13th April 2013

Biddulph Male Voice Choir performed for an Open-Day last Saturday afternoon at the Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Hanley to celebrate the extensive restoration programme which began in 2002. Neglected for over twenty years the chapel deteriorated badly until the BBC TV programme Restoration. The programme's attention brought a much needed focus on attempts to save the building and restoration is now well underway following the completion of Phase 2.
The choir performed a delightful programme of three sets firstly opening with a most moving rendition of “Gwahoddiad” followed by “Still as the Night”, “The Lord’s Prayer”, “Roll Jordon Roll”, “Pokarakare Ana” and “Rhythm of Life”.
After a short break the choir performed “Morte Christe”, “Let it be me”,”Bring him Home”,”Speed your journey”, “Ave Maria” and “Amen” .
The final set included some old favourites and further pieces from the choirs forthcoming Anglo Welsh concerts “Mansions of the Lord” and “ Cyfri’r Geifr “ (Counting the Goats).
Musical Direction from the pulpit came from Anthony Marks with accompaniment from the choirs principal accompanist Wendy Brown.
Biddulph Male Voice Choir continue its busy spring season with the next concert which will be at Christ Church in Tunstall on Friday 19th April at 7.30pm.

28th March 2013

It came right out of the blue for most choristers. We had just
finished a very good concert at St. Lawrence, Biddulph, and the usual
acknowledgements were being made, when, almost casually, it was
mentioned that this had been our Music Director Gwenda Jones' last concert.
"Shocked and stunned" would not be an understatement. The lady who had
led the choir for over forty years, taken it from it's deepest
despairs to it's finest triumphs, had suddenly stood down.
No words can convey the debt the choir owes to Mrs. Jones. She
subsequently cited increasing frailty, and a desire to finish at the
top, as contributory reasons for her resignation.
Indeed it is the end of an era, but rest assured that moves are afoot
for a celebration of her career.
Fortunately for the choir, into the breech stepped principal accompanist Wendy
Brown, and chorister Anthony Marks. They have guided the choir through
the successful concerts at Milton Parish Church, and St James' at
Barton-under-Needwood and the quest for the new Musical Director has now begun.
The concert at Christ Church Tunstall fell victim to the weather last Friday. Already being aired are some of the numbers that we will be performing at the Anglo Welsh festivals at Birmingham and Cardiff in June; these now being the major targets on our horizon.
The choir with in excess of 50 choristers will be different from now on, but we intend to maintain the high standards set by Mrs. Jones. If you would like to be part of this adventure you will get a warm welcome, rehearsals usually take place at Biddulph High School on Wednesdays, starting sharply at 7 pm. Hope to see you there.

26th January 2013

The previous nights severe snow falls did not prevent a slightly depleted Biddulph Male Voice choir from taking to the stage once again at Milton Parish Church last Saturday evening.

The choir received a warm welcome and although somewhat lighter in Tenor and Bass sections the choir put on an excellent and balanced performance. The choir was led by Anthony Marks and delightfully accompanied by Wendy Brown.

The high-lights of the evening were many with a good selection of choir favourites including Morte Christe, Gwahoddiad, Rhythm of Life, Llanfair and Bring him Home together with You Raise Me Up featuring first tenor Clive Reynolds.

At the end of the concert the Rev. Brian Statham thanked the choir for a wonderful evening and the choir closed with the most apt ‘May Each Day’ as a finale to their quality performance.

The choirs next performance is at the Barton Music & Art Festival at St.James Parish Church Barton-under-Needwood on the 23rd February at 7.30pm.

31st December 2012

Is it your resolution to join the choir?

