Weymouth Choral Society will be joined by a very special guest for their annual Christmas concert on Saturday, December 14.

Dame Joan Bakewell will read a variety of pertinent poems and literary extracts to complement the society's musical offerings. The singers will also be accompanied by Weymouth Concert Brass to bring one of the most festive sounds of the season to the celebrations.

The evening will feature a mix of traditional Congregational carols and popular songs, with favourites such as O Holy Night and Star Carol by John Rutter, as well as the serene Silent Night and uplifting Gaudete.

Pianist Louise Dukes will be accompanying the choir in a programme that promises a variety of holiday treats for all the family.

Dame Joan Bakewell is a journalist and television presenter as well as a playwright and author. She was the main presenter of the documentary and discussion series Heart of the Matter until 2000, and published an autobiography in 2004 which focused on her experiences as a woman in the male-dominated media industries.

In 2008, Dame Joan introduced an evening on BBC Parliament called Permissive Night, which explored changing attitudes to issues including divorce, the death penalty and abortion. In 2009, she won Journalist of the Year at the annual Stonewall Awards.

These days, Dame Joan writes for The Independent and is co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, awarded Humanist of the Year in 2017. She is also a Labour Party Peer.

Weymouth Choral Society puts on three or four main concerts a year, including one every Christmas. The group's history stretches back to 1862 and has a long tradition of working closely with the community, including performing for charity, in hospitals and care homes, or at fundraising events.

Now led by musical director Helen Brind, the choir invites new members to join at any time of the year.

The Christmas concert will take place at St John's Church in Weymouth at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12, available from Harmony Music in Dorchester, Weymouth Pavilion or on the door. Under-16s go free.

For more information and details about getting involved, visit www.weymouthchoralsociety.org.uk