The first notes of Summer
May 15, 2012
As part of its 90th Anniversary year Malvern Male Voice Choir makes an extra visit to The Church of The Ascension, North Malvernon Saturday 19th May 2012. The choir’s usual, and renowned commemoration of Remembrance in November utilizes the church’s exuberant and now famous acoustic, something it will be making full use of for a similarly exuberant concert.
Entitled “Summer Fanfare”, the Choir will be joined by local trumpeter Charlotte Ellis in a special guest performance for this early evening concert. Charlotteis in her final term at Hereford Sixth Form College where she is an instrumental scholar. She has now won a scholarship to the Welsh College of Music and Drama of Cardiff where she will study from September. The Choir’s Conductor, Charles Pavey, said, “we are very fortunate to be able to include Charlotte in one of our 90th year concerts – her high standard of playing and virtuoso style creates quite a stir with audiences”.
After the 70 minute concert, equally summery refreshments will be served in the Hall. Tickets are priced at £7.00, under 18’s £4.00, and are available in advance from Richard Tandy on 01684 572942, or can be purchased at the door. The concert begins at 7pm. A proportion of the funds generated will contribute towards the part external refurbishment of the church.
Ninety Years Old and still supporting Charity
March 21, 2012
A wide variety of music drawn from each of the ten decades that Malvern Male Voice Choir has been in existence will make up much of the programme for its charity fund raising concert, ‘A Century of Song’, at St Edmunds Hall,College Road.
The Choir will be joined by soloists Emma Burrows, soprano, and Billy Colbourne, saxophone. For this concert the Choir’s pianist will be James Godfrey, a former accompanist of the Choir and an ex-pupil of the Choir’s conductor who now studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. A small ‘rock’ band (Choir conductor’s son is its guitarist) will accompany songs from the 1960’s and the Choir will also sing pieces by composers such as Vaughan Williams, Gershwin and the BBC’s Ronnie Hazelhurst. Some much loved classics from as far back as the 18th century will contrast with two songs from Les Miserables and arrangements of music from the last two decades.
The concert will support the local committee of the world’s largest cancer charity, Cancer Research UK. The local arm is one of over 900 groups from around the country and has raised in excess of £500,000 since 1962. The organisation relies entirely on public support, receiving no funding from central government. Malvern Male Voice Choir has supported the Local Group for a number of years and continues to do so as part of the Choirs 90th Anniversary Year Celebration programme.
The concert is at St. Edmunds Hall, Malvern College, College Road, Malvern on 31st March at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are £8 (Under 18’s- £4) and can be obtained in advance from 01684 892772, or can be purchased on the door. Wine and light refreshments are included in the price.
A Brief History 1922-2012
February 10, 2012
Malvern Male Voice Choir 1922 – 2012
Malvern Male Voice Choir began life in 1922 as a male quartet, within a year expanding to become the Malvern Wells Male Voice Choir and winning several competitions and awards in the years that followed. The 30’s proved a testing time for the development of the choir with changes to its musical direction and leadership. The outbreak of war in 1939 halted what had emerged to be a much stronger organisation, a fact that is confirmed by its resumption in 1944 under Dorothy Leatherdale with some help from American servicemen billeted nearby. It returned to full stride again after the war when theBoysCollegereturned to Malvern from Harrow-on-the-Hill and in 1947 its musical director Leonard Blake began a long association between the College and the Choir which lasted until 1979. He later became its President.
The Choir gave broadcast concerts on the BBC in 1947, 48 and 49, as well as successfully entering competitions in Cheltenham, Leamington andBristol. In 1955 the Choir joined the National Federation of Music Societies and achieved success at the Bournville Competition. In the same year the Choir began a long association withLawnsideSchool. It won the Grayson Cup in 1958 as it had done previously in 1926 and 1951 and in the same year also won the Bourneville Shield. The Choir sang for the first time at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in 1963 joining choirs from Europe, theUSAand, of course,Wales. The Bournville Shield was again won in 1965 and concerts in the same year supported the British Empire Cancer League.
A successful and busy period followed and the Choir celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1982 with several large engagements including a massed concert in Hereford Cathedral to an audience of some 2,500 people. In October of that year the Choir won the ‘Severn Sound’ Challenge Shield. The last remaining member of the original quartet, Basil Hirons, died the same year on the same day as the Choir sang a massed concert in Tewkesbury Abbey. From then the Choir has enjoyed the services of five Musical Directors including Nigel Edwards, Simon Holt and Philip Holland who, in common with the Choirs current musical director Charles Pavey, have each expanded the range of its repertoire, adding variety and richness to its programmes.
In 2012, its 90th Anniversary year, the Choir mounts an ambitious range of concerts which will celebrate its diversity and see it joining forces with other local choirs, ensembles and soloists, carrying on the tradition of charitable support and accessible music making around theMalvern Hills area.
