Category: News

A lovely summer evening heralded a concert in Rainworth with The swing band from two local schools: Joseph Whitaker and the Redhill Academy under the direction of Carolyn Beedle. The choir and band gave their best and the audience were entertained by the variety and skill of both choristers and talented young musicians. The church was full and we all were hosted by the church officials who welcomed everyone to their place of worship.

It was impossible to avoid foot tapping and involvement in the set by the band especially the well-known Yakety Sax and Sing Sing Sing.
The choir, as part of this evening’s performance included two Welsh songs Ar Hyd Y Nos and Deus Salutis. These two traditional Welsh songs bring out the dynamics and skills of the choir and are always enjoyed, albeit requiring high levels of concentration.

Former Mansfield and District male Voice choir Musical Director Meryl Chambers came along and was welcomed heartily by choir member. We were also pleased to see members of colleague make voice choirs in the area all of whom came to join us in the finale item, the male voice choir standard “Morte Criste”.

Thanks again go to Ian Grice and Margaret Ball for their impeccable skills in directing and accompanying the choir to such heights of performance. Enjoyment for all!

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Set in the venerable and beautiful church of St. Peter and St Paul’s Warsop two local choirs came together to entertain a packed church on a balmy summer evening. What typifies a summer evening better than the sound of music set in a bucolic English country setting?

Sempre above and (Ian Grice (MD) with the Welsh flag in advance of the choir singing Ar Hyd Y Nos (All Through the Night).

Sempre (Italian for “Always”) are six ladies, all friends who like to sing together. Next month they celebrate 30 years together and their talent shows through, no pretentious antics, no stage hugging, just honest, characterful and well delivered harmonies and complex arrangements which delight their audiences every time they perform. Their rendition of Georgy Girl had intricate chromatic progressions and was delivered with skill and sensitivity. The glittering caps used as props caused some fun as well. The haunting” Harry” and the classic “Autumn Leaves” were, for me, especially poignant but their whole programme was most entertaining and enthusiastically cheered by the audience and our choir.

Our male voice choir began each half with stirring military songs in “Soldier’s Chorus” and “A Roman War Song” which certainly brought energy, volume and sheer power to the proceedings. Our sensitive delivery of Ar Hyd Y Nos (All Through the Night) was beautifully sung, in Welsh and an audience member was heard to say “That was lovely”. What better feedback could there be? Two of our choir favourites concluded each of our two sets,” We Rise Again” and “World in Union”, and the audiences were clapping and singing even before we had finished the songs. It is so rewarding for choristers to hear an appreciative audience and we thank them most sincerely.

Let There be Peace on Earth sung and shared by both choirs brought the evening to a close and it seemed a shame for it to end. The Facebook messages after the concert were enthusiastic, even wistful. A local concert for local people by local choirs made the evening special and will lodge in our collective memories for quite while I’m sure.

Six choirs – Seventh Heaven. The organisation bringing together six choirs, five from Derbyshire and one from Nottinghamshire, was impeccable. Our thanks to the Derbyshire Community Male Voice Choir for their vison and effort – a great job. Midlands Men Sing was a super event which packed out Derby Cathedral and gave pleasure to audience and choristers alike.

The charity benefitting from the concert proceeds was Women’s Work and all choirs were treated to an excellent tea in their ex convent building next to St. Mary’s church before we gathered in the cathedral for joint rehearsals.

The concert opened with Mansfield and Derbyshire singing “We Rise Again” conducted by Ian Grice and this heralded three pieces performed by each choir which made for wide variety and interest in the concert programme. Typically, my reports would pick out performance highlights, but the nature of the whole concert was to bring together like-minded choirs in a celebration event. Each MD, accompanist and choir enthusiastically gave of their best. The wide grin on the face of Chris Hare, the MD from organising choir, was a picture as he was in his element conducting 150 men in the finale pieces Llanfair, An American Trilogy and Morte Criste. These venerable songs which typify the best of male voice choral work were delivered with passion and energy and the acoustic in the cathedral provided a sustained long note as Chris brought the choirs off with precision and unity.

Thanks are due to the ladies who managed the catering for so many people and the concert managers and MDs from each choir who had the unenviable task of coordinating everyone’s attendance and developing a musical programme of interest.
When it goes well, as this concert did, it was truly a seventh heaven experience.