A DEDICATED chorister is celebrating 80 years of singing at a Tynedale church.

David Nichol first joined the choir at St John Lee Church, Acomb, on his eighth birthday – on October 1, 1939 – when there were 36 members.

Since then, he has performed more than 1,000 hymns and has seen 10 different vicars come and go.

“I thoroughly enjoy my singing, I wouldn’t know what to do without it,” he said.

Born in Acomb, David has lived in the village all his life and remains the only surviving Acomb Pit worker in the village.

“When I first joined the choir I was eight years old and there were 36 members, now there’s only seven.” His dulcet tones saw him approached to join the Durham Cathedral choir as a youngster, but he remained in Acomb.

David said: “The St John Lee choir has been in my family for a long time. My dad was in it for almost 60 years and my brother for more than 50.”

The choir reduced over the years, and in 1979 he found himself singing solo in the stalls. He spent 37 years as the only member of the choir. but that didn’t deter him.

To this day, he still walks the short distance to the church every Sunday, pulls on his cassock and sings.

“I love singing at the church. Everyone is really friendly and lots of people still turn up for the Sunday services.”

As well as being a dedicated member of the St John Lee choir, he also sings for the Hexham Male Voice Choir, which he joined 55 years ago.

This Saturday, he’ll be singing as a member of the male voice choir at St John Lee to commemorate the Harvest Festival.

With 80 years of experience, he can confidently sing all the hymns “off by heart”.

“I can’t read music, all the hymns just click in my head. I’m still singing some of the same hymns I was 80 years ago,” he said.

His dedication has been rewarded. Among the highlights for David were an invitation to a Millennium service at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, which was attended by the Queen, and the Lord Lieutenant’s garden party for volunteers at Alnwick Garden last September.

“As long as I’m still able to sing and walk, as long as duty calls, I’ll be there” said David, who has no plans to stop yet.