Two coaches full of excited and well-prepared choristers, family members and friends left Mansfield on Friday 26th April for our visit to London to sing at The Royal Albert Hall, in the Festival of Massed Male Choirs event staged by the Welsh Association of Male Choirs.
Lynden Lowe our concert manager had spent months making the arrangements, untold numbers of phone calls and emails to ensure every detail was managed. What a great job he did as everything went smoothly – except the weather and the London traffic. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a comprehensive rehearsal under the baton of Dr. Alwyn Humphreys and what can only be described as a simply magnificent concert evening in the company of 22 choirs totalling 524 choristers.
Describing each of the pieces would be fruitless as there will be DVD’s and CD’s available in due course but I would like to say that the combined, accurate and expressive singing was something I had not experienced in nearly 20 years of membership of our choir. The precision, dynamics and sheer effort afforded the audience a superb evening. The talented guest soloists and ladies’ choir were just outstanding as was the connection made with the audience by the compere which brought a lightness and entertaining atmosphere to the whole event. Afterglow singing at the hotel went on until 1.30am with three choirs singing their hearts out. Such friendship and unity is rare today and is certainly a factor in why we belong and continue to want to belong.
Margaret asked for half of shandy….she got a surprise!
We have been preparing for over a year for this concert and we take from it lasting and emotional memories as can be seen below in the WhatsApp comments sent immediately after the weekend. We lament the fact that some of our choristers couldn’t make it either though ill health or family responsibilities and we toasted them as shown in the picture below.
The Welsh Association of Male Choirs committee do a wonderful job in planning, co ordinating and staffing the event and we owe a debt of gratitude for their work and foresight. Thanks go especially to Ian Grice, Margaret Ball and Maureen Lockwood for their skilful preparation of our choir and ultimately to the choir members for their effort, dedication and sheer diligence in learning 8 songs in the Welsh language. This shows commitment and love of our craft which, quite frankly, is amazing. Very well done.
WhatsApp messages
Thank you, to you all, especially to Geoff and Lynden for arranging, John for arranging all our payments and for our supporters for coming with us. May we have many more trips like this with great music, great singing and super camaraderie – Ian Grice
Well said Ian. A pinnacle in performance. Someone said, on Saturday, that we were undoubtedly the best massed choir in the UK and we were a part of that…wow. – Geoff Mansfield
Thanks for a fantastic weekend, it was worth going and I hope there’s many more to come. Thanks again boys – Peter Bough
Yes, it was a great weekend thank you – Anthony Bramley
Hear hear 👏👏👏🙂👍👍- Tony O’Connor
Fab weekend Lynden, thank you. Loved it all. – Wes & Judith Pierpoint
A great trip, awesome company, thanks to all involved in the organising – Alun Roberts
I’m now not a Royal Albert Hall virgin. Phenomenal weekend and still buzzing. Many thanks to all the hard work people have put into this and once again to the greatest boy band around. We must have made our mark as we keep getting invites not for just our professional standards, it’s also our infectious friendship….Phil Donovan
Well done to everybody concerned. A lovely weekend, with plenty of laughs and good singing. This feeling of euphoria is infectious and needs to be nurtured. It will bring great rewards…. John Wakeland.
Whose job was it to sort out the weather? 😳😳Thanks for a cracking and memorable weekend to all concerned – Terry Ashmore
We sang about 60 songs through Saturday and a bit of Sunday morning, and no one wanted to stop! Thank you, choir and supporters, for pulling together and showing our Welsh friends why we thoroughly deserve our place in their ranks…Mario Curtis
It was an amazing weekend and experience. A real blast 💥 Thanks to everyone 🙏🏾👏🏾…Justin Agah-Gilbert
Yeah well done, all great sentiments heartfelt ❤ . Missed those who could not be with us. I think the elation and emotion takes its toll. I mean it could not have been the alcohol 🍷 🍺 😂 could it?……Martyn Hopkinson
I can only echo all of the previous comments and from the newest member of the choir WOW thanks to you all……Philip Millns
Hope you’re all recovered from yesterday. Weekend was a fantastic experience and a privilege to sing with you all..…. Dan Hayes
I think the weekend was summed up by a Welsh choir member who said “We are really proud of you from Mansfield, what a great crowd you are, and your singing is amazing “…Lynden Lowe
Such a wonderful event and weekend. Thankyou to everyone involved in making this happen. I certainly felt very proud to be part of it.
Great work as usual Geoff
The concert alone was worth the journey, but so many more memories were made. Getting to know fellow choir men and their families, meeting friends from other choirs, time spent together with our loved ones in London doing so many varied trips out and about. A trip to the Bridge and Japan House for me, wandering through Brampton cemetery with Kate, very peaceful in the heart of the capital. It was so good I cannot choose a standout moment, it was all brilliant. We are so lucky to have choir leaders who can organise, support and teach everyone to the standard needed. Thank you.
My first one and it was absolutely amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed the choirs and singing. Judith loved it as well. Thanks Geoff for all your encouragement throughout the and thanks again Lynden for organising. Ian Grice a big thank you, you helped a lot.
Wes
Thank you to the organisers for the privilege of travelling with you all to London for a brilliant weekend of music. I loved every minute of the concert. It was an awesome sound and the sing-a-long in the hotel afterwards was so much fun.
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon. X
Nice to see Mansfield & District Male voice choir at Royal Albert Hall- I enjoyed this experience as a recent member of Aberystwyth Male Voice Choir