For the Fallen – 2020 – Lest We Forget
This year on Remembrance Sunday November 8, due to Covid-19 the public are being urged to do their bit from home, either by watching events on television or on-line or by taking part in a twominute silence from 11am in their homes and gardens or, if safe to do so, from their doorsteps to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom. However you’ll be observing the two-minute silence, you may like to listen to Northampton Male Voice Choir singing “For the Fallen” on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YB95phlK1I The song, which features on the Choir’s CD “Benedictus”, is set to the words often spoken at Remembrance Day services which are taken from the poem, “For the Fallen”, written by Laurence Binyon and first published in September 1914. “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.” Northampton Male Voice Choir (NMVC) would be very proud to contribute to your own act of Remembrance and we’ll also be “going live” from 10:55am on Sunday 8 November on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/northamptonmvc to broadcast our performance of “For the Fallen” and hold a two-minute silence. Please feel free to join...
Read MoreA Big Thank to Two Long Serving Legends of the Choir
At a recent committee meeting it was unanimously agreed that we should recognise the immense contributions that Mike Davis and John Hames have made over many years and continue to make to the choir. They are both already Vice-Presidents and I am very pleased to report that they have both agreed to take the additional title of Honorary Life Member. I am sure that you will all join me in thanking these two legends for their amazing contributions to our wonderful choir. John Waller, Chairman.
Read MoreLet All Men Sing – Choir Undaunted by Covid.
Northampton Male Voice Choir’s last performance before the Covid 19 lockdown was given on Friday 13 March when NMVC Lite competed in the Milton Keynes Festival of the Arts. The following week all NMVC rehearsals were suspended and all concerts cancelled indefinitely. To maintain the choir’s momentum, Musical Director, Stephen Bell immediately began exploring “virtual rehearsal” options and, a month later, the choir held its first lockdown rehearsal via Zoom. On line tutorials were held for choristers who needed help with the technology and a full programme of weekly, on-line “sectional” rehearsals began on 19 May with separate fortnightly rehearsals for the full choir and NMVC Lite. The on-line rehearsals have continued regularly every week, often with 60 plus choristers taking part and, during this time, the choir has kept busy learning 13 new songs including a 12-minute medley of songs from Guys & Dolls and 3 songs from West Side Story that have been specially arranged for the choir by its talented Principal Accompanist, Andy Poole. Amazingly, during lockdown, the choir has had more rehearsals than ever thanks to the hard work of its MD and Music Team and the desire and determination of the choristers to maintain momentum. Since lockdown began, MD Stephen has carried out interviews with over 30 choristers and members of the NMVC Music Team via Zoom which have been broadcast live on the NMVC YouTube channel. This channel also contains videos of “virtual” performances by the Choir during lockdown including NMVC Lite performing “Autumn Leaves”, “My Love is Like a Red Red Rose” and “The Sound of Silence”. And finally, some six months after lockdown, NMVC has held its first live, socially distanced and covid-compliant rehearsals at Kislingbury Cricket Club, giving the men a long awaited opportunity to meet up with each other safely and enjoy the great feeling of being able to sing together. An exciting opportunity has also arisen for the Choir to be represented by NMVC Lite at a socially distanced live concert to be held at the Deco Theatre, Northampton on Saturday 21 November to raise money for the Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund. NMVC is actively pursuing opportunities to give other covid-compliant performances to real live audiences and planning is underway for the recording of a new CD and an enormous Party in the Park before the end of 2020. For more information about NMVC please visit https://www.nmvc.co.uk/ NMVC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWCKnjss8p1LrO1NonSf0KQ/videos For tickets and information about the Deco Theatre concert https://www.thedeco.co.uk/event/one-...
Read MoreNMVC “Lite” Goes Live
Northampton Male Voice Choir (NMVC) has recently diversified by forming a small, predominately a cappella, chorus to perform repertoire which the main choir would not normally sing. With no more than 20 members – selected by NMVC Musical Director, Stephen Bell – NMVC Lite is ideal for performing at smaller venues in which the 80 strong main Northampton Male Voice choir could not be accommodated. Currently The Lite is excitedly gearing up for its very first competitive event, having entered the Milton Keynes Festival of the Arts on 13 March. And the first two concert bookings for The Lite” have already been taken: Saturday 18 April: The Lite will perform at a Rotary Club Charity Concert in the Bede House, Higham Ferrers. Saturday 18 July: The Lite will perform as the special guests of Kettering’s “Decibelles” ladies choir at their “Showtime” concert in the United Reform Church, London Road, Kettering. For further information about NMVC Lite and all Lite booking enquiries please contact Stephen Bell on 07749...
Read MoreAnother Sell-Out Annual Concert for Male Voice Choir
On 28 September, Northampton Male Voice Choir (NMVC) under its Musical Director, Stephen Bell, together with special guests, Soprano, Emily Haig and the GUS Brass band, presented its 2019 Annual Concert to a capacity audience of 525 at Northampton High School, Hardingstone. The choir’s 2018 Annual Concert was also a sell-out, which is testament to its popularity and ability to entertain audiences. After a scintillating first half, which included a brand new selection of songs from the 75 men in the choir, the excited audience was treated to a rousing “Last Night at the Proms” style second half led by Emily Haig, complete with Union Jack flags and hats, red white and blue balloons and enthusiastic audience participation climaxing with a rousing rendition of “Land of Hope and Glory” followed by a lengthy standing ovation from the highly appreciative audience. The Annual Concert ended a busy summer for the choir which included a brief tour to Kent with concerts in Rochester Cathedral, Faversham, Sandwich and an open air concert on Whitstable Harbour where, in the space of an hour, the choir raised nearly £300 for RNLI Whitstable Lifeboat Station. For further details about Northampton Male Voice Choir see www.nmvc.co.uk For Emily Haig see www.emilyhaigsoprano.co.uk For Virtuosi Gus Band see...
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