At 3pm on Sunday, Artscape presents its annual Choral Celebration concerts, which will feature choirs from the Western Cape Choral Music Association and include the Fezeka High School, conducted by Phumelelo Tsewu; the Sithembele Matiso High School, conducted by Dumile Prins; the Khayelitsha Choral Singers, under the direction of Bonisile Thombela; the Langa Choral Society, under the baton of Simphiwe Mninzi; and the Thembalethu Adult Choir, conducted by Mfaniseni Mthembu.

There's a Writers' Workshop at ArtapArt in Church St, Muizenberg, with Croc-e-Moses exploring the truth of the voice when perfoming your work on stage. Starts at 7pm, costs R10. The Poets' Lounge at ArtapArt will kick in at 8pm. Tel: 021-788-1121.

On Saturday at 2.30pm the Cape Town Gem and Mineral Club will host an Open Day at their Goedehoop St clubhouse in Bothasig. Browse or buy, handcut cabochons and facetted gemstones, jewellery, a variety of crystals and mineral specimens. Also 80-million-year-old plant and animal fossils. The guest speaker is SA's top forensic scientist, Dr David Klatzow. Tel: Jo at 021-976-3808.

Bascule Whisky Bar and Wine Cellar, Cape Grace Hotel, launches its "whisky hour" evenings on Fridays. The informal whisky tastings take place from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

Salsa classes at Bossa Nova, 43 Somerset Rd, Green Point, every uesday and Thursday. Beginners at 7pm, improvers at 8pm. R20 per class. Tel: 021-425-0295.

Visit World of Birds in Hout Bay, one of the biggest bird parks in the world. Being there at feeding times is a special treat. Tel: 021-790-2730.

The Kirstenbosch Biennale - an exhibition of botanical fine art - is open to the public until Sunday, September 17. Opening hours: 9am to 5pm daily. Venue: Old Mutual Conference Centre at Kirstenbosch. Free. Tel: Kirstenbosch Visitors' Centre information desk at 021-799-8783.

The Association For Visual Arts, in partnership with Spier, invites you to an exhibition of work by seven Cape-based artists, Amajita in Conversation. Runs until Friday, October 13. Tel: 021-424-7436.

The Sanlam Art Gallery presents a mid- career retrospective of the works of artist, musician and poet Tyrone Appollis until October 12. Sanlam Art Gallery, Sanlam Head Office, 2 Strand Road, Bellville. Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 4.30pm. Free.

Raise your pinky to an all-new luxury when renowned Sri Lankan tea master and founder of Dilmah Tea, Merrill J Fernando, descends on SA for a tasting of a diverse range of single origin Ceylon tea at The Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town on Friday, September 15.

From September 11 to 16, Cape Town will be hosting SA's puppetry and visual performance event, Out The Box, Festival of Puppets, Masks and Visual Performance, 2006.

Out The Box promises to be a memorable event with a range of performances and activities for adults and children at three locations around the city.

The provocative adult festival will centre on the Little Theatre complex on Orange Street (book at 076-848-9560) and the family festival will be at the Baxter theatre complex the whole week with a full day of face painting, shows and activities on September 16 (book at Computicket).

Award-winning jazz quartet, Breakfast Included, will perform at the Kirstenbosch Winter Warmer Concert on Sunday at 6pm. Tickets R90 (Botanical Society members pay R81) and include a welcome drink and starter course of soup. Tel: 021-762-9585.

The second Artscape Spring Drama Season is presenting new plays by emerging and established playwrights drawn from the Artscape New Writing Programme.

Angus Robinson's Sticks & Stones is a tragi-comedy set in the late '80s, a study of middle-aged love between two eccentric, emotional and entirely lovable people. Bookings for the play, which runs until Saturday, can be made at Computicket or call 021-421-7695.

You can also take in jazz at GrandWest's Supersport Arena with the duo of Kayla on guitar and Lucreia on vocals from 8pm and 10.30pm on Wednesdays and from 7.30pm to 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

Don't miss the last two evenings of Sonja Heroldt's performance at GrandWest's Roxy Revue Bar. Doors open at 8pm, curtain goes up at 8.30pm. Tickets R67 from Computicket. Show ends on Saturday. Tel: GrandWest at 021-505-7777.

Fokofpolisiekar will be rocking the Peninsula on Saturday at Embargo, 12 Glen Road, Glencairn. Tickets on sale at Embargo for R70. Tel: 021-782-0314.

The Shannon Mowday Quartet plays The Green Dolphin Restaurant in the Waterfront from tonight until Saturday. On Sunday for the Levi's Vintage Sunday the Amanda Tiffin Band will play the first set and Gavin Minter will entertain for the rest of the evening. Tel: 021-421-7471.

Tonight The Rockets launch their new CD at The Galaxy in College Rd, Rylands. Enjoy Saturday afternoons with N2 at this venue. West End in the same complex hosts Jimmy Dludlu and the Afro Jazz Project on Sundays from 8pm, and Saturday you can enjoy Black Current. Bookings: 021-637-9132.

Café Vespa, 108 Kloof St, has announced the next series of live gigs to be held every Sunday (late) afternoon. These concerts are free and will feature singer-songwriter Natalia and special guests. The Sunday Afternoon concerts are free from around 4 till 7pm. Tel: 021-426-5042.

Eldred and Hilton Schilder are part of Paradigm Shift playing at Capella, 21b corner of Somerset and Dixon Streets on Tuesdays at 8.30pm. For the next few weeks, pianist supreme Ebrahim Kahlil Shihab will be sitting in with them. Tel: 021-425-0439.

The Dubliner at Kennedy's Cigar Bar on the ground floor of 251 Long St, features Gabriel on Mondays, Guy Feldman on Tuesdays, Fishbowl on Wednesdays, Daizy Jane on Thursday, Francois on Friday and O-Zone on Saturdays. Tel: 021-424-1212.

The Jazz Castle in the Ottery Value Centre, will be hosting their second birthday celebrations this week and tonight they host a special benefit for St Josephs Home with After Sunset and Vernon Castle in action.

On Friday and Saturday night the same band is in action with Celeste Williams and Sade as guest artists. On Saturday from 3pm The Triangles. Sunday cabaret will feature Vernon Castle, Peter Medicine, Zayn Adam, Robbie Jansen and Terry Fortune. Get your special invite from 082-707-6187.

On Saturday nights vocalist Erika Lundi and guitarist James Kibby play the Almyra Restaurant and Cocktail Bar at 37 Durban Road in Mowbray from 8pm.

The Open Arms Pub, 91 Voortrekker Road, Goodwood, hosts Barry Clifton on Monday nights, Encore on Tuesdays, Wednesdays catch N2, Fishbowl is there on Thursdays, and Fridays feature Too Smart from 5pm. On Saturday afternoons The Triangles play and Addictive play the late slot. Tel: 021-592-0333.

Sunday jazz brunch at Winchester Mansions on Sunday, from 11am with the Andrew Ford Trio. To book call 021-434-2351 or send an e-mail to harveys@winchester.co.za.

Kennedys Piano Jazz Bar (1st floor, 251 Long St) presents Dave & Lucrecia on Tuesday nights. Wednesday night they host piano maestro Dave Goldberg. Thursday nights hear Blackie and the Brotherhood Friday and Saturday nights belong to Janine Laura. 9pm to late. Tel: 021-424-1212.

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