On Tour Again - Three in One and each One was Great

Travelling North to Manchester and back via Lichfield, our 2023 tour was a huge success. What a way to spend a long weekend.

CONCERT ONE WITH NOTABILITY

After a long journey up the motorways the Boys assembled in a welcoming Premier Inn in Prestwich before happily heading off to St Bernadette’s Church up the road to join with old friends Notability for the evening’s concert.

Who on the night could not have been blown away by Notability’s wonderful, harmonious performances of beautiful music that included Eriskay Love Lilt, Blue Moon and Here Comes the Sun – certainly the audience was enraptured. And, if we might say so, RMVC was also on top form singing old favourites such as O Gymru (in Welsh), Bring Him Home and the ever-emotional Bui Doi. Topping it all the final joint number Let the River Run brought the audience to its feet for a standing ovation, and for us, entertaining at our best is what it’s all about!

Then, this great evening was followed by an amazing Afterglow in the nearby Social Club featuring a wonderful spread of much appreciated food, enough (some might say more than enough) glasses of beer or wine, and needless to say more singing.

So….very many thanks Notability for the return invitation, a really lovely concert, and for your fabulous hospitality. All ways around a real treat for the Choir.

CONCERT TWO WITH ROSSENDALE MALE VOICE CHOIR

Isn’t Manchester brilliant? Salford Quays, The Lowry Museum, and a buzzing City Centre all to be enjoyed, but by 4.45pm choir members and partners were once more aboard the coach going a bit further north to Darwen and The Church of the Parish of St Cuthbert with St Stephen to meet up with Rosssendale MVC.

The time given over to rehearsals in between arrival and the concert can be tricky for wives and partners seeking something to do. So entertainment has to be found wherever it can be, and without naming names, some wives could be seen sitting on a wall with what looked suspiciously like wine in plastic cups! Umm…..though the time waiting was well worth it for Rossendale is a very accomplished and fun choir led by it’s animated MD Matthew Thomas.

In more ways than one Rossendale ‘performed’ What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor bringing laughter to the audience. They included in their sets Gwahoddiad, Don’t look Back in Anger and the rousing Seize the Day. You Raise Me Up, You’ll Never Walk Alone and the beautiful Prayer of the Children were amongst the songs sung by RMVC, the latter, so resonant of the troubles in Ukraine, was especially appreciated by the audience. Finally, we had the real pleasure of jointly singing two really, really old favourites American Trilogy and Morte Criste. Wonderful!

Sadly we didn’t have as long as we might have liked for the Afterglow in the Church, BUT there’s no doubt the in time we did have our friendship with Rossendale gained immeasurably in strength. Over the whole evening we couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more, so grateful thanks Rossendale – let’s do it again if we can.

CONCERT THREE IN LICHFIED CATHEDRAL

If you haven’t been there you should go. Lichfield Cathedral is a glorious place to sing. Our short concert, where we sang just eight songs, was free to all, and we had those who stayed throughout to hear us sing as well as people listening in whilst touring the Cathedral. The highlight of the concert however was a piano solo by JR Bach played by our Deputy MD and so talented Accompanist Richard Stannard.

Bursting out of the Cathedral into the hot sunshine the last (and impromptu) song of the tour, Can’t Help Falling In Love was sung to families sitting or standing enjoying the beauty of the grounds.

THANKS

To both Choirs for their excellent organisation of the concerts. Rarely an easy task!

To the brilliant Musical Directors: Mathew Thomas from Rossendale and our own much-loved Marion Maxey. (Notability does not have a conductor)

Accompanists: Lesley Cavanagh from Notability; Liz Baker from Rossendale and of course Richard Stannard accompanying RMVC.

To Mike Bull, who really did have his work cut out getting all the details for the trip in place and making it happen so successfully, and for his poetry in Lichfield Cathedral.

To the patient coach driver Steve.