Our most recent newsletter is on this page. This is published twice a year and sent to all those who are on our distribution list – patrons, choir members and officers. We include it here for anyone else who's interested.
Click a button on the left to read other news items. The latest is about our presentation to Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice following much fund raising.
NEWSLETTER
No 43, January 2010
EDITORIAL
Given our itinerary last year, I am sure that our regular supporters found last year equally as hectic as did choir members. Hopefully it gave you as much fun and entertainment as enjoyed by the choir. Dennis is always keen to extol the virtues of singing particularly in terms of the health and longevity benefits – last year must have been hugely beneficial on both counts.
The Buxton Opera House concert last October, at which the Cantamus Girls Choir were our special guests, proved to be an evening to remember for both performers and audience alike. The Opera House was packed to the rafters and both choirs and soloists gave performances of which they can be justly proud. The photograph below shows the choir performing “Afriican Trilogy” during the concert.
I would draw your attention to the “Come and Sing” project which is featured in this newsletter. If you or someone you know would like to participate, then please sign up to this exciting venture.
May I wish all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year.
Stuart Gordon
Editor
Tel: 01433–650280
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN
2009 was a highly successful year with the Choir taking part in no fewer than 27 engagements and raising over £6,500 for our chosen charity, the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. The proceeds of our Christmas Spectacular concert, held at the Winding Wheel, Chesterfield gave the fund raising a real boost. Despite atrocious weather around 400 people were entertained by the choir, Sir Richard Arkwright’s Masson Mills Band and the children of South Darley Primary School and the evening raised over £5,200 for Bluebell Wood.
Our programme for this year is equally busy and varied. February and March sees the choir participating in the Hazel Grove and Elsecar (Barnsley) Music Festivals. Appearances in Buxton, Chesterfield, Staffordshire, New Mills and at the inaugural Isle of Man Festival of Choirs are also arranged. I would urge you all to look at our website for up to date details, or obtain our 2010 programme from our concert secretary or any choir member.
"Come and Sing’ is an exciting project spearheaded by Dennis Kay. The programme takes place throughout the year and culminates at our concert in the Buxton Opera House in October.
Finally, thank you to our Patrons for your valuable support and to all involved with TMVC for your help in making the wheels run smoothly.
Sean Jennings
Chairman
A MESSAGE FROM OUR MUSICAL DIRECTOR
On behalf of Helen and myself, may I wish all of you a very happy 2010.
2009 for everyone associated with Tideswell M.V.C, was, to say the least, a very busy one. Much was achieved and there were many great performances of which all of us can be very proud.
I would like to register my pleasure at the great progress we have made and are continuing to make as an organization. A tremendous amount of work goes into running a choir, and much needs to be done to ensure that the high musical standards we aim for on stage are equally reflected in everything we do off stage also. The work ethic, commitment and camaraderie are first class and although I might be thought of as a tyrant, the chaps know how I feel about them all, or at least, I hope they do.
I am equally thrilled with the involvement of non-singing members. This extension of the choir is helping in the presentation of our concerts, bringing with it a real touch of class and professionalism, I would urge anyone who would like to offer their help in any way, to let us know. As I have already said, “ there is much to be done. “
My passion for maintaining the standards of our choir is well known and if I needed any reasons for wanting to build on these, I only need remember some of the men who were once the standard bearers. This past year we said ‘Goodbye’ to some great friends, Les Bond, Michael Hibbs, George Mitchell and Stephen O’ Donoghue, wonderful people, sorely missed and a constant reminder to us all to continue to preserve male voice singing through ‘their’ choir for many years to come.
So, what does 2010 hold for Tideswell M.V.C?
- A very full programme of events.
- A new C.D. recording.
- An exciting project ’Come and Sing
- Isle of Man International Music Festival
- The possibility of our own headquarters and rehearsal rooms.
- Buxton Opera House Show.
- Christmas Spectacular Charity Concert.
And much more...
Finally, as always, a huge ‘thank you’ for your continued support. I look forward to seeing you at our concerts.
Dennis Kay,
Principal Conductor and Director of Music.
CONCERT REVIEW
JULY TO DECEMBER 2009
For once it didn't rain on “Fringe Sunday” but having been informed that we would be singing “in about 15 minutes” some of us were caught out when we were on after only 5. First time yours truly has lined-up with an ice-cream. Wilf had a broad back to hide behind! Hey, and what@great sing!
We had a larger audience at our Fringe concert in St. John's than we did the previous 2 years. The aim next year is to get a full-house!
Our Annual Concert took place at the Cathedral of the Peak as usual when our guests on this occasion were the St Peter's Church Choir and their Junior Choir from Stockport – conducted by our assistant conductor Eileen – they were of course very good and I'm sure they had a singer who looked just like David Hurley.
The choir in full voice in the Chesterfield Shopping Mall
We (especially Dennis and some of our ladies) enthusiastically promoted our forthcoming “Cantamus” concert when we sang in the Chesterfield Shopping Precinct on 8 August. The singing sounded great in the enclosed area and an appreciative audience soon gathered.
The “Cantamus” concert itself was a huge success – with the girls looking and sounding fabulous.
It was great singing in front of a full-house. We were not disappointed with our contribution. Who was it who started the fire right at the end? The photograph below shows both choirs combining for a stunning finale performing “ Do You Hear The People Sing.”
On Sunday 24 October we held a “memorial” concert at Bakewell Methodist Church in memory of past members both living and dead. This was a sad occasion as we remembered all those who have passed away – some very recently.
It was however, good to see so many past members in the audience and many relatives and friends.
Back to Chesterfield on Thursday evening 29 October to sing outside in Queens Park. This was our contribution to the “Garden of Light” event – not the highlight of the year but the fireworks were good!
