A COMMUNITY choir from an Oxford estate is to perform two high-profile shows in less than a week.

The Blackbird Leys Choir will join almost 50 musicians and singers from Oxford's Dutch twin town of Leiden, at the Wesley Memorial Church, in New Inn Hall Street, from 7.30pm tomorrow.

They will follow that show by joining Julian Lloyd Webber - the brother of Andrew Lloyd Webber - at the Sheldonian Theatre next Friday.

Tomorrow's event is a joint concert celebrating the 62-year-old link between Oxford and Leiden.

The Leys choir will be joined by Sempre Avanti - a leading orchestra and choir from the Dutch city - to sing popular songs from the 1960s and '70s.

Leys choir committee member Sandra King, 61, from Littlemore, said: "I am really looking forward to tomorrow.

"I am really pleased this is coming together. It is all about communicating the joy of music.

"We have never met the Leiden choir, but we have heard about them.

"From what I understand they are a very lively bunch."

The Leys choir was formed in 2006 for the Channel 5 TV show The Singing Estate, but membership dwindled following the show until an appeal for more people in March attracted new recruits.

Ms King said the group practises once a week at Orchard Meadow School on the estate and added: "Since two years ago we have really moved forward. I love the enthusiasm of the new members.

"Music is life and death to me. I live to sing and sing to live."

Sempre Avanti will also perform at the Templars Square shopping centre in Cowley from 2.30pm tomorrowsat.

John Chipperfield, chairman of the Oxford-Leiden link twinning society, said: "Sempre Avanti are one of the leading choirs and orchestras in Leiden.

"The last time they came was in 1992 and they asked if they could come back.

"We are delighted they are coming back to Oxford and we hope many people will come along and see them at the shopping centre and then at the concert in the evening."

A veterans' hockey team from Leiden is also spending the weekend in Oxford.

Mr Chipperfield added: "Events like this help to publicise the link - and show it is still flourishing after 62 years."