Yes we know - contained in that very headline is the 'c' word. But we make no apologies in this case because, in the case of these ladies, we are also talking about another 'c' - class.

Mediaeval Baebes were formed in the mid '90s when, according to legend (well, the biog on their website), a group of friends adorned themselves in 'flowing white gowns and crowns of ivy' before breaking into a North London cemetery for a spot of multi-lingual singing. As you do.

Slightly more believable is their proven track-record for shifting a lot of albums. Their debut 'Salva Nos' set the tone with songs derived from mediaeval times and sung sweetly in Latin, Italian and English, primarily a capella, and subsequent albums have stormed the Classical Charts and earned them enough status to perform with the likes of Jools Holland, Michael Flatley and, for the studio album 'Undrentide', John Cale (the ex-Velvets man produced it and performed/arranged on it).

Thankfully their brief brush with rock n' roll hasn't detracted from what The Baebes are all about - a celebration of vocal harmonies, language and Mediaeval history. Even without a phrase-book, their music is rather spell-binding, even more so when you discover that most of the subject-matter within their canon is about love, death, murder, being drunk and more death. Butter would melt in their mouths.

In October, the group will release a new album entitled 'The Huntress', harking a return to the basics of voice and traditional accompaniment - hurdy-gurdy, recorders, you name it - as well as plans to showcase the album in some of the UK's most impressive buildings.

The Christmas Cathedral Tour will start in Rochester Cathedral on 16th November, followed December shows in cathedrals in Norwich, Gloucester, Ely, Peterborough and finally Holborn in London on 21st December. We have tickets to the concerts available now, priced from £17.50. The all-girl ensemble will perform songs from the new album (the accompanying video is just one of them), as well as extracts from their earlier chart-hugging works.