Category: About Us

Alastair is one of three members of the choir having been a member for over 35 years; the other two are Ian Grice and Gerald Houldsworth. Here is his story: –

I was born in Arbroath, Scotland in 1938 having two older brothers and two younger sisters. The family moved to Nottingham in 1939 where my father was a cinema manager at the News Theatre. Soon afterwards he was called up to serve in World War II which meant that the rest the family went back to Arbroath. We stayed until 1947 when we once again returned to the East Midlands, living in Alfreton, Derbyshire and my father resumed his career in the cinema trade.

I began singing, aged 15, at St. Martin’s Parish Church, Alfreton from 1953 to 1957. This was cut short by my being called to serve in RAF for three years between 1957 to 1960 where I became a wireless operator spending two years in Hong Kong. After my military service and until 1973, I joined my father in the cinema business until I decided to go in a different direction by taking up an opportunity to become an estate agent. This was my life career for 30 years and centered on Sutton in Ashfield. Wendy and I were married in 1965 and we have a son David and a daughter Suzanne.
I had no particular draw to choral music but was encouraged by my neighbour Derek Beastall, a keen Baritone and a friend Terry Bingham, also a Baritone, to join the choir.
At this point the choir was blessed with quality singers, particularly Baritones, the section I joined, which helped me immensely to settle in as I was unable to read music. I was well supported and really took to singing and enjoyed participating in concerts. The comradeship experienced was, and still is, a valuable feature which helps everyone feel a sense of belonging and unity with fellow choristers. This is enhanced further when visiting other choirs and for me was especially felt when making visits to Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir and St. Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir. The atmosphere visiting Wales and Bury St Edmunds was electric; uplifting experiences which I would not have missed it for anything.
As part of Mansfield have a twin town relationship with Heiligenhaus in Germany our choir formed a very strong partnership with Frosinn Male Voice Choir. As a committee member at the time I thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in organising exchange visits and formed lasting friendships with members of the German choir; a significant part of the experience of belonging to M&DMVC.

I recall some favourite concerts in The Royal Albert Hall and The Tate Modern gallery in London and a fantastic visit and sing to 10 Downing Street. These and many other venues together with my time on the choir committee have left me wondering where 35 plus years have gone.
My family life with Wendy, who has always supported me, and my membership of the choir have been the principal interests of my life. Our cruising holidays have been a shared interest and we have looked forward to each one.

Attracting new members into the choir can only really be achieved by word of mouth and by preforming for large audiences at concerts. I can only recall one short period during my membership when chorister numbers were below those needed for a successful choir, and this was soon remedied. Yet again, following the 2020/2021 nationwide Covid 19 restrictions we are already seeing new members coming to join us. My advice to new members is to come along, listen, sing and enjoy the comradeship. You won’t regret it!

Most choirs and organisations have seen membership reductions over the last two years due to the Covid restrictions. Our choir is no different, but we are delighted that we have been joined by three of the keenest choristers we have seen for a while. Each of these three gentlemen have brought light and energy into the choir and their enthusiasm shines through at our rehearsals each Tuesday.
This article serves to put out their message and here is Peter’s lovely comment which reflects the essence of what we strive to achieve.

I keep going because I enjoy it so much and wished I had done it sooner. Young people think its all about hymns but it’s not, it’s more about singing pop music and enjoyable songs. The male voice choir is special; when we practice on Tuesday night, the harmony is electrifying. I would say to any new chorister starters, give it a go, you will be surprised how good it is.

