian Fine Arts Society (IFAS) and will take place at 7.30pm.

For details contact 39617094 and 39468637.

The IFAS will hold its annual children's cultural competitions featuring classical dancing, Carnatic and Hindustani vocal, instrumental music and on-the-spot drawing contests from November 12 to 14 at the BSE. For details contact 36047612.

British soul blues and rock vocalist Deborah Bonham, sister of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, will perform in Bahrain for the first time at a concert at Upstairs Downstairs restaurant, Adliya on November 21.

Her first record deal was with the major label Carerre Records, for whom she recorded the critically-acclaimed album For You and the Moon.

The album reached the top five in the NME chart, was Simon Bates' Record of the Week on Radio 1 and sold extremely well in Europe, being voted Record of the Year in Germany.

Deborah has toured and performed with Van Halen, Alannah Myles, Tim Rose, Paul Weller, Humble Pie, Donovan, Lonnie Donnegan, Jools Holland, Ann Peebles, Foreigner and Paul Rodgers.

She has also played at festivals including Glastonbury and Donnington and twice at Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival.

Tickets for the concert are priced at BD25 and are inclusive of a three-course meal.

The dinner will begin at 6.30pm and show will start at 9.30pm.

For details contact 17713093.