A DARWEN choir, which began life nearly 100 years ago and was once named the best junior choir in England, has sung its last notes.

Darwen Girls Choir was founded in the 1920s by John Davies and was re-formed just after the Second World War by Gertrude Kay before becoming the Newrad Singers in the 60s.

It is this choir – its name is Darwen spelt backwards – which has decided reluctantly to disband because of falling membership and the age profile of its present members.

Stalwart Audrey Clark who,as a teenager in the Fifties accompanied Darwen Girls Choir on the piano, said it was a very poignant meeting when the decision was taken to call it a day.

She said: “It was all very emotional. Some were in tears. Many of us have been singing in the choir for 40 years or more and were unhappy it was all coming to an end.

"The choir has been entertaining people in Darwen and throughout East Lancashire for nearly 60 years. We have given lots of concerts at social events and in old folk's homes and we have been especially busy at Christmas, touring all over to sing carols.

“It wasn't easy going through the piles of music we've collected over the years," she said. "We'll have to think what to do with it all."

Darwen Girls Temperance and Prize Choir was founded in the 1920s and was conducted by Mr Davies before it was re-formed in 1945 by Gertrude and her husband John.

Mr Davies had taught Mrs Kay to sing. As a girl she won many prizes and also performed at many of Darwen's social occasions, including soirees for Lady Hindle who later became the choir's president.

With Mrs Kay conducting, the choir won a host of prizes at music festivals throughout the North, including a memorable appearance at a packed Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

During the Festival of Britain celebrations at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1951 the junior choir – under 12s – was named best in England.

When the youngsters arrived back in Darwen after their success, a huge crowd had gathered at the railway station to greet them. The following day when the 33 youngsters performed their winning songs, more than 3,000 people packed into the square in front of the town hall.

That same year the choir also won first prize at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in the junior choirs for under 16s. They also sang at concerts all over the region and broadcast on Children's Hour.

Caption: Happy Days: Newrad singers at rehearsal for a Millennium concert with Andrew Tattersall who is now in New Zealand.