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 Concert Reports 2009

Fund Raising

In 2009, through our concerts, we helped to raise more than £10,000 for charities and good causes, including

The Prince of Wales Hospice. The Alzheimer’s Society. The MPS Society. Featherstone Methodist Chuch and Dunnington Village in Bloom.

  Wednesday December 23rd

The choir immensely enjoyed  singing at the Shearings Interchange, Normanton. We began at 9.00 am and continued until 11.oo am. At the beginning there was only a few people in the reception area but by 11am the room was full of excited passengers waiting to go on holiday. Everyone was in festive mood and many people joined in the singing.  

All together now.

 
 

Are we ready?

 

  Are you sure?

 

Friday December 11th

The choir was involved in the Christmas concert at The Phoenix Theatre, Airedale High School, Castleford. The concert was in aid of The Prince of Wales’ Hospice and also featured The Crofton Silver Band and Halfpenny Lane J&I School. Andrew Edwards from BBC Radio Leeds did an excellent job as compere.

Wednesday November 25th

The choir visit to Badsworth Primary School for a musical afternoon, was a great success. The children joined in the singing and seemed to appreciate our various renditions.
 Friday 4th and Saturday 5th December

The Annual Christmas Concerts took place in the Featherstone Methodist Church. As always the audience was very supportive and joined in many of the songs with its usual gusto.
Weekend Beginning October 30th, Festival of Brass & Voices 2009

The Festival of Brass & Voices is held every three years at The Royal Albert Hall and is in aid of cancer research. Over the Weekend October30^th to November 1^st, a group of fourteen singers from the choir, along with ninety-six supporters, families and friends went to London to attend the Festival.  Representatives of forty-one male voice choirs and twenty-seven ladies’ choirs took part in the event and the total number of singers was one thousand six hundred. Also taking part in the concert were two of the finest brass bands in the country, Grimethorpe Colliery and Brighouse & Rastrick.

Our party was based at the Park Inn at Heathrow Airport, a massive hotel with over 800 rooms; over six hundred people attending the concert were based at this hotel. Following the Friday evening meal in the hotel conference suite various, choirs and individuals provided entertainment, but the highlight of the evening was the appearance of the ‘Fochabers Fiddlers Frontline’, a group of sixteen young people aged between 15 and 18 years, who had travelled from Scotland to take part in the concert. Within seconds they had everyone tapping their feet and clapping along. Very soon people were dancing along to the music and I am told this went on long into the early hours: an excellent start to the weekend.

Saturday morning saw the singers boarding their coaches at 8.15 am for the journey to the Royal Albert Hall since everyone had to be on stage by 10am. The rehearsal went on until 2pm when we all returned to our respective hotels to prepare for the concert. Despite a few worries from the daytime rehearsal, the old saying ‘it will be all right on the night’ proved to be true and the concert was fantastic, the bands as ever were brilliant and the choirs great. One of the highlights of the evening was the singing of ‘Deep Harmony’ this was an item sung to commemorate all who had passed away through cancer over the past three years. Everyone in the hall had a small coloured twinkling light in their lapel and as the four verses were sang the lights in the hall slowly dimmed until at the end of the last verse the hall was in darkness, except for a spotlight on our conductor Bill Relton and our coloured twinkling lights. After the choirs finished singing,you could have heard a pin drop; it was all very moving.

Sunday morning we awoke to torrential rain and it was touch and go as to whether we would travel into London for the outdoor sing at Covent Garden. However undaunted we travelled to the venue and, as if by magic, the rain stopped just in time for the singing at 12.30pm. Afterwards we all boarded our coaches for the journey home.  A great time was had by all and here’s to 2012 !!

 
 

 

 Saturday October 10th

Isaac’s Concert in Featherstone Methodist Church at 7.15 pm. In aid of the MPS Society

The choir sang at Wilson Street Methodist Church to raise money for the MPS Society. Mucopolysaccharide diseases (MPS for short) are rare degenerative conditions that are caused by a missing enzyme. There are twenty-one MPS and related illnesses all of which result in progressive physical and mental deterioration.One baby born every eight days in The United Kingdom will be diagnosed with an MPS disease. A majority of those affected will lose their lives in childhood.

