Choir helps launch Year of Culture  

APRIL 4: The choir helped launch Croydon’s year as London Borough of Culture with a spirited performance in the Fairfield Halls foyer on Sunday, April 2.

CMVC gets Year of Culture under way (Photo: Jacob Rogers)

Around 40 members sang a total of seven numbers from the choir’s current repertoire.  An enthusiastic audience was especially impressed by our renditions of Nessun Dorma, Saints and Jolly Roger, when some members donned appropriate pirate regalia.

CMVC and Shanty Men among the Croydon talent

There was a moving moment when the choir sang Ashoken Farewell, which was dedicated to the late choir tenor Ted Mouat, whose ashes were scattered on the island of Mull that same afternoon.  Ted’s widow Lyn was among the choir followers in the audience.

The performance was introduced and conducted by Dave “Banners” Bannister.  Leaflets advertising the choir to prospective members and audiences were distributed in the foyer.

Later that afternoon the choir’s Shanty Boys were also in action.  They sang a selection of their favourite shanties, including John Kanaka and Randy Dandy O. Shanty group convenor Bernard Maguire reported “a great positive response” from the audience and shantyman Steve Lloyd added that this “gave us quite a buzz – loved it!”