TOP class entertainment in Hagley is set to help disaster victims who are close to villager’s hearts.

Soprano Ana James will be joined by fellow New Zealanders Jonathan Lemalu and Lindy Tennent–Brown for a classical music event at Hagley Hall to raise cash for the Christchurch earthquake appeal.

The concert, on Saturday July 9, will take place at St John's Church in the grounds of the hall before a dinner to round off the gala event.

The Lyttelton family, who have lived at the hall since the 17th century, have strong connections in New Zealand after helping to establish the first settlement in Christchurch during the mid-1800s.

The gala show will be the curtain raiser for an open day at the hall on Sunday July 10 when a host of attractions will be on offer for an afternoon of family fun.

Gates open at 11am for the family event, which costs £10 for adults but is free for under 12s.

The show will feature attractions including live music, an aerobatic display by the Twister Duo team, a cricket match between Hagley Cricket club and The London New Zealanders and a fire and rescue display from emergency workers including members of a team who helped rescue survivors of the quake which hit Christchurch earlier this year.

The city was hit by a major quake in February which left 10,000 homes and 1,000 commercial buildings unsafe and has recently been rocked by another series of significant tremors.

Tickets for the gala concert and dinner cost £100 per person. For further details and an application form contact the Hagley Hall events team on by emailing info@hagleyhall.com