MEMBERS of the Opus 17 Swing Band got an ­audience in the mood on Saturday evening. And the concert at Royston Town Hall helped raise money for the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth. Opus 17 – which includes members of the Royston Town Band – gave the co

MEMBERS of the Opus 17 Swing Band got an ­audience in the mood on Saturday evening.

And the concert at Royston Town Hall helped raise money for the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth.

Opus 17 - which includes members of the Royston Town Band - gave the concert in memory of ex-member Ray Stocker, who died last October.

Ray joined the Royston Town Band after a musical career playing with the Terry Lightfoot jazz band and the Alan Dean All-Stars.

His widow Mavis-Ann Stocker organised the concert to raise money for the Garden House Hospice after it had cared for her husband.

A cheque for £1,000 was handed over to hospice trustee Trevor Bertham.

The money was collected by Royston Town Band from playing in and around Royston at Christmas and from its carol concert.

The evening helped raise a further £1,000 for the ­hospice.

The concert started with a performance from the band Adhoc - Ray was the drummer with the band - and it donated its costs to the charity, too.

Opus 17 took over which saw the audience - many of them in 1940s-dress style - dancing to the music of such band leaders as Glenn Miller.

Ray's stepson Andrew Windsor said the evening was "truly fantastic".