YORK singer Big Ian says his big charity concert at York Barbican next month will bring him a particular honour.

Ian Donaghy said the evening, called A Night to Remember, will feature a special performance from Hands and Voices – ‘the choir who remove the ceiling of learning disabilities to raise the Barbican’s roof'.

He said: “This is a particular honour for me as one of their singers is Anneka Spence, who was one of the first ever students I taught when I was a newly-qualified teacher at Fulford Cross Special School back in the early 1990s.

“I was a newly qualified teacher in 1993 and Anneka was eight.”

The concert, now entering its fifth year, takes place on Thursday April 13 and will raise money for St. Leonard’s Hospice and dementia projects in York.

Big Ian said it would "knock many an episode of Later with Jools Holland into a cocked hat with an all-star house band led by musical genius George Hall & featuring the stellar line-up of singers-Chris Helme & Chris Farrell, Heather Findlay, Boss Caine, Jess Steel,Beth McCarthy, Graham Hodge, These Jaded Streets, Simon Snaize, Samantha Holden, Kieran O’Malley on fiddle & sax legend Mick Donnelly".

He said the evening would also include films made with children and people living with dementia in York as well as his “Dear Dementia” art gallery, before it goes on tour around the UK.

“Last year, over 200 people with Alzheimers/ dementia came to the show with their carers and had a wonderful night,” he said.

He said more than a thousand tickets had been sold in the first week. The tickets, costing £15 for adults and £10 concessions, can be bought at www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on or the Barbican box office between 10am and 2pm.