A few weeks ago I wrote about a young composer who sat in a Romany caravan in Biggin Hill and composed a song we all sing today.

The song was called Keep The Homes Fires Burning and the composer was David Davies, later to be known as Ivor Novello.

His mother, Clara was the founder and conductor of the Royal Welsh Ladies Choir.

To my great suprise I received a letter from David Hay, a concert singer and actor, who will be taking a show about Ivor and his ladies on a short tour of England, including the Blackheath Concert Hall and the Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

He is a devotee of his music and has been playing and singing it since childhood.

David writes: “My grandmother was only 18 when she had lessons with Ivor’s mother, Clara Novello Davies in Cardiff.

“Ivor was 16 and accompanist for the choir my grandmother joined later, just before her marriage.

“Had she waited to marry she would have gone with the ladies’ choir to Chicago.”

David, of Bonfield Road, Lewisham, tells me he was at the Ivor Novello prom last year and there is renewed interest in his work for the theatre and music.

The cast of his touring party consists of stars from the radio show Friday Night Is Music Night.

The link with Ivor Novello and Biggin Hill is a strong one and I have asked David to provide further details when arrangements for the tour have been finalised.