TONY Washington is passionate about his customers, his village community and – music.

So this Honley food store boss has come up with an innovative way of combining all three.

Tony, who runs Taylors Food Store in Honley, has decided to thank his customers for their loyal support by staging a concert for them in the village.

The concert, which Tony has aptly named, a Loyal Variety Performance, is on April 6 in St Mary’s Church in Honley.

And what better than to use as many local musicians as possible to celebrate the village’s breadth of musical talent. And though modesty would prevent him from pointing this out, that includes Tony himself.

Five years ago, he was given a series of music lessons as a gift. And he hasn’t looked back.

“I’ve always loved listening to music, everything from pop, jazz, classical, brass bands, anything,” said Tony.

“I’ve messed about on a guitar but never been able to play anything else. My children played saxophone and clarinet when they were younger so there were these instruments kicking about the house, but I couldn’t play them.”

That gift of music lessons sorted that out and now Tony is hooked.

“Any moment I’ve got now I’m doing something to do with music.”

Which tied in very neatly when he started thinking about how to say thank you to his loyal customers for their support over many years – and to celebrate the area’s musical talent.

“This concert is my way of saying thank-you to the customers who have supported the business since it was opened 56 years ago by Mr Reggie Taylor,” said Tony.

“I went there straight from school 42 years ago when I was 15. Eventually, in 1993, I bought the store from him.

“In fact the concert falls exactly on the 20th anniversary of when I became the owner”.

Tony has put together a tasty menu of talented musicians and singers drawn from the Holme Valley.

He began learning to play the saxophone five years ago and will be performing with both the Nytebeat Swing Band, which was formed in 1989 after the dissolution of the Huddersfield Youth Jazz Orchestra, and with the Honley Saxophone Choir.

Appearing with them in the concert will be the Honley Male Voice Choir and the Honley Ladies Choir.

Local singing group, Raised Voices, formed recently by Jess Baker, a graduate of Huddersfield University, will be there as will recorder virtuoso Jill Kemp, who made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2009 and is considered to be one of the world’s top recorder players.

Tony’s packed programme includes classical guitarists Peter Batchelar and Rebecca Crosby; jazz singer Julie Edwards and guitarist Kevin Dearden, who teamed up eight years ago and are making a name for themselves on the jazz circuit throughout the UK; plus clarinet and piano duo Jennifer Hewitt and Elizabeth Stacy, who perform under the name of Duo Applique which they formed when they were friends at Huddersfield University.

Jennifer is founder member and Musical Director of both the Honley Saxophone and Clarinet Choirs and is also Tony’s saxophone teacher.

“All this musical talent has come together through contacts I’ve made through the business or through my customers,” said Tony.

“I’ve always been very supportive, and protective, of our community and helping it to thrive.

“I’ve been so supported by customers and the community over the years and this is just a big thank you to them.”

Tickets for the concert were on sale only from the store.

Tony wanted to try to ensure that all the seats are taken so he charged £5 for the tickets but will refund the money on the night at the door of the church.

But if those who attend don’t want their money back, Tony has come up with an idea for that too. It will go toward the £3,000 he is hoping to raise this year for Kirkwood Hospice.

“The tickets are already sold out and I’ve got a waiting list which means I could have done a matinee!”