DUDLEY'S annual Remembrance concert faces jeopardy, unless volunteers come forward to help.

The warning has come from councillor Steve Waltho, who is ambassador for the Gentleman Songsters Male Voice Choir.

The 60-strong choir perform at the Remembrance Concert every year at Dudley Town Hall, but in recent years they have had to take on more and more of the organisation of the event.

They now face the situation that unless more volunteers can be sought to help organise the concert, it may not be able to go ahead in November.

Councillor Waltho said the choir faced a 'simple but sad problem' due to the pressure of having to organise the event as well as perform.

He said: "The Gentleman Songsters are a wonderful institution that give so much pleasure to so many through our concerts staged throughout the year. We also raise a lot of money for charities and naturally the Royal British Legion benefit from the annual Remembrance Concert.

"The simple but sad problem is that in recent years the choir has gone from doing what they should do in being the central performing artists and all the volunteering time that takes, to taking on an ever increasing role in this big event's organisation.

"Our Council can only give limited support and the British Legion itself can offer no manpower resource and unless volunteers urgently come forward we are faced with the sad situation that the event may not go ahead this year which would be a tragic loss."

The Remembrance Concert is a success every year, with last year's performance to mark the centenary of the Armistice raising £2400 for the Royal British Legion.

A cheque was handed over to the Chair of Dudley Royal British Legion Malcolm Davies by present choir Chairman Phil Holden and retiring Chairman Pete Hawthorne CBE.

The presentation at the choir practice was also attended by choir's oldest member and Normandy Veteran Albert Evans, representatives from Dudley College who supported last year's concert and Royal British Legion standard bearers.

Anyone wishing to find out more about volunteering for the event should contact Councillor Steve Waltho on 07703 308463 or Councillor Dave Tyler on 07759 209962.