The County town of Somerset
is as different as it gets from the traditional mining or industrial base from
which many of our male voice choirs hail, but there has been a flourishing male
voice choir in Taunton for over 60
years.
Formed in 1946, the Choir started
life as the Wessex Male Singers and was the result of a merger of two
previously unsuccessful attempts at forming a male voice choir in Taunton by the Avimo Company and the Taunton Trades Council. The Choir became the
Taunton Male Voice Choir in 1962 in order to strengthen
its links with the town and Deane was added in 1974 when the Coat of Arms was
also displayed on its uniform.
Taunton Deane Male Voice Choir
has three main objectives - to preserve the traditions and standards of male
voice singing, to maintain public interest in male voice choirs and to assist
organisations in raising money for charitable causes. Over the years the choir
has performed at countless charity concerts locally and nationally promoting
both Taunton and Male Voice Choral
Singing.
The Choir is affiliated to the
National Association of Choirs and has sung with massed choirs at the Royal
Albert Hall, The Evening Standard Arena in Manchester,
in the World Choir in Cardiff and at V.E. Day celebrations
at Hyde Park and Wells Cathedral. The choir returned
to the Royal Albert Hall in November 2006 to sing in The Festival of Brass
&Voices Concert which raised £95,000 in aid of CANCER RESEARCH UK.
In May 2007 the Choir participated in the Cornwall International Festival for Male Voice Choirs for the first time and enjoyed the experience immensely
Taunton Deane Male Voice Choir's
repertoire is extensive and varied, offering something to suit every kind of
musical taste, from opera choruses, spirituals, popular ballads and selections
from musical shows to classical and romantic music, folk songs and popular
ballads, Welsh hymns, and sacred music. The Choir’s repertoire now contains two
pieces of music especially commissioned for the Diamond Jubilee Year. One, 'Irving', was
written and arranged by Alan Simmons, and the other, ‘The Perfect Male Voice Choir’, was
written and arranged by Denys Hood.
Each year we perform at least
fourteen charity concerts. The Choir's aim is to sing the best examples of the
male voice choir genre available. As a registered charity the Choir raises
thousands of pounds annually for good causes and we are always pleased to hear
from potential concert organisers who can offer a theatre, church or hall with
reasonable acoustics and an audience of 100 or more, if possible.
Taunton Deane Male Voice Choir
members have in common a love of singing and a willingness to embrace the
highest standards achievable by a male voice choir. The men of the Choir
demonstrate this by committing many hours to rehearsals and engagements. New
members are always welcome. No audition is necessary but alongside the tuition
of our new Musical Director, David Yates, new members receive
plenty of help and encouragement from choir colleagues. The choir therefore is
able to maintain a respected reputation in the region. The ability to read
music, although an advantage, is not essential. The most important attribute
for a member of the choir is commitment and enthusiasm.
We also have the Afternoon
Singers conducted by Audrey Silke and accompanied by Dora Brooks and Joan Saunders. The Group performs up to 20 concerts a year for many people in the community
who are not able to attend larger concert venues. Concerts are held in village
halls, church schoolrooms, residential and nursing homes and for stroke clubs,
blind associations, etc. The list is endless and they must be doing something
right as the invitations keep flooding in.
The Afternoon Singers
