THE manager of a music festival will celebrate her 40th birthday by singing for the first time since her school days at a special fundraising concert in her honour.

Caroline Thomas, from Glan Conwy, who works for the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph, was a member of an award-winning choir when she was a pupil at the former Howell’s School in Denbigh in the 1990s.

Now the festival’s artistic director Ann Atkinson is putting together a choir made up of Caroline’s school friends to perform with her at the concert at St Asaph Cathedral on Friday, November 16, which will also mark her 40th birthday.

Among the other highlights will be performances by mezzo soprano Ann, baritone Kevin Sharp, pianist Chris Frost, the Trelawnyd and Bro Glyndŵr male voice choirs and Côr Rhuthun, under the baton of composer Robat Arwyn.

Caroline says her birthday celebrations will be nerve-racking because more than two decades have elapsed since she last appeared on stage.

She said: “I’ll be singing as part of a small choir and not on my own, thank goodness. We held a concert last year in honour of Ann’s birthday and it was such a wonderful and special night which was also a sell-out.

“I was thrilled when Ann asked me if I would like to have something similar to celebrate my birthday.

“It’s a wonderful idea to try and get as many of the girls who were in the Howell’s School choir between 1992 and 1997 as possible back together."

She added: “The Howell’s School choir under the baton of Alun Jones was very successful and we won the Classic FM Choir of the Year competition and were invited to perform in London and tour in Italy. It was quite an exciting time.

“It will be wonderful getting back with some of the girls and performing again."

Ann said: “As festival manager, Caroline works incredibly hard on making sure each festival is a success.

“I thought a birthday celebration concert in her honour would be a great way to acknowledge the work she does and the part she plays in making the festival such a huge success while raising funds for next year’s event.”

Tickets are priced £10, available from Cathedral Frames, High Street, St Asaph, on 01745 582929 or email Caroline at caroline@nwimf.com or call 07919621933. For more information about the North Wales International Music Festival visit www.nwimf.com