Il Divo announces Christmas concerts

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- A series of intimate shows called "Celebrate Christmas with Il Divo" is to begin in London in December, the vocal group has announced.

The tour is to begin Dec. 7. It will include stops in Toronto; Atlantic City, N.J.; Wallingford, Conn.; and New York.

"This is a first-ever for Il Divo who have performed Christmas songs in front of the Queen and past U.S. Presidents, but never before a concert audience," a news release announcing the concerts said. "For the shows, Il Divo will perform songs in three languages -- English, Spanish and Italian -- from the group's double-platinum album 'The Christmas Collection' and their recent album 'The Promise.'"

The concerts will feature various special guests including singers Kristin Chenoweth, Holly Cole and Camilla Kerslake, and violinists Vanessa Mae and Anne Akiko Meyers.

Il Divo will complete "An Evening with Il Divo," their largest worldwide tour to date, in November. A live album and DVD are being planned as a result of this tour.

The vocal group is comprised of U.S. tenor David Miller, French singer Sebastian Izambard, Swiss tenor Urs Buhler and Spanish baritone Carlos Marin. They were initially brought together by pop impresario Simon Cowell in 2004, following an extensive worldwide audition process.

They have since sold more than 22 million albums.