THEY plan to sing their hearts out for the heroes.

Some 600 singers from 19 local choirs are to take part in a concert to raise money to help the hidden victims of war.

Their efforts at Huddersfield Town Hall will help military veterans whose lives have been shattered by the horrors they witnessed on the battlefield.

The concert is the brainchild of the Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Andrew Palfreeman, who chose the charity Combat Stress for his appeal.

He approached the Yorkshire West group of the National Association of Choirs and they have organised A Choral Celebration in Huddersfield.

It is on Sunday April 3, at 2.15 pm, and tickets from £5 to £10 are on sale in Huddersfield library and at other Kirklees booking offices.

Appearing are seven ladies’ choirs – Rodillians, Denby Dale, Horbury, Vocal Expressions, Almondbury, Pennine and Marsh.

They will be joined by seven male voice choirs – Colne Valley, Elland, Featherstone, Honley, Micklefield, Sharlston and Skelmanthorpe – and five mixed voice choirs: Halifax Young Singers, Holme Valley Singers, Huddersfield Singers, Huddersfield U3A and Wakefield Amateur Operatic Chorus.

The programme will be a mixture of old and new, sacred and secular and the concert will start with the Fanfare Trumpet team from the West Yorkshire Police Band.

Combat Stress was formed in 1919 to help the thousands of men who had suffered immense psychologist damage as a result of the First World War. It gives valuable support to many ex-service personnel who suffer a range of mental injuries including post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

All funds raised by the Mayor’s appeal will be used to help the increasing number of veterans from the Kirklees area who are benefiting from Combat Stress.

They include men like ex solder Les Woodhead, 60, of Ravensthorpe, who has been suffering from post traumatic stress for more than 30 years as a result of his service in Northern Ireland.

Mr Woodhead joined the Royal Engineers in 1967 and left the Army in 1974. He has suffered flashbacks and hasn’t slept properly since 1974.

He became involved with Combat Stress in 2009.