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Mousehole
Male Voice Choir can trace its impressive history back to the autumn of 1909
and the meeting of a group of local men, just nine in number who came together
to rehearse Christmas carols. Mousehole Male Voice Choir: A brief collected history by Tim Rees ________________________________________________________ Pictures of the Choir when it just started. Here we have pictures of the choir when it had just started out.
This is the earliest known picture of the choir. This picture was taken in 1911. Back Row: T. B.WORTH, J. WARREN, R. H. THOMAS, R.
PENTREATH, J. C. MATTHEWS, W. F. BRYANT (Conductor) ________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ Past Conductors of the Choir _______________________________________________________ Past Accompanists John Harry - Accompanist The choir's regular accompanist, John hails from St. Just-in-Penwith. Music has played an important port in his life since he began studying piano at the age of eight. He has been an accompanist to numerous local choirs and operatic societies, including an impressive fifteen year run with Mousehole Male Voice Choir and a forty-five year tenure as a church organist. John's other great love is the Cornish dialect, an interest that has taken him all over the world. HE took part in the L' Orient InterCeltic Festival in Brittany and the Kernewic Lowender in South Australia. John has appeared on Australian television and made various radio broadcasts, reciting his well-known dialect poems.On occasion he will also perform his comic monologues at choir events, to popular delight. _______________________________________________________ 1909-2009 THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS In 2009 the Choir will be celebrating its Centenary, this will be a significant milestone in its history for both the Choir and the community. In the autumn of 1909,a group of nine local men came together in a net loft to rehearse Christmas Carols. From this humble beginning the Choir has progressed successfully for almost a Centenary, and the Choir now has a membership of over seventy singers. A special committee has been formed to arrange concerts, trips and special events, which aim to involve the community. The Choir President Douglas Williams M.B.E. is preparing for publication a Choir History Book which will contain over seventy photographs, many from very early days. The book will be launched at the Penlee Gallery, Penlee Park, Penzance on the 28th November 2008. This will coincide with the opening of an Exhibition depicting the history of Mousehole, including its traditions with the Choir. It is hoped that a special light display will be featured at the famous Mousehole Christmas Illuminations Christmas 2008 and 2009. Special Commemorative Plaques will be placed at Mousehole Methodist Chapel, Paul Parish Church and also in Duck Street where the Choir originated. A Choir Music Workshop led by Alan Simmons will take place in March 2009 at Penzance Methodist Chapel in Chapel Street, Penzance. This will be open to all the Male Voice Choirs in the County. At the end of May 2009 a tour lasting a week is planned to Ireland. Concerts will be in Rosslare and Killarney. The following month in June Midsummer a flower display and Choir Exhibition has been arranged at Paul Parish Church. Concerts will be performed by the Choir with Special Guests. The Annual Summer Festival 2009 is at St Mary’s Church Penzance on Sunday the 2nd of August, the Guest Artist will be the popular and talented Alistair Taylor. A shared concert with the Redruth Operatic Society who are also celebrating their Centenary, will be held at Penzance in the spring and at Redruth in the autumn. Further details of the Choirs events will be announced later this year. It is hoped that as many people as possible will enjoy
sharing in the Choir Celebrations. Tim James, Secretary.
The Gift Of Tin A tin badge, replicating the blazer, badge design, has been given to the choir members by the ladies committee as a special centenary gift. The badges were made by local company St Justin using tin that was originally smelted at Chyandour, Penzance in 1862. The ingots were shipped from Penzance on the SS Liverpool, but the boat sank off Anglesey and the tin was not recovered until 2001. A consignment of tin was then bought by St. Justin to make items in their Cornish tin collection.
Your chance to own a little piece of this history and celebrate the
choir’s centenary. A limited number of the badges are for sale at £8.00 each including p+p E-mail for enquires.
Six
members of the choir with more than 50 years service . From
left…..Derek Harvey , Ivor George, Arthur Brown, Garfield Matthews, Dennis
Mitchell, Peter Mitchell.
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