90 Years of Living Tradition
First Concert of MMVC 90th Anniversary Season
February 10, 2012
Love is in the Air at St Matthias
The the first concert of their 90th Anniversary season Malvern Male Voice Choir presents a joint concert with the Malvern Christian Witness Choir. Just after Valentines Day, the two choirs join forces at St Matthias Church with a concert designed to help lift us out of winter and look forward to spring. The songs and music being performed celebrate ‘Love’ in its many forms. There is a wide ranging programme including modern expressions of the ‘love’ theme to more traditional and spiritual pieces.
The Malvern Male Voice Choir has planned a series of ten concerts for its anniversary year supporting charities and local organisations, and encouraging young musicians. Many of the concerts will be in conjunction with other local musical groups, ensembles and soloists, carrying on the long traditional which started in 1922.
Both choirs actively seek and encourage new members and neither requires prospective members to audition. Enthusiasm to sing, take part in performance, as well as to enjoy the experience is the main criteria. Details of contacts will be available in the concert programme on the day.
The concert is at 2.30pm at St Matthias Church, Church Road, Malvern Link on Saturday 18th February. Tickets, which include a cream tea and refreshments, are £7 available in advance (01684 561796) or at the door.
Would you like to sing with us?
October 17, 2011
Few local music groups can boast a pedigree that goes back to 1922. In 2012 Malvern Male Voice Choir will celebrate an unbroken 90 year history of singing and musical achievement in Malvern and the surrounding area. As a forerunner to its celebration year the choir is pushing its doors wide open to encourage more men to join and really make it a year to remember for all concerned. At Lyttelton Well on 29th October the choir is presenting an ‘open’ event designed to encourage members of the public to try out and sample what fun it can be like to sing with a choir.
We spoke to the choirs musical director, Charles Pavey, who said ‘We welcome anyone who harbours a passion to sing, whether they are expert, novice or somewhere in between. We are looking for people who have enthusiasm, commitment and, importantly, a sense of fun. These are the first ingredients on which we can build if anyone thinks of joining us. Currently we number over thirty voices ranging in age from late teens to eighties, so there is certainly no age barrier and no one is asked to audition. We rehearse weekly. This really couldn’t be a better time to join and that is why we are running this event at Lyttelton Well ahead of our 90th celebrations.’
With nine public concerts already confirmed for 2012 it looks to be a busy and exciting time for Malvern Male Voice Choir. At Lyttelton Well on Saturday 29th October between 1.30 and 5pm the choir will be performing and rehearsing both inside and outside the hall giving opportunities for people to talk to choir members as well as sample the kind of music they sing. If anyone wants to join in on the day they would be made very welcome. Tea and cake will be available.
MMVC at St Michaels, Ledbury
October 4, 2011
Malvern Male Voice Choir at St Michaels and All Angels Church on 24th September 2011 performing at a concert organised by Ledbury Rotary Club.
The Choir in full voice...
Malvern Male Voice Choir singing at St. Michael and All Angels, Ledbury
Concert raises £900 for research
April 5, 2011
A capacity audience at St Edmunds Hall, Malvern, last Saturday enjoyed a lively concert organised by the local committee of Cancer Research UK and given by Malvern Male Voice Choir. As part of the programme the Choir gave the premiere performance of ‘I will Lift up Mine Eyes to the Hills’ a work written by councillor Tom Wells and a setting of Psalm 121. Ray Worth, of the Cancer Research UK local committee said ‘We are very grateful to all who supported us and especially to our sponsors Westbridge Foods as well as Hollands and Spilsbury the funeral directors. It was a great evenings entertainment with everyone enjoying the wide variety of music.’ In addition to the Choir there were solos by Emma Burrows, soprano, and young violin soloist Vicky Colbourne. The accompanist to the choir was recently acclaimed Hereford Young Musician of the Year Michael Blake, who also played a Debussy piano solo. The choir was conducted by its musical director Charles Pavey. The concert raised £900 for Cancer Research.
Local Young Musician wins top Prize
March 29, 2011
Michael Blake, Herefordshire Young Musician of the Year
At just 17 a young Malvern music student has already struck the right notes. Michael Blake, an Organ Scholar at Hereford Sixth Form College has been awarded the ‘Young Musician of the Year’ award sponsored by The City of Hereford Rotary Club. Last week Michael took part in the Hereford Performing Arts Festival by entering two of the under 19s piano classes, the first time he has entered a competitive festival as a solo player. He was awarded the highest grade of ‘Outstanding-An exceptional performance, both technically and artistically’ by the adjudicators, and awarded first place. At a gala concert to end the festival week Michael was chosen to play piano again and was both surprised and delighted to be awarded ‘Young Musician of the Year’.
Michael plays locally in the Worcester Youth Wind Orchestra, Tewkesbury Town Band and is organist at a local Malvern church. He is also accompanist to Malvern Male Voice Choir and will be accompanying them at a concert in aid of Cancer Research in St Edmunds Hall this Saturday 2nd April at 7.30pm, where Michael will also be performing some solo pieces. Charles Pavey, musical director of the Malvern Male Voice Choir said ‘we are very fortunate indeed to have such a talented young musician as Michael playing for us, he makes a great contribution to all we do.’
Michael hopes he will be able to further develop his musical education with a place to study for a music degree at a University or leading Conservatoire.