I trust that all readers have had a Merry Xmas, and are looking
forward to the new year with, at least, some degree of optimism.
The choir has had a busy Xmas period with concerts from Sandbach to
Stafford, and venues ranging from banqueting halls to school halls,
churches and church halls of all sorts. But, perhaps, the most
satisfying was a small afternoon concert in a nursing home. To see the
residents' eyes light up, and join in the singing was truely
heartening.
A few members of the choir augmented an ad hoc choir at Biddulph
Methodist Church. They performed the "Hallelujah Chorus" in a one-off
performance, which was the climax of the carol concert. It was a novel
experience, for some, to be singing in a mixed choir.
So it was with a contented feeling of a job well done that the choir
went to it's Xmas dinner at Kidsgrove Masonic Hall. Of course, the
evening finished with an eclectic sing-song, led by the two Daves,
Tildesley and McCaddon and accompanied by Anthony Marks.
It is with great regret that we have received the resignation of
accompanist Lynne Bradburn, for personal reasons. Lynne had a
professional attitude and played with great accuracy, sensitivity and
sympathy. She will be sorely missed, but we wish her well.
We have two concerts in January; at St Lawrence, Biddulph, and Milton
Parish Church. But rehearsals will now be dominated by the songs that
we will be singing at the Anglo-Welsh Festival of Male Voice Choirs,
at both Birmingham City Hall and St. David's Hall, Cardiff. Rehearsals
usually take place at Biddulph High School on Wednesdays at 7 pm. I
hope that your new year resolution is to come along and join in the
experience. RH

 
24th November 2012

It might have been a wet and windy night outside last Saturday but it hadn’t stopped the audience from filling the concert hall in Sandbach High School. They were there to hear two renowned local choirs, namely Biddulph Male Voice Choir and Sandbach Ladies Choir who thrilled with a beautifully arranged evening of music.

 Valetta Cranmer introduced the concert which was in aid of St.Lukes Hospice and the North West Air Ambulance. It was the Biddulph Male Voice Choir under the direction of Gwenda Jones  and accompanied by Lynne Bradburn who took to the stage first opening with the appropriate “With a voice of Singing”. Then  with a hint of their forthcoming Christmas repertoire they sang “When a child is born”. It was now soloist Cyril Martlew who stepped forward to feature on “Another Day” supported by the choir  and they ended their first set with every choirs favourite “Morte Christe”.

It was now the Sandbach Ladies choir under the direction of Valetta Cranmer and accompanied by John Axon. Their set consisting of “Where the Gentle Avon Flows”, “The Dashing White Sergeant”, “Love Changes Everything” and their own foot tapping arrangement  of “Rock my Soul”.

The Biddulph Male Voice then returned to perform “Portrait of my Love”, “Bring him Home” and everyones favourite “American Trilogy”

The second half of the concert had everything with Sandbach Ladies performing “All around the world”, “Yellow Bird” and Leonard Cohens “Hallelujah” and with  Biddulph Male Voice Choir performing a number of pieces from their extensive repertoire which included  “Llanfair”, the most touching  “Still as the Night”, “Rhythm of Life” and “Nessun Dorma”, “Take me Home”, “My Way” and the one that always catches the audience out “When the Saints”.

A great charity concert ended with both choirs and audience singing a rousing “Jerusalem”.

The Biddulph Male Voice Choirs busy autumn/winter schedule continues this Saturday 1st December when they perform at Endon Methodist church with all proceeds going to the Romanian Orphanage & Crisis Centre Appeal.

27th October 2012

Yesterday Biddulph Male Voice Choir once again returned to the stage and performed at the Kings Hall, Stoke alongside the Band of the Royal Air Force College and the Stoke Youth Musical Theatre group. The concert celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the PDSA’s service in Stoke on Trent. Under the direction of their music director Gwenda Jones and accompanist Lynne Bradburn the choir performed a programme which included a number of firm favourites frequently requested such as Llanfair, Take me Home, Bring him Home and Nessun Dorma. The choir also sang Another Day featuring baritone Cyril Martlew, and Pokarekare ana with tenor Alan Barber.
The choir now have a short break until their next local performance (Armistice Day) on Sunday the 11th November at Rode Heath.

