Abertillery are coming to Chichester
26th August 2022
The Solent Male Voice Choir are hosting a joint concert with the Abertillery Orpheus Male Choir on Saturday 15th October in St Paul’s Church, Chichester.
The Abertillery OMC are old hands at touring having toured Italy, Canada, the USA and most of Europe. As well as singing with the Solent Male Voice Choir this year they have sung in Torbay, at the Usk Choral Festival and they have been invited to sing as part of the on-field choir for the Wales V. New Zealand Rugby match on 22nd November.
Whilst the Solent Male Voice Choir have not been touring they have sung in Peterfield and Havant already this year, they will be singing in Basingstoke later in October and Portchester and Havant at Christmas.
SMVC have been brushing up their Welsh so that as well as individual items from each choir at the concert in Chichester, the two choirs can combine for a grand finale.
Tickets for the concert, at £12, are available online through the SMVC web site
www.solentmalevoicechoir.org
As St Paul’s is large venue it is expected that there will also be tickets available on the door.
May 2022 was a busy month
30th May 2022
The Solent Male Voice Choir had a busy May. It all started with a Lunchtime Concert in St Faith’s Church, Havant. The concert, on May 4th, was in aid of the St Faith’s Big Build Fund.
On 19th May, SMVC sang for the Petersfield Welsh Society. The concert was originally planned to celebrate the Society’s 50th Anniversary but had to be postponed for two years due to the pandemic. The suitably predominantly Welsh concert, with several songs actually suing in Welsh, was well received by the Society’s Members and Guests.
On 24th May, back at St Faith’s Church, the Choir joined up with the children of Bosmere Junior School Choir for a joint concert in aid of both the St Faith’s Big Build Fund and the SANDS Neonatal Bereavement Chairty.
Fifty children performed beautifully, in note-perfect harmony, some challenging pieces. SMVC premiered some new pieces for them including a medley of Perry Como songs in set entitled “Nice ‘N’ Easy” and David Fanshawes’ “The Lord’s Prayer”, taken from his African Sanctus.
A packed audience enjoyed the concert which raised over £400 from a retiring collection.
2nd November, 2021
Although the funeral of Charles “Mac” MacAndrew, last November, was a sad day for SMVC it was great to see many old SMVC members again.
Uniquely we had three SMVC Musical Directors in attendance. Howard Wilkie (left) was superceded by his Assistant MD Geoff Porter (centre) who handed over to his assistant, and the current Musical Director, Huw Thomas, right.
(Suggested collective names: a Triad; a Triplet; a Chord; a Batton)
A great joint concert with Abertillery
25th October 2022
St.Pauls Church, Chichester was the forum for an evening of friendly choral "jousting" between two proud choirs - the hosts Solent Male Voice Choir, based in Havant and wearing blue jackets and the men from Wales, the red-clad Abertillery Male Voice Choir.
With their Musical Director Huw Thomas driving them on, Solent scored early with two old favourites "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "The Rose" - but Aber showed their mettle with a classy "Bossa Nova" and a stunning version of "Alexander's Ragtime Band."
Going into the interval it was anyone's game,but when play resumed Abertillery, with energetic encouragement from their conductor Stephen Bard, raised the bar with their powerful twosome "African Prayer" and "Benedictus".
Solent's accompanist James Thomas, son of Huw, surpassed his usual,excellent playing as Solent sung "All Through The Night", "Danny Boy"and "Skye Boat Song".
Two new Life Members of SMVC
19th July 2022
At an Extraordinary General Meeting called on Tuesday 19th July Brian and Margaert Goff were both elected to Life Membership of the Solent Male Voice Choir.
In rembered history Brian has been both Chairman and Wardrobe Master. Margaret was treasurer to the now defunct "Ladies Committee". They have in all probabilty done much more than that. Despite he can no longer drive, Brian and Margaret still attend weekly practices. They come by taxi. That is real dedication.
SMVC Celebrates Sixty years
4th February 2022
A year late due to the pandemic SMVC members and friends gathered at The Brookfield Hotel, Emsworth for a celebratory Dinner.
Chairman Dave McVittie spoke of the origins of the Choir and presented previous MD Geoff Porter with a “thank-you” gift. Geoff spoke of the highlights of his tenure, such as the trips to Barnstaple and The Royal Albert Hall.
Long Service Awards were presented to John Rees, Terry Sheldrake, Brian Goff and Trevor Jenkins.
The evening was rounded off with musical entertainment by Choir President Canon Tom Kennar , Dave and James Thomas and, of course, the Choir.
What is a collective name for a group of Musical Directors?
SMVC will be bring Christmas joy to several audiences during December. Starting on Saturday December 3rd the choir will be returning to Portchester Methodist Church to sing the now annual concert in aid of Rowan’s Hospice. The choir enjoy the atmosphere in Portchester as well as the excellent post concert buffet and grand raffle, all in aid of Rowan’s Hospice. The concert will be more poignant this year as one of our choir members, Martin Ellwood, died. He was in the care of Rowan’s.
Just one week later we will be Singing In The Centre, to be precise The Meridian Shopping Centre in Havant, between 11.001m and noon. Following on immediately from the Meridian Centre we hope to be singing in The Robin Hood public house in Havant.
Our own Christmas Concert will be held on Thursday 15th December at 7.30pm in St Faith’s Church, Havant. There will be a mix of congregational carols and choir items, many of which have been especially arranged for the choir by the choir’s MD Huw Thomas. There may also be a guest soloist. Watch this space for more information!
What fun we had at Emsworth Show
30 August 2022
What fun we had at the Emsworth Show
The Solent Male Voice Choir were booked to sing two sets at the recent Emsworth Horticultural Show held on August bank Holiday Monday.
The Emsworth Show was held in the grounds of the New Life Church in Hermitage, Emsworth and, as well as a grand Horticultural Marquee, features arena entertainment, a dog show, many fairground attractions, craft stall and a “bandstand area”. This year the three musical items were supplied by Alder Valley Brass, Slowburn (a reggae band) and, in complete contrast the Solent Male Voice Choir.
Led by the Musical Director Huw Thomas the SMVC sang traditional male voice songs plus a few popular songs from the shows. A good audience enjoyed the singing and even joined in. James Thomas accompanied the choir on the keyboard.
SMVC Chairman Dave McVittie said “This was a first for SMVC, singing outdoors. The weather was great and we held a good audience in both of our sets. I noticed that many of the men in the audience were singing along with us and so I invited them to turn up to our weekly practice, which happened to be the next day. Amazingly three gentlemen did turn up on Tuesday and we are hoping they will become members.”
Singing at The Meridian
5th March, 2022
Solent Male Voice Choir sang in The Meridian Centre, Havant for an hour on Saturday 5th March, entertaining the shoppers.
By all accounts the singing was well received by the customers and shop owners alike in the Centre. The original plan had been to sing to raise awareness of SMVC’s upcoming Open Night which is to be held on Tuesday 15th March.
However, recent events in the Ukraine took over and, assisted by SMVC’s President, Cannon Tom Kennar, a collection was made for the people of the Ukraine.
The Choir’s repertoire included “Let There Be Peace On Earth” which was written by Jill and Sy Miller in 1955. SMVC’s rendition was particularly moving at this time.
Other pieces included the piratical “Song of The Jolly Roger”; “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables; a Perry Como medley which includes “Catch a Falling Star” and “And I Love Her So” and “ Magic Moments” and, of course a male voice choir favourite “Gwahoddiad”, sung in Welsh.
