THE Festivus Christmas Band is presenting a series of three local festive concerts in Minchinhampton, Tetbury and Wotton-Under-Edge, to help get audiences ready for the festive season.

The five-member Festivus band offers an original take on carols and just the right mix of contemporary material as well as original Christmas songs.

Back in 2014, Tetbury singer/songwriter Heather Bristow (Iron & Oak)joined forces with her friend, fellow singer/songwriter and artist Nicola Clark, also Tetbury-based, to put on a festive concert at The New Brewery Arts in Cirencester.

The pair has regularly performed at Christmas concerts since then and this year wanted the chance to do a longer programme.

To augment their first half of traditional material they have asked Stroud native James Slater (Appalachia, Iron & Oak), Stroud musician Sarana VerLin (Brandt & VerLin, Iron & Oak) and Wotton-Under-Edge-based musician Richard Lloyd (The Bob Porter Project) to join them for a second half of more contemporary Christmas music, including original songs (both James and Sarana are also singer/songwriters).

The first concert is this Friday, November 25 at Minchinhampton Market House, followed by Sunday, December 4 at St Mary's Church in Tetbury and finishing on Saturday, December 10 at Under-the-Edge Arts (UTEA) in Wotton-Under-Edge.

  •  Tickets for Minchinhampton Market House from Barry Watkins, barry@bwatkins.co.uk, 01453 750494. Concert starts at 7.30pm.
  • Tickets for St Mary's Church available from Heather Bristow, h.bristow@yahoo.co.uk, 01666 503946 and include festive refreshments. Concert is 7 for 7.30pm.
  • Tickets for Under-the-Edge Arts, Wotton-Under-Edge via utea.org.uk, 07791 323869. Concert starts at 8pm.