29th September 2012

The concert at Goldenhill Methodist Church last Saturday gave the choir a
challenging night, when some twenty works were performed.
Especially challenging when the choir through holidays/illness was somewhat low in numbers, but considering the size of the venue, this was probably no bad thing.
The eclectic mix could be divided into three sections. Songs from the
show/films included "Brig Him Home" and "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les
Mis", "My Heart Will Go On" ("Titanic), "The Impossible Dream" (Man
From La Mancha"), and "You'll Never Walk Alone" ("Carousel").
Other songs included "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Love Could I Only Tell
Thee", "Rhythm Of Life", and "Portrait of my Love".
Tenor Clive Reynolds took the solo part in "You Raise Me Up".
The religious pieces included "With A Voice of Singing", "Christus Salvator", "Jesus Shall Reign" and the ever popular "Morte Christi". Also included were four rousing
hymns, culminating with "Cwm Rhondda", when the audience were invited
to join in with the choir. There were some good soprano voices in the
audience..
The evening saw the last performance with the choir of
Mickey Scrimshire, who is returning to America. If he ever gets fed up
with the warm Georgia weather, he will be assured of a warm welcome
back. Until then, we wish him and his wife Christine all the very best.
Wendy Brown, assisted by her mother, accompanied the choir, and the concert was co-ordinated by their Music Director Gwenda Jones, in her own inimitable way.

18th August 2012

Last Saturday on the 18th August Biddulph Male Voice Choir once again travelled to entertain at the Southport Flower Show. So popular is the choir at the event that this was the third consecutive year the choir has been invited to entertain the huge audience at the show.
Taking their place in the bandstand the choir created a haven for music lovers and transported the appreciative audience back in time with just a selection from their extensive repertoire. The concert, delivered in two sets from the Victoria Park bandstand had everything with a varied programme of songs, hymns, musicals and toe tapping classics.
Once again led by their musical director Gwen Jones and this time accompanied by their accompanist Lynne Bradburne the choir simply excelled in songs from operas such as Bring him Home from Les Miserable and Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot.
Of course the programme included frequently requested favourite such as American Trilogy, Llanfair, Amen Amen and the choirs own version of My Way.
Also beautifully performed and not heard for a long while was the Titanic theme “My heart will go heart on” and “She Was Beautiful – Cavatina.”
The choir now have a short rehearsal break before they start rehearsing again on the 5th September to rehearse a whole new programme for the 2013 Anglo Welsh concerts at Birmingham and Cardiff.

27th May 2012

Biddulph Male Voice Choir were delighted to have taken part in the Jubilee Concert at Sandon Hall last Sunday evening. The concert took place on a warm sunny evening in what must be one of the most beautiful halls in Staffordshire.
The choir somewhat light in their 2nd Tenor section took to the stage and under it’s musical director Gwenda Jones accompanied by Lynne Bradburn they delighted the audience with a selection from their extensive repertoire starting with Morte Christe, Bring him Home, The Impossible Dream and that old Maori favourite Pokare kare ana
Diane Bradley a mezzo soprano accompanied by Gwenda Jones now performed 3 lovely numbers Lascia chi’io pianga aria from Rinaldo by Handel, Voi che sapeta from the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart and Paris Angelicus by Cesar Franck.
The choir then returned to the stage to perform Lennon & McCartneys Yesterday and the foot-tapping Rhythm of Life.
After the interval the choir opened with the very apt What would I do without my Music, Still as the Night and You Raise me up featuring tenors Clive Reynolds and Stan Bentley.
It was now the return of Diane Bradley who sang Plaisir D’Amour by Martini, Amazing Grace and O Waly, Waly a Somerset folk song.
The choir brought this wonderful concert to a close, once again demonstrating their appeal to all audiences with a set of I Dreamed a Dream, Bridge over Troubled Water, Moonlight Serenade, Chatanooga Choo Choo and their own arrangement of My Way.
A most wonderful concert evening performed in beautiful surroundings.

