SINGING FOR THE BLIND 

A select choir formed of twelve members of CMVC helped celebrate the re-opening of the centre for the blind and partially sighted in Wellesley Road, Croydon, on September 11.

The centre, Bedford Hall, hq of the Croydon Voluntary Association for the Blind, had been closed for refurbishment. The CMVC twelve, who included three members of each section, led by veteran bass Nev Clark, sang a selection of songs from the choir’s après repertoire, together with an adaptation of We’ll Keep a Welcome penned by Nev himself.

The choir twelve perform (photo Rita Sandland)

The audience, who included Croydon's new Labour mayor, Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed from Broad Green, was highly appreciative and gave prolonged applause. The mayor said she would attend a CMVC concert soon, as did the chair and director of the CVAB.

Keith Sandland, CMVC baritone who recruited the choir for the occasion, said afterwards that he had been “inundated with compliments about our singing.” One blind person told him she thought that there must have been about forty singers on stage – and was astonished to learn there were only twelve.

Rita Sandland, a voluntary worker at the CVAB, was equally delighted – and sold four copies of the choir’s latest CD which had been lying on a nearby table. Keith has passed on thanks from the association director “to everyone who turned up and sang”.

Croydon's new Labour mayor (centre) said she enjoyed the singing