EIGHTY years after first joining the church choir, Vera Warren is still singing.

Vera, 90, joined Stambridge Church choir as a child in 1935, her sister Edna Bright joined two years later and now the sisters alongside Edna’s daughter Gill Bright, 60, still sing every Sunday.

Vera, who lives in Stambridge, said: “We were allowed to join the choir when we were 11.

“My mother was one of the founding members in 1900 and of course we joined.

“We had a big congregation and there were lots of families and children, at one point there were 25 of us.”

The choir now only has seven members, but continues to sing at the church off Stambridge Road every Sunday.

Vera added: “It’s something we have always done automatically and we’ve made lots of friends through the choir.”

Vera and Edna have been steady members of the choir throughout their life and only missed their weekly choir practices during the war.

Gill, who followed in her mother and aunt’s footsteps to join the choir, said: “Mum and Vera had a two month break from the choir when they were evacuated during the war. They went from Southend High School for Girls to Mansfield Woodhouse near Nottinghamshire, it’s the only time they missed it.”

Steeped in family history, Vera’s father who used to run a garage in Rochford became a lay reader and preached at the church, which his father before him used to worship at.

Gill siad: “There is a window at the church in remembrance of him.

“We have a great history with the church and I thought it was a feat for me to have been going for 49 years, but Vera has definitely beaten me with 80. When we told the vicar he didn’t believe us.”

So what keeps the family singing together? Community, according to Gill and Edna.

Gill said: “There is a real community feeling and all the people have been going for such a long time. It’s a shame we don’t have enough young people coming in to help us keep going. We’re a friendly bunch, but we are struggling to keep it alive.”

Since the choir’s organist died three years ago, the group do not practice as much as they used to.

Echo:

Edna said: “It’s difficult to keep going and to find another organist that we can afford. We keep going on a Sunday and fingers crossed we know what we are doing by now.

“I enjoy it very much and I can’t imagine our lives without it, it’s just something we have always done.”

The church held a special service this month to celebrate Vera’s achievements.

Choir mistress Sue O’Mahony said: “Vera has been in the church choir longer than I have been alive.

She’s always been the most loyal member and we love her dearly.”

David Bracci from the church council said: “Over the years my wife and I have attended the church, Vera and Edna have always been a mainstay of the church.”