The “Devil's Arse” (not normally within the TMVC vocabulary) a cave, otherwise know as the Peak Cavern, was our venue on 14 November. This was the day they switched on the famous Castleton Christmas Lights – it's a wonder they stayed on, for it poured with rain – we were reasonably dry although the “ceiling” leaked a bit – must get Ray to have@look at it sometime!
We thawed out later singing at the Palace Hotel, Buxton where David Hopkins was entertaining a large number of guests.
Both these events were very much enjoyed by the choir members – and I do believe this came out in the singing.
Invitations to sing are pouring in and we have sung at Nursing homes, The Peace Gardens in Sheffield, The Palace Hotel again and the Dome in Buxton at the Derby University's Graduation ceremony – it's getting hard to keep up!
We are already fully booked for 2010 and are looking at 2011 and beyond – it's all go.
During the year the “Front of House” team were formed and they have done a fantastic job I know of no other choir providing this type of professionalism. Thanks and well-done girls. John Edlington n recent years, there have been a variety of successful television programmes highlighting the
many benefits of singing and, in particular, those of being part of a choir or singing group. Dennis Kay, Musical Director of Tideswell Male Voice Choir, is spearheading a “Come and Sing”
project which aims to bring together between fifty and a hundred men and give them the opportunity
to sing at a prestigious concert. Under the direction of Dennis, and with professional support from eminent musicians, participants
in the project will rehearse for 26 weeks before performing with the Tideswell Male Voice Choir at
the Buxton Opera House on Sunday 24 October 2010. This is a wonderful opportunity for men of all
ages from 16 years upwards to experience the enjoyment of finding their voices in a friendly singing
environment. The project gets underway with an extensive promotion campaign in early 2010, leading to the
identification of participants by the end of March. Introductory sessions will be held in early
April so that everyone can meet the Musical Director and others that will be involved in the project.
Weekly rehearsals will start in mid April and during the project everyone will learn a minimum of
four songs. By mid July, once singing skills have been developed more effectively, participants will sing as
a group in a Tideswell Male Voice Choir concert during the Buxton Fringe to help get them used to
performing. We would like to encourage our readers to spread the word to relatives, friends and acquaintances
about this very exciting project. If you or anyone you know would like to be part of this venture,
culminating in a wonderful evening at the Opera House, you can register your interest by sending
an e-mail to (come and sing a tiscali.co.uk), through our website tideswellmvc.co.uk or by contacting
Dennis Kay on 01706–347484 or 07976–923539. Wolves howl to help pack members keep in touch. However, they also do so for communal reasons.
Some scientists speculate that such group sessions strengthen the wolves’ social bonds and
camaraderie – similar to community singing among humans. During such choral sessions, wolves will howl at different tones and varying pitches making it
difficult to estimate the number of wolves involved. This confusion of numbers makes a listening
rival pack wary of what action to take. [Newsletter Ed’s comment: this article
demonstrates many
similarities with male voice choirs.] About ten years ago I joined the choir and sang on the back row next to laid back Les and we
hit it off instantly. After practice most of us would go to a pub for@pint. In due course the
Bull’s Head in Foolow, which Les and Marilyn had taken over, was the regular venue after rehearsal.
It became our unofficial HQ with choir memorabilia festooned all round the place. Many enjoyable
evenings were spent at the Bull and often, after a bit of cajoling, Les would sing his favourite
piece “Bring Him Home.” Les was delighted when he had the opportunity to sing this piece to a
full house at the Buxton Opera House. His wry and self-deprecating sense of humour was appreciated by all who knew him. For example,
when eating in the restaurant at the Bull you might offer a compliment about the quality of the
meal as he passed the table and receive an instant reply “you must have been lucky tonight.” Les was an inveterate collector of things ranging from his old-fashioned valve driven radiogram
which provided the music in his garage to bits of wood panelling from the back of a wardrobe which
might make a shelf. Marilyn never knew what would arrive next. Once we were loading some rockery stones from his field on Tideswell Moor and Les selected a big
rock as the base for a bird bath. Les found@railway sleeper nearby to use as@ramp. So with a
four hundredweight rock halfway up this ramp, two struggling old blokes looked across at each
other and cracked out laughing. That rock and bird bath is in my garden and is a constant reminder of@very good friend. Les gave 17 years service to the choir and was an invaluable member of the second tenor section. I feel privileged to have known such a genuine, courageous and good natured man Brian Marshall We were sad to learn of the death of George Mitchell, who died in September after a long and
painful illness at the age of 84. He had been a member of TMVC for many years firstly in the
baritones and later as a bottom bass. He was always cheerful and took@full part in the choir’s
activities with his wife, Margaret. He joined the RAF before he was 18 years old and served as a navigator and bomb aimer. He survived
a crash landing in Lincolnshire with an unexploded bomb on board. He lost both his father and brother
in active service during the war. He was an accomplished sportsman in athletics, rugby and tennis. While working at W H Smith after the war he became interested in books and his reading led him
to become an enthusiast for long distance walking. He maintained his interest in flying by joining
the RAF(VR) and after gaining a commission rose to be@Wing Commander. He moved to Sheffield as manager of the Methodist Bookshop and married Margaret to whom we extend
our deepest sympathies. John Agg I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity to see the faces of real people devoting themselves
to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I
see them co-operating like that. Paul McCartney Some key dates for your diary in 2010 are: Transcribed 7 February 2010
Events Secretary
Tel: 01433–650707
COME AND SING PROJECT
THE CALL OF THE WILD
LES BOND
GEORGE MITCHELL
QUOTE
FORTHCOMING CONCERTS/EVENTS