The first of our new choristers is Wesley Pierpoint (2nd Tenor) who joined the choir during Covid lockdown during 2019.
He says: – I was born in Dublin, the eldest of three brothers with David and Nigel and surrounded by a loving family. Music was a feature in our household as my father was a tenor with the YMCA Male Voice Choir in Dublin, my two younger brothers were boy soloists and I played the cornet in a local brass band.
My working career began with my leaving Ireland to join the Royal Marines in 1971 which was followed by a career in the police force until retirement. I have one son who lives in Portishead, Bristol and he is a Civil Engineer.
Throughout my life I have been a keen motorcyclist. I started as a young man but had a bad crash which put me off for several years, in fact until 2006 when I became a born-again biker. Three of my favourite bikes have been a Yamaha FJR 1300, a Honda Goldwing 1800, and a Harley Davidson trike. All three were big machines which allowed Judith and I to tour extensively throughout Scotland and across Europe. The trike was sold just be Covid 19 struck the nation.
I am also interested in building large scale complicated lego models. Recent examples have been the Star Wars Millennium Falcon and R2D2, a model of the Roman Colosseum, a Grand Piano and my next challenge is world globe.
I am a fan of the music of the 1960s and I really like choral singing and this was my main reason for joining the choir. It happened through a series of contacts. Judith works at Sally Twinkles haberdashery (the shop recently sold by David Marriott our choir President) along with Kathleen Kemp, the wife of former 1st Tenor member Brian Kemp. Encouraged by Brian and David I sought out the choir contacts and attended a rehearsal. I am pleased to say that I have settled in very well, I love learning new songs and I keep going simply because I enjoy it. I do have some previous experience as a member of Edwinstowe Theatre Group and I have sung with The Ollerton Operatic Society. Our choir members are great company and the atmosphere is most welcoming. My advice to new choristers is patient, it’ll come; it has taken me a while, but I stuck it out and now feel very comfortable.
 
Peter Baugh (Baritone) says; I was born in Mansfield Woodhouse in 1958 and family life was tough as the third of six kids to Dad, Pete and Mother, Hilda. My sisters are Jackie, Elaine and Deborah and brothers Ralph and Symon.
I left school in 1974 to work at Pleasley Vale Mill for 2 years then, at the age of 18, went to work at Pleasley colliery. When in 1982 Pleasley mine closed I transferred to Shirebrook pit. After Shirebrook colliery closed in 1993 I worked across Europe for Pickford Industrial installing heavy machinery like textile and forming presses. In 2004 I moved to Valliant Boilers in Belper making household and industrial boiler until I retired in 2018.
I started singing whilst at school from the young age of about 10. Music was always in the house as my dad used to sing and play the guitar and I loved singing with him. My music tastes are wide, but I especially enjoy reggae like UB40 and I love Rock and Roll. My other interests apart from music are sports. I love football and cricket and going to the Gym 4 to 5 times per week.
I joined Mansfield & DMVC in July 2021 having been informed via Facebook. I got in touch with the Musical Director, Ian Grice, who invited me to a rehearsal to see if I would like it. I loved it and have been made very welcome and have settled in very easily. For me, the best about being in the choir is the meeting up for practice on Tuesday evening and having a sing and a joke together. So far, my favourite moment was when I made by stage debut, first concert, at Forest Town Arena at Christmas 2021. I was buzzing all night.
I keep going because I enjoy it so much and wished I had done it sooner. Young people think it’s all about hymns but it’s not, it’s more about singing pop music and enjoyable songs. The male voice choir is special; when we practice on Tuesday night, the harmony is electrifying. I would say to any new chorister starters, give it a go, you will be surprised how good it is.

