FOR the past 20 years Brentwood’s SongCycle – the “all cycling, all singing” male voice quartet – have taken part in the Friends of Essex Churches Trust's sponsored Ride and Stride – the trust’s main fundraiser.

Instead of cycling or walking from church to church like the other participants in this charity fundraiser, they have stopped and sung a different four-part motet in each one, entertaining thousands along the way.

But this year, the ex-choir boys will pitch up in the Parish Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Brentwood, to perform a 15 hour marathon on Saturday September 10 from 7am.

SongCycle singer Richard Baker, 62, who lives in Western Road, Brentwood, said the group are looking forward to the event.

The building surveyor added: “This year we thought we would do something different for our 20th birthday - visit one church and sing 150 psalms.

“We will be singing all the psalms to Anglican chant in a day for the Friends of Essex Churches Trust, because we can, we can do it well, and it’s a good cause.”

In the 20-years the group have taken part in the Ride and Stride they have cycled 687 miles and visited 663 churches.

During this time, they’ve 316 motets, raising more than £36,000 for the Friends of Essex Churches Trust.

Over the years they have performed on local radio shows and in 2007 appeared on BBC’s Songs of Praise.

Band member Brian Lynn is confident the group will finish the event.

He said: “It’s a great challenge for us and any sponsorship which will go to Friends of Essex Churches Trust will be gratefully received.

“I’m sure we will manage it and finish the job.”

SongCycle’s “Psalmathon” can be sponsored on their JustGiving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/SongCyclePsalmathon.