Guest of honour was Isaac Turner, a ten year old boy with MPS1 (Hurler Syndrome). Isaac was accompanied by his parents, sister, grandma, aunt, uncle and cousin. Granddad Dick was singing in the choir. It was a very emotional evening for Isaac and his family, and choir members and audience were able to see first hand why it was important to support societies like MPS. Singing to a near full house the choir performed a varied programme showing its  quality and versatility. Four soloists, Jack Noble, Len Barraclough, Robert Woodhead and Gary Davis gave outstanding performances and a vote of thanks was given by Dick Dunn, Isaac’s Granddad, on behalf of the MPS Society.

As a result of ticket sales, raffle, book sales and donations a total of £1500 was raised on the evening. Our thanks to all who contributed. 

 
 
 

 Isaac with his dad, grandad and Choir members

 

 

 Prince of Wales Concert 12th September 2009

 

The 28th Annual Patrons’ Concerts
Friday 5th and Saturday 6th June
The Patrons’ Concerts took place on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th of June. The choir was in good voice and sang to a full house each night. The programme included some old favourites and a few new songs. ‘Night’, by Franz Schubert was anew song for the choir, but others, such as Alexander’s Rag Time Band, had not been performed since the previous century. (Well 1999!) The practice put in over the previous weeks paid real dividends as the choir produced one of its best performances of the year. Our thanks to Paul Rhodes, Geoff Trigg, Colin Malpass and Elaine Oakley.

The audience on each evening seemed to thoroughly enjoy the programme and the singing. ‘Absolutely Brilliant.’ ‘Great Value for Money. A six pound donation provides a free concert that would cost twenty-five pounds anywhere else.’

‘It’s been a wonderful night. I’ve spent half of it laughing and half of it crying. The music just gets inside me and I feel so emotional.’

The success of the night was further enhanced by the performance of the Guest Artiste, Judith Hibbert. She began by taking us through a musical journey around the British Isles. Irish Eyes are Smiling, Ash Groveand Marie’s Wedding were three of her songs but my favourite was an unaccompanied lament called ‘She Moved Through The Fair.’ With Monologues and funny songs she had the audience spellbound and in stitches. At times like that, sitting in the choir is an absolute privilege because you can see the audience’s reaction and it adds to your own enjoyment.

Everyone seemed to have tears running down their cheeks when Judith was performing and the consensus was that this concert was the best ever. Our thanks to Judith Hibbert for a professional, polished and highly amusing performance. A wonderful voice, clear diction and a great sense of comic timing made this a memorable evening. It was so funny some members of the choir almost smiled!!!

  

 

 Singing with friends

Saturday 30th May 2009 Doncaster

Concert with the Armthorpe & Elmfield brass band at the Salvation Army Citadel, Doncaster.

Saturday 16th May 2009 Llandudno

‘About forty of the choir , including two aged ninety, travelled to Llandudno in North Wales for the weekend. We were the guests of the Greater Manchester Police Male Voice Choir who perform annually at St. John’s Church in the town. Before the concert the choirs shared a meal, aptly named the ‘two roses’ friendship dinner’, and allocated seating ensured that the two choirs mixed.

The concert started withthe choirs and audience singing Land of My Fathers. Each choir then sang individually and jointly in each half of the concert and the evening finished withthe hymn everyone associates with Wales, Cwm Rhandda, again sung by choirs and audience.

The church’s accousticswere excellent and it was a pleasure to sing there, particularly as the near capacity audience seemed very appreciative of our performance.

It was also a pleasure to receive a letter from the Greater Manchester Police Male Voice Choir’s Musical Director , which included the following comment.