Trevor Dyson (2nd Tenor) originates from Woodhouse, a small mining village, ten miles southeast of Sheffield. He says: – I was the middle of five children having an elder brother and sister and two younger brothers. My father was a collier working at Orgreave colliery and my mother was a nurse. My father had a fine Tenor voice and I remember him singing along to Mario Lanza and Harry Secombe records, particular favourites were “The Holy City’ and ‘The Lost Chord’ and these songs still bring a lump to my throat when I hear them today.
At a young age I was incorrectly (it turned out) diagnosed with a blood disorder which prevented me participating in contact sports or much physical activity; I was wrapped in “cotton wool” attending weekly hospital clinics for blood tests for most of my childhood. I spent many weekends with my grandmother who introduced me to rambling in the Derbyshire peaks and to a music teacher with whom I had piano lessons which proved useful in later life when I joined choirs. During my time at secondary modern school the initial diagnosis was, by my late teens, thankfully disproven. I had missed out on much, felt angry but enjoyed joining in with some sports, especially swimming which I continued in adulthood. At school I continued music lessons and took part in several concerts: my interest in music constantly growing. It was at school that I met Mary, also from Woodhouse, and we eventually married in 1970 and we have one son, Robert.
When I left school, I was employed at a local timber merchant but as my strength improved, I followed in my father’s footsteps by working at Renishaw Park Colliery and then at Orgreave working above ground. In 1986 I learnt that my job was to be relocated and so I left the mining industry and joined South Yorkshire Ambulance Service and spent 27 years with them as a qualified ambulance man and eventually an extended trained emergency medical technician and a work-based trainer / assessor.
Both Mary and I have always been animal lovers and over the years we have kept dogs, horses, and livestock. Our main interest has always been our dogs and, since 2006, we have successively shown Wire Fox Terriers at all levels up to and including Crufts. Through showing dogs we gained many friends, one couple in particular became very close friends who lived and kept show kennels in Biddulph, Stoke on Trent. Unfortunately, both suffered ill health and in early 2012 we were persuaded to move near to them to assist them with their dogs and I secured employment at North Staffs Hospital in Stoke.
Our friends both originated from South Wales and had contacts and relatives who sang with several choirs and it was they who put me in contact with a member of Biddulph Male Voice Choir. In November 2012 I attended a BMVC rehearsal, given a voice test and the opportunity to join the-choir subject to a three-month probationary period. I sang at my first concert in March 2013 and continued with BMVC for six and a half years.
Sadly by 2019 both of our near friends had passed away and so we made the decision to come back and be near our son and managed to get a property in Warsop. Before moving here in March 2020, I had browsed the internet for choirs in the locality and discovered information and watched the promotional video for Mansfield& DMVC, I made contact via the choir website and received a reply from MD-Ian inviting me to call -in on a rehearsal night once I moved here. Unfortunately, due to covid restrictions I was not able to do so until November 2021. MD Ian and chairman John made me welcome and I was introduced to the rest of the choir members, my intention was to sit and listen in but I was soon issued with some music and encouraged to join in. I find them all friendly and sociable and Tuesday nights can’t come round quickly enough, a couple of hours singing on a Tuesday night leaves me on a bit of a high. The guys are in harmony both in singing and in attitude (including the ladies) and give off a positive feeling and there is no shortage of witty banter.
Being in a choir is never boring, learning your part can prove testing at times but with practice and assistance from your fellow choristers is all the more rewarding when you perform in concert, and it all comes together
My music preferences today cover a broad spectrum ranging from-classical, musical theatre, military bands to more modern. Music touches on every emotion and influences our everyday life, each and every one of us can connect to music whether you listen to the car radio, attend at a concert or show, go clubbing, sing or play a musical instrument. Even your favorite TV programme or film usually has a theme tune you connect with. Music as always been of special interest to me and belonging to Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir gives this interest a voice; I thoroughly recommend it.
Left to right, Trevor, Peter and Wesley.

Gerald was born in 1933 in Forest Road, Skegby, Sutton in Ashfield where his father worked as a postal worker and then a window cleaner whilst mum was a mender and finisher in a local clothing company. Gerald has a younger brother called Clive and recalls how his young live was safe and carefree. His early memories include singing in a small choir and giving recitations from a platform in the Wesleyan Chapel, where the Anchor Centre and Chapel are now located in Skegby.  Gerald attended St. Andrews Church of England school.

Of course, there were many boyhood adventures. These included riding with a horse and dray around Skegby selling sticks with the “stick man” Sam, who gave Gerald his first sip of beer aged about 10 and receiving 6d as wages. Watching German parachutists over Hardwick Hall in 1943 and bringing in 4 or 5 cows for milking, on Dolly the old cart horse and helping to milk the cows: wages now at 1/-. When aged 12 he progressed to assisting with the milk round before school and at the weekends. This involved collecting the milk from farmer Luther in Westhouses, loading the Austin A40 van and selling milk door to door from pails – wages now at 10/- per week. At aged 13, during “wakes” week, Gerald worked as a fairground ride operator, delighting the local children on the mechanical roundabout by use of mangle like system to rotate the ride. Gerald was also in the Boy Scouts which would prove to be link to his future membership of Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir.