12th May 2012
Biddulph Male Voice Choir celebrated their 90th anniversary on the 12th May in grand style when they performed in front of a capacity audience at Victoria Hall, Hanley. Given its great acoustics and the enthusiastic audience it always attracts, Victoria Hall must be one of Biddulph Male Voice Choir’s favourite venues.
So no wonder then that it was chosen for their special 90th annual concert and under the direction of their musical director Gwen Jones and accompanied by Lynne Bradburne and Wendy Brown together with organist Geoffrey Walker, the choir’s offerings covered the gamut of male voice choir works. The choir opened the concert with Llanfair, What would I do without my Music and American Trilogy.
Fodens Band led by their MD Richard Evans then opened their first set of the evening with Malaguena and a late change to the programme saw tuba player, Stuart Baggley featured in an arrangement of Bach's "Partita" and their set concluded with the fiery foot-tapping Armenian Fire Dance.
This concert sparkled not only with the quality of the choir and the bands performance but now also with the delightful singing of soprano Carrie Ann Williams who gave a most beautiful performance of  "Suzanna's Song" and "Oh My Beloved Father". A fabulous performance and clearly demonstrates how Carrie-Ann is building an impressive reputation as a concert performer.
The choir then continued in fine voice and gave a very polished and professional performance of an eclectic programme of music continuing with A Roman War Song, Bring him Home and the challenging By Babylon’s Wave.
The second half of the concert moved towards a lighter note this time on a love theme with the choir singing Portrait of my Love, Still as the Night, Nessun Dorma and Love could I only tell thee.
Fodens Band continued in this lighter vein with Lets face the Music and Dance, Xylomania featuring their xylophone soloist Mark Landon and the Finale from Suite Gothique.
The choir then returned with their final set with Kings of Swing medley, My Way, When the Saints go Marching in and every choirs favourite Morte Christe.
This spectacular concert was then brought to a close with a rousing finale from the Band with Elgars Pomp and Circumstance followed by the Choir and flag waving vocal audience as they sang Land of Hope and Glory.

14th April 2012

Biddulph Male Voice Choir continued their Spring concert season at a sell-out packed Werrington Village Hall last Saturday. The balanced programme opened strongly and the choir delighted the audience with a huge repertoire of songs from Musicals, Blues, Folk Songs, Classics and Hymns. The programme and performance clearly demonstrated the attraction and following of this much in demand local Male Voice Choir. The highlights were many but for me the Les Miserable numbers “Bring him Home” and “I Dreamed a Dream” clearly touched the audience.The variety and individual talent of the choirs soloists was also again much in evidence with Clive Reynolds, Dave McCaddon, Alan Barber, Cyril Martlew, Dave Tildesley and Phil Bailey all delivering credible performances. As usual their dedicated Musical Director Gwenda Jones was in fine form and the choir was delightfully accompanied by Wendy Brown.

The choirs next Spring concert will be at the Bleeding Wolf, Scholar Green on Sunday 29thApril at 3pm before they take to the stage 2 weeks later for their annual 90th anniversary concert with Fodens Brass Band at Victoria Hall, Hanley on the 12th May.

24th March 2012

Biddulph Male Voice choir performed to a packed New Life Church in Congleton last weekend.
The concert was in aid of funds for Jed Hunter aged 11 years who suffers from Cerebral Palsy and needs a new motorised wheelchair in order to attend the Fallibroome school in September.

The concert included a varied programme with a number of soloists adding to the evening.
Although somewhat light in the tenor sections primarily through holidays the choir put on an excellent programme.
The highlights were many and also included new material not heard for a while from this choir such as the beautiful Les Miserable “I Dreamed a Dream” which gave the audience a hint of their forthcoming programme to be heard at their Annual Concert on the 12th May.

The carefully arranged programme included solos from Dave McCaddon, Ivan Davies, Cyril Martlew, Roy Lancaster, Clive Reynolds and duets from Dave & Helen Tildesley.
Singing together as a duo for the first time were choristers Dave Tildesley & Dave McCaddon who on guitars performed the Cat Stevens classic “Father & Son” which certainly worked well highlighting the bass/tenor combination.
Musical Director Gwenda Jones was in fine form as usual and Lynne Bradburn as ever provided flawless accompaniment.

The choirs next concert is at Werrington Village Hall on the 14th April 2012.

3rd December 2011

Last Saturday Biddulph Male Voice Choir performed in a most beautiful Christmas Concert at Endon Methodist Church . The festive concert which raised funds for the Romanian Orphanage & Crisis Centre Appeal was a sell out and provided a feast of entertainment.

The beautifully balanced programme arranged by their musical director Gwen Jones and accompanied by Lynne Bradburne included a variety of numbers, some not heard for a while including Morte Christe, You Raise me up featuring Clive Reynolds and Ivan Davies and the toe tapping Rhythm of Life.