A LONG-STANDING music club is relaunching its activities after an 18-month pause because of COVID.

The Clacton Keyboard Music Club, formerly known as the Clacton & District Organ Society, is holding a concert tomorrow to mark the event.

This is the first live performance of the club in months, which will take place at the Community Hall of Valley Road at 7.30pm.

The concert will feature Annie Threadkell, a professional musician with more than 25 years’ experience in the industry.

The group is doing monthly concerts with performers from all around the world but had to put its activities on hold during lockdown.

Vic Wiggins, 70, of Clacton, who is the chairman of Clacton Keyboard, said COVID was a stumbling block for many performers.

And it forced some of them to do online concerts on Facebook.

He added: “All the artist had a period of torrid time.

“The musicians depend on a circuit – they do clubs all around the country.

“We even have an artist from the Netherlands but she is having problems now because of Brexit.

“We are going to try and do monthly concerts up until Christmas and see how things are going.”

The club, which has been going since the 1970s, aims to promote live keyboard and organ music in a friendly and social atmosphere.

Mr Wiggins added: ”There is a general misconception that the word 'organ' means it is either the traditional theatre organ or a church or classical organ.

“And it’s nothing like that - it’s currently modernised.

“These are multi-talented musicians and the sound they get from these instruments is amazing.”

The doors for the concert open at 7pm and no prior booking is required. The entrance is £5.