Next year will be a special one for Much Wenlock Male Voice Choir: they celebrate their 50th birthday. The choir were formed when a visit by the acclaimed Rhos Male Voice Choir inspired a small band of local men to form their own singing group. In the ensuing five decades, the choir have performed hundreds of concerts and toured far and wide – and they have also produced a CD under the leadership of musical director Paul Kelly.
As their milestone approaches, the group are looking ahead to the next half century with the ‘50 for 50’ initiative, which they hope will see membership rise to 50 or more. The choir’s Dick Langford was keen to stress that the ability to read music was not essential: “Very few of our choristers read music. We just enjoy singing and also the camaraderie. Any new recruit will be placed alongside someone with a similar voice ‘type’ and shown the ropes. Then after a few weeks it all starts to slot into place!”
The group are holding a session on Tuesday 3 October from 7.30pm at William Brookes School. Turn up on the night, call 07530 545298, follow them on Facebook (mwmvchoir) or visit mwmvchoir.org.uk.
