HOUGHTON Main Male Voice Choir are celebrating their 60th Anniversary this year, with a series of concerts in October.
On the 3rd October 1948, a group of 14 miners from Houghton Main Colliery met at the British Legion Club in Darfield, and with an annual grant of £5 from the Colliery Welfare Fund, formed the Houghton Main Male Voice Choir.
The total expenditure d
uring the first year was £3-4s-5d, all of which was spent on sheet music. Initial purchases included 'Comrades in Arms', 'I'll walk beside you' and 'The end of a perfect day'.
Since that time the choir's repertoire and reputation grew considerably. Under the baton of the late Derrick Spink the choir gained many festival awards, the two most notable being a 9th place at the International Eisteddfod at Llangollen, followed in 1976 by winning both small and large Open Classes at the Morecambe Festival.
The choir has made several radio and television appearances both with the BBC and Granada Television, appearing in the 'Everyman' programme, where they sang 'Abide with me' on a pit tip.
Last year the choir was one of three appearing with the Central Band of the White Russian Army, at Leeds Town Hall, and earlier this year was the guest choir appearing at a concert with the UK National Brass Band champions – Grimethorpe Colliery Band at Ackworth School.
To commemorate their 60th annniversary, the choir will perform on Saturday 18th October at the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Huddersfield Road, Barnsley, with guest soloists soprano Katherine Lloyd-Evans and bass baritone Norman Mellor ss/Baritone. The concert will be compared by TV's Geoff Druet.
Tickets for this concert are available from Alan Carson on Tel. 01977 553609, or direct from Emmanuel Methodist Church.
This is followed by a joint charity concert with Wombwell Amateur Operatic Society on Friday 24th October in memory of the late Arthur Goldthorpe, who was a founder member the choir and, when he died, Life President.
He was also President of Wombwell 'Operatic' and regularly took principal roles in their stage productions. This concert is to be held at Wombwell Operatic Centre, George Street, Wombwell at 7.15pm.
Tickets for this event are available via the telephone hot-line: 0790 576 4693 or from Mike Smith on Tel. 01226 751955
The choir's anniversary year ends with a concert in the Chapter House, Ackworth School, nr. Pontefract at 7.15pm on Saturday 22nd November, when guests will be the West Yorkshire Police Band.
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