AME Church Annual Christmas Concert which takes place this Sunday.

With its high standard of musicianship, the St. Paul concert is always one of the highlights of Bermuda's Christmas season, and this year promises the usual mix of classical music and traditional carols.

Mr. Ingram, who has sung with such major companies as the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, has also performed the role of Don Arias in the Columbia recording of Massenet's `Le Cid', alongside Placido Domingo and Grace Bumby.

In his first visit to Bermuda, the tenor, who obtained his Masters in music from Yale University, will sing an excerpt from Bach's `Magnificat', `Sister Mary Had But One Child' by Roland Haynes, and the Christmas portion of Handel's `Messiah'.

He sang principal roles in two world premieres -- In `X' (Malcolm X) by Anthony Davis at the American Theatre Festival in Philadelphia, and in `Angel Livine' by Seigmeister at New York's 92nd Street YMHA.

He has also sang the leading roles in `Aidi' and `The Magic Flute' and `Cavalleria Rusticana' for the Festival Ensemble of New York. For the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, he played the role of Robbins in Gerwhwin's `Porgy and Bess'.

Mr. Ingram, described by The New York Times in 1984 as singing with `stalwart clarity of declamation in four languages (and) a winning musicality throughout', made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 1989-90 season when he performed the role of Mingo in `Porgy and Bess'.

He will be joined by the church's Senior Choir, long acknowledged to be one of the Island's best.

Besides performing Lani Smith's cantata `The Promise Fulfilled', the choir will also sing such favourites as the Bach Noel, incorporating `Sheep May Safely Graze' and the `First Noel Carol'.

St. Paul AME Church is also well known for its support of promising young artists and, this year, the soloist will be 13-year old Jennecka Stovell. Her talent has already won her a scholarship to the Dunbarton School of Music where she studied the Suzuki method with Mrs. Ann Brown. Her present teachers are director Ms Karol Sue Reddington for piano, and Mrs. Ruth Henderson on the organ. She is also studying the cello.

A student at Warwick Academy, she was chosen, at the age of only seven, to perform at Government House for former Governor, Sir Desmond Langley, and Lady Langley.

The Concert will be under the direction of Cecil G. Smith, with Greeta Jones on the piano and Lloyd Matthews on the organ.

The Christmas Concert takes place on Sunday, December 17 at 6 p.m.

Subscription tickets ($20) are available from the church office and members of the Senior Choir, and proceeds are in aid of the Building Fund.

CLINTON INGRAM -- Will be the special guest artist at the St. Paul AME Church Annual Christmas Concert.