Gerald’s working life began aged 15 at Bucklers, the fore runner of Pretty Polly Hosiery in Sutton in Ashfield as a “footing machine operator”. Whilst employed there his father became ill and passed away. To help his mother with the household budget and encouraged by his friends he joined most of the local male population in the mining industry. Starting at Summit pit at Kirby in Ashfield in 1950, his job for the first year was to pick stones off the conveyor belt transporting the extracted coal and load them to a waste stone wagon. His underground training led to roles working the coal cutters both at Summit pit until 1968 and then at Sherwood pit until retirement in 1986.

Janet and Gerald met at the wedding of a friend, Victor Buckland. Victor’s mother and Janet’s mother were friends and the Gerald and Janet met whilst looking for a way into the church along the circuitous pathways of the church grounds.  They were married in 1957 and this photograph was taken in Paignton, on their honeymoon. They lived with Janet’s mum for 2 years before building their family bungalow (in which they still live) on the family plot. Children came along with the birth of sons Neil and Mark, grandchildren Bryony, Megan and Kevin and great grandchildren Scarlett, Henry and Poppy.                                                                                                                                                                              Photograph at their Golden Wedding in 2007.

After retirement Gerald went with friends Owen Swift, a member of the Phoenix Choir, and Bob Holloway both former members of the Boy Scouts to listen to a Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir concert. Choir members Owen, Bob and a neighbour and local teacher, Charlie Wheatman encouraged Gerald to come along and listen to the choir to see if he liked it. He began to look forward to rehearsals on Tuesday evenings and was greatly helped by the choir accompanist Dorothy Evans who heard him singing the melody instead of the 2^nd Tenor part. Dorothy kindly provided Gerald with tapes of the correct 2^nd Tenor part, sealing his fate as a 2^nd Tenor and providing invaluable support as a method of learning. To this day Gerald cannot read music but has a wonderful and clear memory of his parts in all the choir repertoire. So good was his memory that Meryl Cambers, when she returned as MD in 2003, occasionally asked Gerald to sing the Baritone part when necessary.

When asked which events during his long membership have stood out as favourites Gerald is rather balanced and says that he has enjoyed all the concerts in which he has sung but especially those when the choir travelled to Germany to sing with the Frohsinn Choir in Mansfield’s twin town of Heiligenhaus, the concerts with St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir and those with the Welsh Association of Male Choirs an the Royal Albert Hall and the Manchester Evening News Arena.

Gerald has served the choir well in two capacities. In 1996 and the following few years Gerald, Janet and fellow chorister Bill Robinson and his wife Cynthia managed a flea market stall in the Turner Hall in Mansfield Woodhouse. Funds were raised for the choir by selling items donated by choir members. This proved most successful and enjoyable and became a favourite feature of the Friday morning event in the village. Additionally, Gerald diligently served as Choir Librarian for 30 years with fellow choristers Gerald Brown, Tom Dillon and latterly John Scanlon to whom he has passed over the role.

Hobbies naturally include his family but also include gardening on the large plot he has at the rear of the bungalow and the DIY jobs needed to maintain his home. He has, for over 60 years, been the verger and key holder at St. Chad’s church in Pleasley Vale and also a member of the Parochial Church Council of St Edmunds Church in Mansfield Woodhouse. Gerald and Janet have enjoyed belonging to a local rambling club and for years attended dancing socials with friends in North Wingfield.

As you can see from the content above Gerald has a self-reliant, steadfast and affable character He has a lifelong history of providing support not only to his family but also to others; he takes responsibility seriously and is always has a kind word and sense of forbearance and commitment. Not much shakes Gerald and Janet.

When asked about what it is that encourages new choir members to join, he said “If you can sing a bit, have a reasonable voice, come along and enjoy the comradeship to be found in the choir. A great bunch of lads – if you get into it, you will enjoy it and stay for years”.  It is this that makes our Male Voice Choir special.