A CONCERT to mark this year’s centenary of the First World War will use folk songs and stories from wartime Witney.

English folk singer Sam Lee will perform on Sunday night at Cogges Manor Farm Museum in Church Lane, using material put forward by Witney residents.

Producer Polly Eldridge said the organisers were impressed by the response from residents, who have been in touch to provide wartime stories, music and images.

She said: “We put a call out for anything that had been passed down and we have had an great response.

“People have been offering to let us exhibit all kinds of things.

“There are some amazing items going on display on the night of concert so we are really pleased.”

The contributions are being combined to make a new original composition of folk songs.

Ms Eldridge said that their aim had been to do something different to other productions that would be put on for the centenary.

She added that because folk music was not recorded in the same way that other music was, it had suffered during the war when many of folk’s male performers failed to return home after leaving England for the front line.

She said: “Sam is not only a great singer, but also a real expert on folk in this country.

“He has been doing recording sessions of old folk music that would never have been made otherwise.

“We looked for people who still knew those songs and stories.”

Ending in a final production in concert halls elsewhere in the autumn, the project will first take in more contributions from three villages in the south west of England after its Witney performance.

The event starts at 7.30pm and doors open at 7pm.

Tickets for adults cost £10, concessions for £8 and child tickets for £6.