It was with great sadness that Northampton Male Voice Choir (NMVC) received news that its Vice President and elder statesman, John Hames, had died peacefully on 21 July 2024 aged 90, having been admitted to hospital with a serious chest infection.
Just a few months earlier – the day after celebrating his 90th birthday – John had been performing at the Derngate Theatre, Northampton with Northampton Male Voice Choir (NMVC) as part of a mass choir of 200 voices in ‘Collide: A Choir Fest Experience’ with Gareth Fuller and Northants Sings Out. After the concert John said it had been his best moment ever with NMVC and having all the performers and audience stand and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ for him at the end of the show had topped it all.
John was a member of NMVC for 37 years and, commenting on his long and distinguished contribution to the choir, NMVC Chairman, Mark York, said ‘John was always a consistent and hard-working chorister. After joining the choir he quickly became a member of its Executive Committee and went on to serve 12 years as Chairman. After retiring from the committee in 2015 he continued to be responsible for procuring and distributing the choir’s uniform clothing. John has become a legend at NMVC and will never be forgotten. Our sincere condolences go to his family.’
NMVC Musical Director, Stephen Bell said ‘John was a terrific supporter of the choir in many ways. He even took the trouble to write to me, steadfastly every year, with a handwritten message of support and encouragement to ‘keep doing what I was doing’ and to thank me. That’s Class! RIP John, you’re singing with the Angels now.’
