This is the text of an article submitted for publication in the Cheltenham Arts Council's magazine "Perspectives":
Sixty years ago, in 1965, there was no internet, no mobile phones, wartime leader Winston Churchill had just been buried, the death penalty had been abolished, Bond film “Thunderball” opened and the Beatles’ final UK tour ended with the newly-released “Yesterday”. And most exciting of all, Churchdown Male Voice Choir was formed in the village pub with, among its first songs, “The Lost Chord”, “Steal Away”, “Amazing Grace” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. We’re still singing those songs, along with a huge and varied repertoire ancient and modern, and we remain true to our original aims: to raise money for charity and to share a love of singing with each other and with the public. And this year we’ll be celebrating all those years and songs in our diamond jubilee celebrations. We started the year with a spectacular concert alongside the Gloucestershire Police Ladies’ Choir “Voices in Force” at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, and have concerts lined up in a broad range of venues across Gloucestershire and beyond. Our next one is in late April at St Paul’s church in Parkend alongside the Forest of Dean Brass Band, then in June we’re singing once again at the Churchdown Methodist Church. And, as our highlight of the year, there’s our Gala Anniversary Performance at the Gloucester Guildhall on 17 May (tickets are available now through the box office). Later in the year we’re looking forward to our annual tour, this year to Westward Ho! In Devon, where we’ll be joining the Appledore Ladies Choir, and in November we’re hoping to sing for the Gloucester City Mission again in the Cathedral. We’ve come a long way from our early days as a small group of musical friends to our current complement of (appropriately) nearly sixty singers, and new members are joining us all the time. We meet at the Churchdown Community Centre at 7.30PM every Monday – just turn up and you can be assured of a very warm and musical welcome! Barry |