Forty singing blokes, who recently performed live on BBC Radio 3, will be tuning up to sing a mix of Wagnerian opera and silly songs about sheds, concrete and the male condition, in Swindon.

The Magnificent AK47, will be arriving at The Platform, Faringdon Road, for a spring concert on Saturday, April 8 from 7pm.

The male choir, under the leadership of Chris Samuel, has recently performed at The Roundhouse in Camden, The Colston Hall in Bristol, The Chippenham and Bradford Upon Avon Folk Festivals and Stroud Subscription Rooms. Singing in the choir has mean't expanding horizons both musically and physically as the singers make new friends from far and near.

Geoff Spooner, one of the singers, said: "We met a choir called Codetta from Derry in Ireland and they invited us to sing at the Derry Choral Festival. An Indonesian choir won the festival, but we won a special award for the choir that contributed the most to the weekend.''

The guys got together nine years ago at The White Hart in Ashton Keynes, still the home of the choir, when Chris Samuel joined a bunch of pals who wanted to unleash their inner minstrel.

It started as a singing workshop entitled Sing Like A Bloke with the guys singing acapella and learning the songs by ear from recordings. They would come together and Chris would add the polish to their sound which often has an Eastern European feel.

Since the early days the choir has sung at Bath Abbey, the Swindon Arts Centre and they have also been asked to sing at the Cork Choral Festival next year.

Tickets to see them let off steam in Swindon are £10, £8 concession from www.themagnificentak47.com. - Flicky Harrison