Jose Carreras, described as one of the world’s greatest tenors, will take to the open-air stage at the stately home on the tip of North Norfolk on Friday 1 September, 2006. He has performed to sellout crowds from Rome to the Royal Albert Hall, and he will be accompanied by the City Of London Sinfonia orchestra. A day later, long-time Norfolk visitor Jools Holland will tread the same stage with his Rhythm And Blues Orchestra and guest singers Ruby Turner and Sam Brown. First for HolkhamIt is the first time the Holkham Hall estate has hosted two big outdoor concerts. Up to 20,000 music lovers are expected to flock to the 18th century deer park, with the hall as the shows' backdrop. Both performances will culminate in a firework finale. Lord Leicester’s son, Viscount Coke, took over the running of the estate last year, and opening the gates of Holkham for events like this is something of a new venture.  | | Jools Holland at Sennowe Park |
"It's very exciting that we’re able to start these concerts with two such big names," he said. "Much of the estate’s income now comes from tourism and leisure, and this just seemed like the next step. "And we have got the most amazing setting at Holkham, and if you can imagine where the concerts are going to be, you’re going to get the most amazing view," he added. Moving forwardThe Holkham estate has one foot in the past, and one foot in the future. Viscount Coke says that's a sign of the times for an estate such as Holkham. "We still want to maintain the values of a traditional country estate, but we can’t stand still. If we stand still, we'll get overtaken," he said. If you fancy packing a picnic for a night of culture with Jose or an evening of boogie-woogie with Jools, tickets are now on sale. They are available from the Ancient House Gift Shop in Holkham village (cash/cheques only) or by calling the credit card hotline on 08700 667733. Tickets for Jose Carreras cost £37.50 and £32.50 for Jools Holland. BBC Radio Norfolk is the official Jools and Jose radio station. Listen out for competitions, and features about the concerts over the coming months. | 
