Choir rocks Christmas shoppers

2009 Patrons' Concert

Croydon Male Voice Choir staged its annual Patrons' Concert at Whitgift School on Saturday, June 13.  A 400-strong audience, including patrons, friends and some special guests, packed the school's magnificent concert hall to hear songs from the choir's latest repertoire.

Several of the pieces, selected by musical director Richard Hoyle, were heard by the patrons for the first time.  The audience was  treated to fine singing by the soloist, tenor James Kinsella, who performed six songs.  He ended with an encore of Nessum Dorma in which, to his surprise, he was joined by the choir, bringing a smile to his lips.

The guests included local resident Roy Thackray, who had previously contacted Richard Hoyle to offer the choir his own arrangement of More I Cannot Wish You from the musical Guys and Dolls.  The choir performed the piece for the first time at the concert and Roy received a standing ovation when he was introduced to the audience.   Roy said that he was "more than happy" with the choir's performance of his arrangement, whch he had undertaken specially for the choir.  "It sounded perfect - it sounded better than when it was in my head."

Another special guest was the choir’s new president, the acclaimed mezzo-soprano Della Jones. This was Della’s first opportunity to hear the choir perform and Richard and the choir were keen to hear her opinion.  During the interval she addressed “her boys”, as she refers to the choir members, telling them how much she was enjoying the concert.  She was especially impressed by the choir's amazing sound, its discipline on stage, how closely it followed Richard's directions, and the fact that it sang without looking at music.  She ended by saying that she planned to attend a rehearsal and to join the choir afterwards for a beer.  Who knows, she may even be persuaded to sing a song or two.

Left: Della Jones talks to "her boys" at Whitgift  School

A walk in the mist

DECEMBER 8: A small but perfectly formed group of seven walkers assembled at Bletchingley Golf Club on Tuesday 6 December. As it was a morning start, the customary pre-amble beer was replaced by tea and bacon butties before the group ventured into the swirling mist.

The magnificent seven navigate through the mist

Navigator Dave found the route sagely but faced challenges in pointing out the historical landmarks, as in: "Over there in the mist you would have seen the Old Rectory House and the late mediaeval tudor beamed Brewer Street Farmhouse...".

Signpost helps direct the walkers

The group struck north past the Sibelco sand quarries and tested the acoustics of a motorway tunnel with a rendition of the customary "My Lord, what a morning", particularly appropriate in the winter gloom.

The group disappears into the gloom

The poor visibility fortunately concealed the looming face of Quarry Hangers on the North Downs until the walkers were ready to ascend. Dave offered three routes up the face, and was not surprised when the group rejected the Very Steep and Impossibly Steep options, opting for the basic Steep path instead. All reached the  crest without a cardiac arrest.

The seven plus Suki

Beer at The Harrow fortified the walkers for the return downhill leg and another song under the motorway. They particularly enjoyed the open vistas across the sand quarries as they approached the golf course. The final stretch past tees, greens and bunkers led the group back to the clubhouse for a late lunch.

Become a patron and help the choir 

Our patrons bring us vital support in providing enjoyment for our audiences and raising thousands of pounds for a wide range of local and national charities.  The costs, which we feel are very reasonable, are set out below.   As well as the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the choir in a very important way, you will also be entitled to a complimentary ticket to the annual summer concert, one of the highlights of the performing year.  Contact details for our patrons' office are below.  He would be delighted to hear from you.     

How to become a Patron

Please contact our Patrons' Officer, George Taylor, 38 Paul Gardens, Radcliffe Road, Croydon CR0 5QL.  Phone 020 8681 0868, 07736 720100 Email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Here are the costs: 

Single annual membership £30  Single life membership £240 

Joint annual membership   £50  Joint life membership £400 

Ask about corporate sponsorship too.  We have packages offering excellent promotional opportunities and you associate your name with the brilliant Croydon MVC brand! 

Come and try us!   

We welcome new members for our choir, one of the best in southern England.   Just come along to one of our Thursday evening rehearsals, held at our headquarters at Sandilands Sports Club in Addiscombe.  The rehearsals run from 8pm to 10pm.

The choir sings at a recent concert

The club premises have a welcoming ambience. There is a well-stocked bar at Sandilands, with one or more brands of real ale on tap.  On summer evenings in June and July you can stand outside and watch the cricket too.

Our rehearsals are fun, friendly and informal, although we also work hard.  We stage about 12 concerts a year and are constantly renewing our repertoire, so there is always something new to learn.

We take a break from rehearsals for approximately six weeks of the summer holidays, during late July and August.   We hold informal singalongs during the summer period, when we rehearse the pieces we perform at the apres - the wind-down sessions held in local pubs after concerts.  These are from 8pm to 9pm and you are welcome to come and try us there too.

So, if this appeals to you, just come along one evening to see what you make of us. You can sit with the choir and sing along, or you can just sit and watch.  It's best to arrive around 7.45pm. If you have not called us first, introduce yourself to any choir members you meet and they will take you in hand.

You do not need to be able to read music (only around half of our members do so.)  If you like singing and you can sing in tune, you can join us, and we promise that you will enjoy yourself.  You will need enthusiasm, a sense of humour, and a willingness to commit to the choir. That means rehearsing once a week and learning both words and tunes, as we perform without looking at sheet music.

You need to decide which "voice" you are - top tenor, tenor, baritone, or bass. If you are uncertain we can offer advice. After you have been practising with us for a few weeks, you will be asked to take a short informal audition (the pass rate is around 90%.) Then you will be awarded the choir's distinctive silver-grey jacket. From that point, you will be able to take part in our concerts and enjoy the choir to the full.

If you are interested, come and take a look.  The club is in Sandilands at the junction with Grimwade Avenue, CR0 5DB. (See map on "How to find CMVC" page.)  Just turn up - or give us a call to let us know you are coming. Choir chair Kimball  Ormond (01689 850371) or secretary Roger Lee (020 8686 2427) would be pleased to hear from you.