What's on in the south next week.

Noel Davies noel.davies@soton-echo.co.uk

AN evening of freewheeling and exuberant music is on offer at The Anvil in Basingstoke tomorrow night.

Africa 05 Live features three African divas who have joined forces with South African trumpeter Claude Deppa and his seven-piece band. Based on Deppa's best-selling CD Toi Toi, the singers bring their own styles and backgrounds together for this memorable evening of joyous rhythms and infectious grooves.

The show starts at 7.45pm.

Tickets from £9.50. Box office: 01256 844244.

BASINGSTOKE Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Ranelagh and Holt school choirs on Sunday to perform Beethoven's dramatic Choral Symphony (no.9). This was Beethoven's only symphony to make use of a choir in addition to an orchestra, and it will be performed at The Anvil from 7.00pm.

The concert will also include Handel's triumphant Zadok the Priest and Parry's I Was Glad, as well as Beethoven's reflective Romance in F.

Tickets from £8. Box office: 01256 844244.

TOM Hingley performs at Joiners Arms in Southampton tonight. The ex-Inspiral Carpets singer's solo has built on his previous Madchester success, and his charm, charisma and extraordinary vocal range are as evident as ever.

Tickets £5.50. Box office: 023 8022 5612.

MERCURY Rev perform at the Southampton Guildhall tomorrow night. The stateside band will be showcasing material from their new album The Secret Migration and will be supported by London art-rock band The Duke Spirit.

Tickets £16. Box office: 023 8063 2601.

LEGENDARY guitarist Jan Akkerman will be at The Brook in Southampton on Wednesday night. Jan made his name with Dutch band Focus in the early 1970s, and still sells out concerts across the world.

The musician's career has so far lasted more than 50 years and he has achieved nearly everything that a professional musician can. For a lesson in how a guitar should be played, The Brook is definitely the place to be on Wednesday.

Tickets £12.50. Box office: 023 8055 5366.

STEVIE Wonder fans will have a couple of chances to catch The Wonder of Stevie at the City College in Southampton next week. Southampton performer A J Lewis is back from national tours of Soul Train and Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat to star in his one-man show that celebrates the life and music of the talented soul singer. The show takes place on Thursday March 17 and Friday March 18.

Tickets £5. Box office: 023 8043 4005.

BUSTED rocker Charlie Simpson takes his new band to Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on Monday.

Fightstar's tour has received rave reviews so far, and this gig is one of many that has sold out. The gig is strictly for over-16s only, which will no doubt disappoint the throngs of devastated teenage Busted fans.

Fightstar will be supported by Cryforsilence and Hollywood Ending.

Tickets £7. Box office: 023 9286 3911.

THE Salisbury City Hall plays host to the Motown Chart Busters 40th Anniversary Tribute Tour tonight, promising a night of great music with tributes to some of the era's biggest legends like The Temptations, Diana Ross, the Four Tops, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson.

The show starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £17.50. Box office 01722 434343.

THE hotly tipped Vatican DC play Southampton University on Saturday as part of their 24-date UK tour in support of their debut EP, We Carnival, which is out next month.

Likened to The Undertones, Buzzcocks, Dead Kennedys and The Damned, Vatican mix crash and burn riffs with steadfast anthems.

ONE of London's hottest underground DJ collectives, Firin' Squad, bring their contagious rhymes to Club Earth in Eastleigh tonight for a special one off gig.

The Firin' Squad - otherwise known as Sean Slim, Mista Grill and Chris Vee - started blazing a trail through London's underground club scene over a decade ago.

Ten years on, their Kiss 100 FM show continues to go from strength to strength, their UK club gigs are taking them all over the country and they have just signed an exclusive residency in Ayia Napa. In other words Firin' Squad are coming at you from all angles! Don't miss em!

ROOTSY singer/songwriter Amy Wadge appears with her band at the Forest Arts Centre in New Milton tonight.

Voted Best Female Solo Artist at the Welsh Music Awards, Amy is one of the country's most gifted female singers, regularly being likened to Tracey Chapman and Sheryl Crow.

Tickets £9. Box office: 01425 612393.

HAVEN'T got tickets for U2's sell-out UK gigs? Don't worry top tribute band, U2-UK play The Red Lion in Totton on Saturday night. Expect all the classic tracks from one of the best U2 acts around. Close your eyes and you'll almost believe you're at Twickenham! Tickets £7. Contact 023 8086 3273.

THE world renowned Schubert Ensemble will perform a free concert at the Turner Sims Concert Hall on Monday.

Founded in 1983, the Ensemble has become a familiar fixture on stages across the world, from New York to Tokyo.

Regularly giving more than 60 concerts a year, the Ensemble has performed in over 40 different countries, as well as appearing frequently at Britain's major festivals and concert halls.

The concert will take place from 12.50 to 1.40.