‘It was good to see(and hear) a choir perform without music and, in joint pieces that I led, I was conscious that the choir was very attentive and followed me precisely.

Here’s to the next time!!

 

 

 

Saturday 18th April Filey

On Saturday 18th April 2009 a Shearings’ bus set off from the Methodist church in Featherstone, destination Filey. FeatherstoneMale Voice Choir with entourage was on its way for a day at the seaside. A distinct lack of buckets and spades told the casual observer that we weren’t going to spend the day on the beach. By the time we had been to all the pick up spots the coach was full and sitting at the back it was heart warming to see old friends greeting each other and looking excited about the day ahead. It was a bit like friends reunited without computers! Some members had dressed in their uniforms but many were in civvies.

The bus driver was very helpful and explained on the intercom that if anyone needed anything he was at the front of the bus. Thank goodness for that, was my immediate thought. Kay and I settled down to complete the crossword in the newspaper whilst we were treated to country and western songs over the speakers. Not everyone’s cup of tea but I found it very relaxing. The journey went quickly and the bus was comfortable apart from the fact that towards the end of the ride everyone was getting a little warm.

‘Dick, will you ask the driver to turn the heat down? Ken asked me. I’ll wait until you’re down to your underwear, was my reply. Ken’s quick retort was, ‘What underwear?’ You can always rely on a baritone to lower the tone.

Rowland as usual was providing sweets for everyone. He proceeded down the isle with a fluffy dog called Joe, which at first glance looked as though it had been disembowelled, then filled with all manner of toffees and boiled sweets. At second glance it became clear that Joe was a pyjama case. Joe was extremely small and the only reasonable conclusion to come to was that Rowley must wear a negligee for bed. Each to his own I suppose!

Having left a sun soaked Featherstone it was a bit of a disappointment to find Filey cloudy and windswept. A nice cup of tea was what was needed and I’m told some more fortunate members of the choir did manage to find a teashop that was open. The summer season was still weeks away so most of the cafes seem to be closing just as I arrived at their door. It might have been that they had seen Ken coming and rushed to shut up shop before we could get through the door. Jill, Kay and I had never been to Filey before but Ken had spent many happy times there and I’ve heard that teashop owners have long memories. Not to be daunted we ventured down hill in search of tea and found ourselves on the promenade. Ray our concert secretary had beaten us to it and was already having a well-deserved ice cream.

The wind was cold and quite fierce on the front but there was a kiosk selling teas and nibbles. A very pleasant lady served us and we explained we were there for a choir concert. ‘I knew something was going on love,’ was her reply, ‘I’ve seen an awful lot of bus drivers today!’ Afterward, huddling around the corner of the building with our drinks, we did what all people do at such times; we made the best of it. Next time Raymond, how about a concert in July? On the promenade we met the devil and his assistant who seemed to have infiltrated the choir.

Kay spotted a toilet and decided it was time to spend a penny. (It was forty p actually!) ‘It’s one of those pay and display ones,’ said Ken. ‘Oh I hope not, I replied, that would be very embarrassing for Kay.’ The view was wonderful and despite the cold we enjoyed a walk along the promenade and then back up the cliff side for a meal at the Methodist church.

The ladies of the church provided a magnificent spread but unfortunately there were far more people turned up than we had predicted and yours truly ended up with a sausage roll and a handful of crisps! I was first to the table when the sweets arrived and with the help of two cups of tea, trifle, apple pie, fruit cake and cake I was well set up for an evening of singing. Our chairman, David, sincerely thanked the ladies for their hospitality and delicious homemade food.

Once everyone had finished eating we were called into the chapel by Paul, our musical director, to finalise our seating arrangements and test out the acoustics.

After trying out a couple of songs and a stern warning from Paul about no cavorting, we retired to the changing room to put on our uniforms. Once we arrived in the changing room it was generally agreed that we wouldn’t dream of cavorting even if we knew what it meant. Paul need not have worried because if he’d seen the state of us all semi-clad he would have realised that no one was fit enough for cavorting. A knobbly knee competition now that was another matter! If Butlin’s holiday camp had still been in Filey we’d havewalked off with the first three places. A smart uniform can hide a multitude of sins.

