CLASSICAL singer Russell Watson is to undertake a 12-date cathedral tour from Durham Cathedral to Manchester Monastery with his new festive show A Candlelight Christmas.

The one Yorkshire church for An Evening Concert With Russell Watson & Choir will be Beverley Minster on November 28.

"This will be my first Christmas tour," says the 47-year-old Salford tenor. "I'm really excited to be performing in what will be a unique experience for me, just to piano in an intimate environment in the glorious surroundings of some of the most prestigious cathedrals and minsters in the UK."

Watson's concerts of seasonal songs will take him into new territory in a career that has brought him seven million album sales from nine studio albums, making him Britain's best-selling classical artist of all time en route to four Classical BRITs.

He has performed for HM The Queen; the late Pope John Paul II, who requested a private audience with Watson at the Vatican; former American President Bill Clinton; the Emperor of Japan; European Prime Ministers, Middle Eastern Sultans and the King of Malaysia. His collaborations in song include the late Luciano Pavarotti, Lionel Richie, Michael Bolton, Cliff Richard, Lulu, Sarah Brightman, Mel B and Meat Loaf.

Watson is a patron for many charities and has raised millions of pounds for The Prince’s Trust, the Katy Holmes Trust and The Kirsty Club, along with performing to raise awareness and funds for Soccer Aid 2010, Remembrance for the 4th Mechanized Brigade at York Minster in 2010, the Legends Match at Celtic Park for Oxfam in 2011 and the Bob Champion Cancer Trust in 2012.

After overcoming two life-threatening brain tumours and gruelling radiotherapy treatment, Watson is still the "godfather of classical crossover".

Tickets for his7pm concert at Beverley Minster go on sale tomorrow at 10am on 0844 811 0051 and 0844 826 2826 or at gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk