Husband and wife pianists Karen and Takushi Fukuiama have flown 10,000 miles from Japan to spend a 'classical' Christmas in Bingley - and raise hundreds of pounds for good causes at the same time.

Karen's dad Ernest Taylor, president of Bingley Rotary Club, asked the couple to spread festive cheer by putting on a recital tomorrow to raise cash for causes in the town. It is seven years ago since Karen, 41, and Takushi, 45, last played publicly in Bingley and that was when Mr Taylor first joined the Rotary Club.

"They put on a recital for us when I first joined and now seven years on it's my year as president and it seemed as good a time as any for them to do another one," he said.

"I'm tremendously proud of them and their achievements and in a little way Karen's proud of me too."

Ernest, 73, of Nab Wood, has another daughter Michelle Jowett is also an accomplished pianist and teaches and lives in Shipley.

Karen, a former Nab Wood Grammar pupil, met Takushi when they were both students at Trinity College, London, studying music.

The musical couple were an item for a number of years until they were forced to spend 16 months apart when he graduated first and went back to Japan.

"It seemed a long time but we took it in turns to visit each other on holiday in Japan and over here which made being away from each other a bit easier," said Karen. They were married in Japan in 1985 and have made their home in Nagoya, Japan's fifth largest city.

While Takushi travels all over Japan performing recitals, Karen splits her time between teaching English in a school and playing at concerts.

Karen said: "I'm used to playing at all sorts of venues but when it's on home ground it feels a bit scary but I'm sure there'll be a warm welcome."

Tomorrow's audience will be able to look forward to a rendition of well-known favourites from Chopin, Brahm, Bach and Schumann. The concert

is at 7.15pm at Bingley Arts Centre in Main Street.

Tickets at £9 are available either from the Arts Centre box office on (01274) 751575 or by ringing Ernest and Barbara Taylor on (01274) 598253.

Karen and Takushi will fly back to Japan on New Year's Eve.