Despite being well fed and watered, one person could not resist the fish and chip shop across the road (mentioning no names. Ken) Mind to be fair, no one refused the offer of a chip. There’s something about eating chips out of a bag, particularly at the seaside.

Finally, the audience was ready and our concert began. The second tenors were a man short on the front row and like batman, spider man or any other super hero; I was up for the challenge. We were all reminded to fasten the top button of our blazers. We take a pride, not only in singing well but also looking professional. I was looking forward to the concert because we were given a provisional programme two months earlier and I’d learnt all the words to all the songs. Since then additional songs havebeen agreed and other songs removed to givemore time for solo performances. In common witheveryone else, I wasn’t quite sure of the exact order of the programme, so that every time Paul announced a song it was a pleasant surprise. As long as Paul knew what was happening everything would go smoothly. I only became a bit concerned when, at one point, he brought in the accompanist before he remembered to ask the choir to stand. A few helpful if indiscreet coughs reminded him we were still warming our seats. Apparently this was a regular occurrence with a previous Musical Director and the incident was enjoyed by choir and audience alike. The singing was well received and, most choir members felt, of the highest standard. The soloists, Brian Grieves, Len Barraclough, Stan Thompson and Robert Woodheadadded an extra dimension to the evening and all sang with confidence and expression.

To complete a very enjoyable evening two presentations were made. John McCarthy, ex president of the choir and featured our host for the evening, and Stuart Walker ex first tenor, both now residing in Filey, were presented with a framed photograph of the choir in which

Four Choirs Concert

On Saturday evening at 7pm, with Normanton’s Alice Bacon Community Hall, full to capacity, Geoff Cox raised his hands and the audience fell quiet. On the stage were four choirs, each in their own uniforms, waiting to sing. The combined choirs of Castleford, Featherstone, Micklefield and Sharlston were ready to begin their bi-annual concert to raise money for a local charity. From a distance the blazers of blue, black and red made the stage look like a patchwork quilt but when the four choirs began to sing as one, it was clear we were in for a special night. Each musical director took the baton in turn to conduct four songs. Geoff Cox from Castleford, accompanied by Claire Idle began the programme followed by Geoff Trigg of Featherstone accompanied by Elaine Oakley. The audience was also treated to four outstanding solo performances from Len Barraclough, Dave Brierley, Garry Davis and Brian Grieves, all members of the Featherstone choir, which was acting as host for the evening.

In the second half, it was the turn of Malcolm Mawson from Micklefield to conduct, accompanied by Mandy Jones and the evening’s programme was brought to a close by Paul Rhodes the musical director of Sharlston Choir, with Colin Malpass providing the piano accompaniment. Jeff Goldthorpekept the audience informed and entertained withhis stories and background information about the songs. The varied programme allowed the choirs to show their versatility, and a very appreciativeaudience enjoyed classical and operatic pieces along withcalypso, traditional and modern songs such as ‘The Rose’ and ‘She’. The evening ended with both audience and choirs singing ‘Let there be peace on earth.’

The final word goes to a member of the audience who said. ‘At the end of Nessun Dorma, the hairs were standing up on the back of my neck. We are so privileged to have four outstanding choirs in our area.’

£1581 was raised on the night and all profits will go to The Alzheimer’s Society.

Shearings Bus Depot

On December 23th 2008 the choir sang for passengers at the Shearing Bus Depot before they departed on their Xmas holidays. Mince pies and Mulled wine were provided before we sang and the festive singing was greatly appreciated by travellers and staff alike. The departure lounge was fairly empty when we began singing but within an hour the place was full. Many passengers enjoyed listening but also many joined in the carols. Members of the choir expressed themselves very pleased with the ‘audience response’. It is always good to have an appreciative audience.