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Croydon boys sing off with Essex girls

JUNE 10: The choir staged a memorable concert at Shirley Methodist church on Saturday, sharing the stage with the Swift Singers from Essex. The Swifts call themselves a fun-loving ladies’ choir and so it proved, both during the concert and at an exuberant après at Sandilands afterwards.

Swifts and CMVC combine on stage

Each choir sang a total of ten pieces, in two sets (Swifts) and three sets (CMVC) respectively. The Croydon boys opened with a rousing Soldiers’ Chorus and ended with an equally stirring Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Banners gets it on for Saints, watched by Clive and Roger

The Essex girls started with a rocking Lullaby of Broadway and ended with the Carly Simon number Let the River Run. Then came the two joint numbers: the classic Welsh Gwahoddiad, followed by a choral duet, with CMVC singing I Believe and the Swifts Ave Maria (known in the singing trade as a Quodlibet) and the two music directors conducting together – Clive Smith for the Swifts and Roger Pinsent for CMVC. Following riotous applause from the packed audience, the two choirs performed the song again as an encore.

The two choirs then repaired to CMVC headquarters, Sandilands, for an extended après and sing-off.   Star of the night was CMVC’s Dave “Banners” Bannister, who had already stolen the show at the concert when he was invited by Roger to conduct Saints, doing do in his inimitable full-on manner.  He repeated the act at the après where the Swifts were clearly spellbound by his total lack of inhibition.

Roger and Clive (rear view) conduct finale from shared podium 

Afterwards Roger hailed “a very fine night of music making and togetherness – I thought the choir sang as well as I’ve heard them”. He also praised the “work behind the scenes” of the choir ladies, from running the sales stall at the concert to laying on copious amounts of food.

Choir chair Kim Ormond echoed Roger’s thanks, adding "it was a really enjoyable night”.