MALVERN Male Voice Choir will celebrate its 80th year with two November concerts at Tewkesbury Primary School and Tewkesbury Methodist Church.

Originally a male voice quartet formed in Malvern Wells in 1922, the group quickly expanded into the Malvern Wells Male Voice choir because of the number of men who wanted to join its ranks.

Its popularity saw it evolve to win many competitions and take part in BBC radio broadcasts.

When it resumed in 1944 after a wartime break, it was joined by American servicemen from their camps around Malvern and in 1963 competed against other choirs from all over the world in the Langollen Eisteddfod.

Today, under conductor Phillip Holland, the Malvern Male Voice Choir boasts 34 singers.

Its longest serving member, Don Westcott, has performed in hundreds of concerts over 42 years.

He said: "I've been into singing all my life, from the age of seven. I was a church chorister for 70 years and finished up singing for Trinity Church.

"Although I decided to retire from that I kept the choir going. From a health point of view it's very good. You find that people who sing live long.

"It helps the breathing process and getting air into the lungs and at the same time we're enjoying it and entertaining people. It's one of those worthwhile activities."

The choir's policy is to make itself available to any organisation needing a musical event, for a modest fee. That has included singing at charity concerts, rest homes, weddings and funerals. Next year will involve a special charity concert with 1,000 other male singers at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

At the concerts in Tewkesbury Methodist Church on November 11, the choir plans to sing numbers including Some Enchanted Evening, Last of the Summer Wine, Dr Foster and Hello Dolly. For the children's concert on November 9, it will include Soldier's Chorus, Steal Away and Calm is the Sea.

The choir gathers every Monday at 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House in Orchard Road, Malvern. New members are always welcome.

For further information, call the secretary on 01684 574495 (eves) or the musical director on 01684 572050.