CMVC
History and Heritage
Information
Members
Welcome to the website of Croydon Male Voice Choir
Southern England's most exciting male voice choir!
Registered charity number: 1112732
Choir serenades new mayor
MAY 27: CMVC performed at the inauguration ceremony for Croydon’s new mayor, Wayne Trakas-Lawlor, at Fairfields Halls on Thursday May 26. The choir sang in the concert-hall foyer as the mayor made his entrance and then formally greeted his guests in the reception area at the top of the stairs.
Mayor Wayne and partner Michael with the choir at the mayor's inauguration dinner
Beckenham delights with South American bonus
OCTOBER 23: The Croydon choir staged a delightful concert to a new – and highly appreciative – audience at the church of St Barnabas, Beckenham, on Saturday. The church had a lovely acoustic and the choir felt lifted by the warm audience response.
Octavio and Andrea - the sounds of South America
In addition, both choir and audience were treated to two stunning spots by choir tenor Octavio Lopez Garcia and his wife Andrea Leon Cruz, who performed a range of South American folk songs and ballads – adding to the impact in the second half by wearing the traditional dress of Ecuador, their home country.
Choir sings at Rochester Cathedral
SEPTEMBER 30. The choir sang to an appreciative audience at Rochester Cathedral last Saturday. The cathedral was crowded with visitors, many of whom stopped to listen as the choir presented a diverse selection from its cathedral repertoire, ranging from American spirituals to the classic Welsh hymns. One American visitor told the choir she was most impressed that she could hear singing of such quality - and without having to pay for it either!
The Rochester appearance is the latest step in the choir's target of singing in one new cathedral every year. Meanwhile the choir is now preparing for its next concert, at St Barnabas in Beckenham on October 22.
Choir pays WW1 tribute in Ypres
JUNE 1: The Croydon choir has paid its tribute to the fallen of World War One during an affecting and fulfilling visit to Ypres in Belgium, the location of some of the bloodiest fighting of the entire war.
The choir sings during wreath-laying ceremony at Menin Gate (photo JWT)
On Friday May 27, the choir took part in the regular Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, built in 1927 to commemorate the 55,000 Allied soldiers who went missing in successive battles at Ypres. While wreaths were laid, the choir sang the moving valedictory Mansions of the Lord, followed by the equally poignant last verse of Keep the Home Fires Burning. Around 600 people witnessed the ceremony and a number told choir members afterwards how moved they were by our singing.
Choir heads for Ypres
MAY 3: The choir is preparing for its visit to Ypres, Belgium, which promises to be a memorable event. The choir will sing at the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate on Friday evening, May 27. On Saturday May 28 it will be performing a full repertoire at St George's Church, Ypres, which was built after the war to commemorate the fallen. More than one hundred choir members and supporters are already booked to make the trip.
Menin Gate, Ypres
The Ypres appearance follows a highly successful concert at Shirley Methodist Church on April 9, which helped to raise more than £1000 for the Hall Grange care-home charity.
Wales tour triumph
JUNE 6: The Croydon MVC scored a resounding success with its North Wales tour last weekend.
Richard Hoyle preps the choir at Chester, watched closely by Welsh tv
On Friday May 29 the choir sang at Chester Cathedral and members considered this a performance to rank with the Bath Abbey sing of 2011. “There was a good audience, the acoustics were fabulous, and we were on top form,” one said. The Chester performance also featured the first appearance of new choir pianist Frances Ringer.