The hour-long concert of Carols from Cork, recorded at the North Cathedral last week and to be screened by RTÉ on Christmas Eve, promises vitality, variety and sheer entertainment.

The programme involves a diverse line-up, from hurler Seán Óg Ó hAlpín and operatic tenor Denis O'Neill, to Sir James Galway and the G4 pop-group, violinist Catherine Leonard and President Mary McAleese.

It begins with the 500-strong massed choir drawn from city and county and aided by the Cork Children's Chorus, with Majella Cullagh, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Iarla Ó Lionard, harpist Jean Kelly and organist Colin Nicholls plus a specially assembled orchestra. There are readings by the captains of the three winning Cork teams of hurling, camogie and women's football, and by Oonagh Montague - reading a Christmas poem by her father John. The President reads from Patrick Galvin, and the assembly is managed by Gay Byrne in a cathedral decorated by Patrick Murray.

Produced by Fr Dermot McCarthy for RTÉ, the concert is one of the concluding events of the month-long "Solas - Festival of Light", with which Cork's year as European Capital of Culture will come to an end. Following the switching on of the Christmas lights (all a seasonal blue) the programme was launched last week by the Cork Children's Chorus, the first group to feature in the opening ceremonies. Children are to figure largely, especially in the "Journey of Light" which is expected to see 12,000 people following a gateway route along the city quays on December 11th (free but ticketed: 021-4215136).

A less public aspect of the wind-down will be the gathering of the diplomatic corps at Blackrock Castle next Thursday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the European Union flag. Corkman Gerard Slevin was a member of the flag's design team. Visiting diplomats will be guests at a concert at City Hall, with soprano Mary Hegarty and the Cork School of Music orchestra.