The Community Brain, alongside New Malden Residents Association, is bringing a musical theme to its fun-filled heritage events with a new The Sound of Music singalong scheduled next month.

As part of this event, the Kingston-based non-profit will invite locals to join it at New Malden Station Car Park to celebrate the town's historical connection to the famous musical.

Debuting 60 years ago, The Sound of Music took the country by storm, with its iconic soundtrack topping the UK album charts for a total of 70 weeks in the three years following its release in 1965.

But lesser known is New Malden's connection to its production, with the album being produced and distributed by Decca Records.

The town was home to Decca Records' vinyl pressing plant, which was to become the only one of its kind in the country.

At its peak, the Burlington Road factory employed hundreds of workers in the area and could press up to 60,000 records in a single day.

Production continued until 1980, when it was forced to close shortly after the company's 50th anniversary following Decca's sale to the German Dutch conglomerate Polygram.

Richard Oakley, husband of Kingston RPM (Record, People and Music) interviewee Ethel Oakley, at the Decca press (Credit: Ethel Oakley via Creative Youth)

Decca was widely known for its technical innovation throughout its history, with its debut coming in the form of a revolutionary portable gramophone before the outbreak of World War One.

Following this, the company moved into music production. Initially focused on producing vinyls for jazz musicians, it later branched out into pop and rock 'n' roll.

The firm remained at the forefront of audio technology, becoming an early adopter of technologies like the Decca Tree orchestral recording system and the LP ('long-playing') record format.

At its peak, Decca was the second most successful recording company in the country, boasting a catalogue of musical heavyweights like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and the Rolling Stones.

To celebrate this cornerstone of New Malden's heritage, The Community Brain wants to bring locals together for a The Sound of Music singalong.

Alongside the titular The Sound of Music, the event will feature some of the musical's top hits, including:

• Do Re Mi
• My Favourite Things
• Climb Every Mountain

The group is encouraging attendees to come dressed in The Sound of Music-themed outfits with the hope of bringing together the largest gathering of the movie's iconic nuns since its release six decades ago.

60 Years of The Sound of Music's itinerary is as follows:

• 1.30pm  at New Malden Methodist Church — Meeting point before proceeding to New Malden Station with marshals.
• 2pm – 3pm at New Malden Station Car Park — Soundtrack singalong.

Robin Hutchinson, Director at The Community Brain said: "I never have an excuse to wear my nun robes, but now thanks to Decca Records, no-one can stop me!

"Humour aside, we believe it's really important for people to celebrate the remarkable but little-known stories of their area, as it helps to develop a real sense of local pride and connection.

"We hope that people from all over London and Surrey will come and join us in celebrating The Sound of Music and the role New Malden and Decca records played in its worldwide success."

The Singalong a Sound of Music event is part of the year-long Railway 200 celebrations.

There is no need to book, but registering attendance is encouraged, via either an online form or Eventbrite.

You can find out more information about the event here.