HART Male Voice Choir has put on a special concert in support of the Cross Barn Development fund.

The choir, which has been offering men around the area with a passion for singing a chance to put their vocals to good use for 40 years, held the concert to raise funds for the conservation work on the historic building.

Described as "one of the jewels in the collection of many historic buildings in the village", the Cross Barn was built nearly 500 years ago in 1532 during the reign of Henry VIII. It was converted in 1997 to its current role as a centre for community events.

The choir performed to a packed house singing with gusto as they performed both new songs and a number of traditional ones, including The Water Is Wide, an Irish folk song famously recorded by James Taylor.

Cross Barn trustees Roger Jones and Pauline Twineham thanked choir chairman and compere Eamonn O’Rourke on what was a superb evening.

“A brilliant choir, a packed house and good cheer – what else do you need to bring the community together?”

Tenor Keith Owen was also praised for his solo on the evening. He delivered a word perfect performance of the tongue-tying, Modern Major General by Gilbert and Sullivan.

The final count of ticket and raffle sales indicated that it was a hugely successful evening, with almost £800 raised for the development fund.

The choir is by no means done for 2016 with a number of events planned throughout the year, including their Young Singer of the Year awards, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh.

In addition to the evening hosted by the famous gardener, they also have a trip to Ireland planned.

It follows successful tours to Spain, Germany, South Africa and Portugal in the past.

The weekly rehearsals, concerts and general socialising activities bring the choir together and forge many close friendships.

And it comes across in the way they perform, with audience members saying ‘fun is an essential feature for any Hart concert or male voice choir gathering.’

They’re still looking to increase their membership, with a strong interest in attracting fresh talent from singers in the Hook and Odiham area.

For more details, visit hartmv.com.