Category: News

2016 has been a momentous year. We’ve had a referendum and a presidential election which have been totally and completely unpredictable ( don’t let anybody tell you anything different), we’ve lost numerous well-known names in the world of entertainment and the arts and we’ve had, more than ever, the image of a very distressed world presented to us on a daily basis. I know that this is a recurring theme of my blog posts but I do think that we, as a choir, do offer something of a “shelter from the storm” in our own small way.

Spring

The focus of the choir during the dark, cold months of the year was in preparation for one of the most ambitious, if not the most ambitious, project in its history and the darkness was gloriously dispelled on March 13 2016 by a  “Spring Sensation” at the Albert Hall, Nottingham. Accolades which the choir received for that event were unsurpassed and will love long in the memory of performers and audience alike ( performing also at that event were The Singers and the Notts Police Band). Anyone wanting to re-live that event may browse through the photograph album ( just follow the button at the bottom of the home page of the website) or watch the slideshow ( with audio) on YouTube

 

Spring also marked the passing of the Chairman’s baton from Geoff Mansfield, who had given such sterling work for the last 3 years, to Gordon Blanc. If you consult your thesaurus you will find words like “admirable”, “excellent”, “first-rate” and ”magnificent” as alternatives to the word “sterling” and you will have a better idea of Geoff’s contribution. Much appreciation should also be  be recognised for the support and commitment of Marilyn Mansfield.

Gordon is an old campaigner himself with vast reserves of experience to draw on and is providing the leadership necessary for any choir.

Andy Rowland received his choir tie- a big step on the journey to becoming a full and active member of the Choir.

The Choir performed at the Sherwood Forest Community Church, Blidworth in May 2016 just as news was announced of the Choir receiving an invitation to take part in the Welsh Federation Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2018.

Summer

Work began on a project to create a new Choir website as a new and contemporary image, as well as a more effective way to communicate with our audience and members  was thought necessary to take the Choir forward. The Committee worked with a local firm Dijitul who were able to help us achieve our goals. Special thanks to Charlotte Marshall and Dave Hartshorne of Dijitul for their work on the project.  2017 will see progress being made to add more content, including historic images to the “Timeline” section of the website. It is extremely important to celebrate the Choir’s heritage and to make archive material accessible to all.

Forward planning for future events continued including a trip by several committee members to Hull and to Beverley. We are looking forward to singing in 2017 with Hull Male Voice Choir and Beverley Male Voice Choir on the same weekend in June 2017. Behind the scenes work continued in preparation for other joint concerts, also eagerly anticipated, with Radcliffe on Trent Ladies Choir and Amersfoort Male Voice Choir ( Holland). Full details of all these future concerts are, of course, on our events page.

Autumn

Choir resumed after the summer recess in September and travelled for the short trip to St George the Martyr  and to that wonderful old church at North and South Clifton, Notts. On 15 October 2016 Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir teamed up, once again, with The Singers for the Sister Cities Concert at the Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, Mansfield.

Jonathan Lee receives his Choir tie and makes his debut at the Sister Cities event.

Work began in earnest in preparation for the  Royal Albert Hall event. Learning the programme for this event ( which includes several items in  Welsh) is a significant challenge for the Choir. One of these items is the old Male Voice Choir standard, Comrades in Arms which has, already become a firm favourite with the choristers.

Winter

Christmas is a busy time for all choristers. The Mansfield & District MVC celebrated the season with seasonal music included in three separate joint concerts with three different  guests. The first concert was at St Mark’s Church with Bestwood  Male Voice Choir followed by  the St Philips Church event with The Singers ( both on our own doorstep in Mansfield). The final event of the trilogy was the annual Christmas Concert at Forest Town Arena also in our hometown. The Forest Town is always such a popular event which is enjoyed by many who appreciate the male voice choir, brass band ( in this case the Shirebrook  Miner’s Welfare Unison Band) and audience participation mix. Once again there is a photo album recording the evening on Flickr. Credits for all photography work this year is to Anne Shelley.

Anthony Bramley and Ray Jones who are both probationers with the Choir were able to sing with us at the Forest Town event.

One important milestone to record is that the Supporter’s Group have now raised over £10,000 for Choir funds by organising various events during the past three years . Our ladies, including Supporter’s Group Chair Sue Bartle, continue to do a fantastic job to support the Choir in such a wonderful way.

Looking back over the last year we have said farewell to Roy Crabtree, Denis Hales, Ray Smith, Paddy Crabtree, Kev Barden, Derek Beastall and Peter Hucklebridge. We recognize all of their contributions over many years and wish them all the best.

Thank you to all who made a contribution, to the Committee including secretary Eileen Lawrence to our fantastic music team of Meryl, Margaret and Ian. It’s been a wonderful year and we will start 2017 with eager anticipation. Happy New Year everyone!

 

Nick Shelley

 

Is this a dichotomy? Is it an issue? Are these positions mutually exclusive? Do we care?

For those of us who aspire to excellence in most things in life, belonging to a choir can be both a delight and a frustration. In any group, team or organisation of like minded members there will always be differing levels of ability, commitment and passion. There is no doubt that all of our choir members love what we do and it is clear that to continue to improve not only means turning up for rehearsal each week but also requires us to put in extra effort at home. Whilst practice makes perfect, practice in networking and contributing to the well being of your mates is also important.

By definition a choir is a group of singers; an organised group of people who sing together. The key for me is in the blending of voices and spirit. An excellent chorister strives to not only be personally proficient but looks to help those who sometimes struggle including those who belong for the camaraderie and the social interaction.

We are blessed by having some fantastic singers who naturally read and interpret the music scripts; guided, encouraged and berated by a very capable musical team; directed by a cohesive management committee and enriched socially by our active Supporters’ Group (congratulations to the group for raising over £10,000 in this last 4 years which helps us meet our choir ambitions). The shy, retiring, not so musical members value their membership as much, if not more, than the more socially adept and overt.

You may conclude that we do care, that choral excellence and social involvement are not mutually exclusive but essential, fundamental to the success and continuance of our choir. Put the work in, help your colleagues, be honest, challenging but caring in pointing out improvements and the resultant synergy will leave you uplifted, motivated and coming back for more.

No one is bigger than the choir and as members we serve each other, our audiences and families. We are the current custodians of the membership of Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir and guess what, we must be doing something right,  our membership is growing as are the number and prestige of our future bookings. Well done lads and ladies; this is what we do it for; each other! What dichotomy?

Geoff Mansfield, Concert and Events Manager

 

 

 

 

Comrades In Arms

With its talk of  “battling to death”, “our swords unsheathing” and the like, Comrades in Arms can be a bit disturbing to some and slightly comical to the present younger generation but this song was, nevertheless, part our  programme for the Festival of Remembrance ( Mansfield Palace Theatre – 30 October 2016 ).

The song was the very first piece performed in public by the original Mansfield Orpheus ( forerunner of the Mansfield & District MVC) way back in 1931 and it has been a fixture of the male voice choir of the repertoire for many years. Actually written approximately a hundred years before that it dates to a period when nineteenth century romantic and political nationalism were in full sway. Many of the ideas which inspired that movement originated during the French Revolution and Comrades in Arms was written by a Frenchman, Adolphe Adam ( 1802-1856) who was also the composer of the Christmastime favourite O Holy Night. That world was, in many ways, much different to our own in the early part of the 21st century.

However there are sentiments expressed in this piece that we can appreciate still and we sang, not to celebrate the glory of war, but to remember those who were “true and brave” as they followed the call through love of country.  They are forever Comrades in Arms and we saluted them in our own little way.

Nick Shelley