ONE of Oxford’s oldest choirs is singing from the rooftops after finally finding a new home.

The Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir was made homeless three months ago after being locked out of their practice room at the Lord Nuffield Club in Cowley when the venue went into administration.

But an appeal in the Oxford Mail in August led to a chorus of offers of venues for the 81-year-old choir to rehearse, including space at the Oxford Academy in Littlemore, which has become their new base.

The 40-strong choir, which raises about £20,000 a year for charity, is currently fine-tuning its performance for a gala charity concert at Oxford Town Hall in three weeks’ time.

Last year the concert, in aid of Helen and Douglas House hospice in East Oxford, attracted 550 people – so landing a new home at The Oxford Academy has happened just in the nick of time.

Choir chairman Phil Lewis, 72, from Abingdon said: “We’re delighted.

“All of us are so relieved and pleased that we now have somewhere permanent to rehearse.

Having our story in the Oxford Mail was a huge boost for us.

“We had over 25 offers of rooms to practise in, and we must have viewed around 20 of them.

“However for one reason or another the amount of space we needed was a big stumbling block for us.”

The choir had been given a temporary home at Oxford Brookes University’s Headington Hill campus, but it knew it would be forced out again in September when the new university term began.

Mr Lewis said: “The space at Oxford Brookes got us out of a huge hole – but as soon as the students came back we knew we would be homeless again.

“Our room at the academy really is an excellent space – we’re so pleased.

“The Oxford Mail’s support was instrumental in bringing a huge number of offers for somewhere to rehearse and thankfully the acoustics are just right for us at The Oxford Academy. We also got a couple of new members from the article – so it really has done us a huge favour.”

The songsters are currently having to rehearse without their usual accompaniment though, as their piano and more than 80 years’ worth of music are locked away inside the Lord Nuffield Club.

The choir, which sings a quarter of its songs in Welsh and the rest in English, are rehearsing with an electronic keyboard instead.

l The gala concert takes place on Saturday, October 24. The choir will be joined on stage by two guest Welsh choirs as well as the Oxfordshire County Youth Rosetti Quartet.

Tickets are £15 and available from Mr Lewis on 07811 517783.

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk