Leeds Male Voice Choir
Leeds Male Voice Choir | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Middleton Broom Male Voice |
| Origin | Leeds, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Classical, Pop, Folk, Musicals, Rock, Sacred |
| Years active | 1916 - Present |
| Website | http://www.leedsmalevoicechoir.co.uk |
Leeds Male Voice Choir was founded in 1916 by Thomas William Crossland, who was the organist and choirmaster at Stourton Wesleyan Chapel. The choir took its name from Broom Pit in Middleton, Leeds and was known as the Broom Excelsior Male Voice. By 1932 the choir was known as Leeds Male Voice Choir and was directed by E.P. Stead. In 1951 John Hickes became the conductor.[1]
In 1962 John Wheeler took the Director's baton and his wife Ursula the accompanist. He was a principal singer at Leeds Parish Church and was also conductor of Batley Male Voice Choir and Phoenix Park Male Choir in Bradford. John led the choir and began a series of exchange visits in 1969 with Dortsfeld Male Voice Choir in Dortmund, Leeds’ twin city in Germany. The choir developed a concert schedule across Yorkshire whilst raising funds for local charities. The choir took part in many music festivals across Northern England.
In 1970 Leeds Male Voice Choir featured as part of the '1000 Voice Choir', accompanied by the Black Dyke Band which was recorded for Stars on Sunday on ITV, the choir also featured on the accompanying album issued in the same year. Later that year the choir took first place at the Bingley Music Festival. In 1974 the choir made a TV appearance on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks.[2] In 1978 the choirs first album was released featuring some of the traditional male voice repertoire.
Between 1987 and 1994 under the direction of Nigel Wears the choir increased in size and scope performing in 1988 and 1991 in the ‘Thousand Yorkshire Voices’ concerts in The Royal Albert Hall in London. Brass band accompaniment came from both Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band and Sellers International Band. The choir featured on the accompanying albums with a range of other Yorkshire Male Voice Choirs.
Between 1994 and 2004 the choir was directed by David Burnett, who maintained a busy and popular concert schedule throughout the city again returning to the Royal Albert Hall to perform in the 1,000 Yorkshire Voices concert.[3] Michael Grant was the conductor between 2004 and 2013 in which time the choir maintained a busy local schedule and continued to support local chartities.
In October 2013, led by Will Prideaux Leeds Male Voice Choir hosted the Sing For Heroes concert, gathering men from throughout the city to perform in Leeds Town Hall in aid of the charity Help For Heroes and were joined by Peterborough and Gledholt Male Voice Choirs. The concert drew in many new members and expanded the size and quality of sound of the choir.[4] The year closed with a sell out concert of Christmas favourites in the Holy Trinity Church, Leeds, joined by the women's choir, Peterborough Voices.[5]
2014 started with the appointment of a new Musical Director Tim Knight,[7] Principal of the Yorkshire College Of Music and Drama, and invitation from the Ilkley Round Table to perform at their annual Ilkley Beer Festival in February.[6] In June The Best Of British took place in front of record audiences at Leeds Minster featuring songs from around the British Isles and marking of the anniversary of the First World War.[7] This was followed in December by the The Spirit of Christmas in which the choir performed a programme of carols and festive favourites with the Songbirds in Leeds Minster.
2015 featured a new recording in Russian in March.[8] and the Hollywood Heroes concert in June, celebrating legendary leading men from the movies to a sell out audience at Morley Town Hall with the Phoenix Concert Band.[9] In December the Choir performed The Spirit of Christmas at Leeds Cathedral
By 2016 the choir was recognised for diversity of membership and varied and divergent repertoire. Leeds Male Voice Choir will celebrate one hundred years of singing in Leeds with a gala performance in Leeds Town Hall with Rothwell Temperance Band and The White Rosettes in September 2016.[10]
References
- ^ "Battle to save Leeds Male Voice Choir". Yorkshire Evening Post. 11 April 2011.
- ^ "Opportunity Knocks". IMDb.com. 31 December 1974.
- ^ "History of Leeds Male Voice Choir". leedsmalevoicechoir.co.uk. 29 October 2014.
- ^ "Sing for Heroes with Leeds Male Voice Choir". Leeds City Council. August 2013.
- ^ "Christmas Magic with Leeds Male Voice Choir". North Leeds Life. 18 November 2013.
- ^ "Ilkley Beer Festival 2014". Ilkley Gazette. 13 February 2014.
- ^ "Flying the Flag in Leeds". East Leeds Magazine. 29 March 2014.
- ^ "Leeds Male Voice Choir – Spaséñiye Sodélal". YouTube. 15 April 2014.
- ^ "Hollywood Comes to Morley". The Yorkshire Reporter. 5 May 2015.
- ^ "Can the male voice choir survive in the modern world?". The Telegraph. 15 February 2016.