CHOIR NEWS
Next Concert
Our next concert is the Len Hogg Tribute Concert where we celebrate the life and the legacy of the Choir's founder. Tickets are available by contacting
- Graham Daft 0115 9539545 - Keith Dennis 0115 9681297 - John Pritchard 01623 612872 or for the first time you can now buy tickets online.
Read All About Us
26 January 2014
A booklet about the choir has been written by the daughter of one of the Choir’s founder members, Frank Wright, who as the last surviving founder member, sadly passed away in 2012. Although Helen Smith’s booklet is about the Choir’s history, it is chiefly a tribute to her late father. Proceeds from the sale of the booklet are being shared between the Choir and Notts-Lincs Air Ambulance. For more details see article in Hucknall Dispatch. The book is on sale for £5 and can be purchased by contacting Helen on 0115 9532012. Double Cheque Presentations
17 January 2014
Towards the end of another busy year, Colin Pursglove, Chairman of Bestwood MVC was delighted to hand over two cheques of £450 each to Macmillan Cancer Support Group and Treetops Hospice at a concert at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Beeston last November. 
Pictured in the photograph along with Colin from left to right are Janet Sanders, Charity Co-ordinator of Nightingale Macmillan Unit, John Griffiths, Patron of Treetops Hospice and Carol Rigley, Linda Gourley and Carol Harrison from the Imari Ladies Chorus. The funds had been raised at a joint concert with the Imari Ladies Chorus in September 2013 at The Chatsworth Theatre, Long Eaton.
With Regret
16 January 2014
Claude Dilks from the Second Tenor Section passed away on the 13th December 2013 having served 23 years in the choir. Bill Pilkington from the Bass Section, passed away on the 10th January 2014, aged 97 having served 61 years in the choir. Both gentlemen will be remebered with great affection by all. Closing The Christmas Season
26 December 2013
St Mark's - The choir finished their Christmas season by supporting their local church, St Mark's, in Bestwood Village on Sunday 22nd December. They joined in the Congregational singing and supplied two Christmas songs for the Church's annual Christmas Service. 
The Choir at St Mark's church in Bestwood Village.
Christmas Party - The Choir were treated to a night of fun, songs, food, raffles and good company when they celebrated a successful year of singing by taking the night off from rehearsing and having a party instead. This year for the first time entertainment was provided by The Knights who top and tailed the evening's entertainment with their "Nostalgia and Nonsense" show.
Christmas Highlights - The choir again had the pleasure of supporting Age Concern with their fund raising Christmas concert at Southwell Minster. Gedling's Mayor organised a joint concert with the Newstead Brass Band at St Paul’s Church in Daybrook to raise funds to support his homeless charity work. Kingswood Methodist Church in Wollaton also benefited from the choir's Christmas repertoire which this year again included many new songs.
Heanor - In late November the choir performed their last non-Christmas concert of the year at the Heanor Methodist Church.
No, that’s not the next hymn number, it’s our 1st Tenor section at Heanor Methodist Church. Perhaps hinting that they want to be somewhere else on a Saturday evening, they are in fact showing their appreciation of compere John Pritchard’s new funny stories.
Warming up for Christmas
6 November 2013
On 31st October the choir joined Newstead Brass Band, Carlton Male Voice Choir and the United Schools Choir to perform to a large audience at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall to raise substantial funds for the Nottingham Hospitals’ Charity Lewis Mighty Fund helping children with cancer. A varied programme concluded with a typical ‘Last night of the Proms’ singing of Land of Hope and Glory, and Jerusalem. We are now busy rehearsing for our pre-Christmas programme of events which includes concerts and services at Southwell Minster , St Paul’s Church, Daybrook, Kingswood Methodist Church, Wollaton and St Marks Church in Bestwood Village Bampton - A Country Wedding
11 September 2013
On 6 September Bestwood MVC ventured over the Nottinghamshire border - to Oxfordshire! The Choir had been invited to sing at the wedding of the grandson of a former choir member, Jack Wright. The wedding took place in a typical English country church. In fact, we can claim to have sung on the film set of Downton Abbey, since some of the series was filmed in this church. In keeping with country traditions, the bride arrived on a farm wagon pulled by a steam traction engine. The wedding service included three songs from the choir, which were very warmly received by the congregation. The newly-weds then left by wagon, again pulled by the steam traction engine, but not before we were served up a cloud of steam and a couple of ear-splitting bursts on the whistle. Then it was our turn to set off to the reception for a glass of bubbly in the garden. 
After some refreshments at the local hostelry (both solid and liquid), we boarded our thankfully more modern form of transport and were chauffeured home again. Quite a long and tiring day, but a good one!
If you would like Bestwood MVC to sing at your wedding, or know someone who is considering booking a choir, please contact us at bookings@bestwoodmvc.org.uk Annual Gala Concert News
 Thoresby Colliery Band
16 August 2013
Rehearsals are well underway for Bestwood MVC’s annual Gala Concert at the Albert Hall, Nottingham on Sunday 29 September 2013, at the new time of 3.00pm. The choir is joined on this occasion by the well known Thoresby Colliery Brass Band, based in the heart of Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. The band is extremely proud of its local heritage and links with both the County and the local community. The Band formed in 1948, the result of a conversation held between two men, Mr Kitchener and his friend Mr Miller, on a bus between Mansfield and Edwinstowe, the idea being to form a brass band in the north Nottinghamshire village of Edwinstowe. As the band's name suggests, many of the musicians were once employed in the coal industry. The audience is promised a rich mixture of voice and brass instruments, with the grand finale being a combination of choir, band and audience! Proceeds from the Gala Concert will go towards Bestwood MVC’s funds to enable the choir to continue supporting local and national charities long into the future, as it has in the past. Tickets are £10.00 and available by telephoning (0115) 928 5055. New President Elected
 President - John Pritchard
13 August 2013
As a result of the sad passing earlier in the year of our dear and much-respected President, Howard Leese, OBE, the Choir recently held elections to appoint a new President. Being blessed with two nominees, votes were cast at a special meeting, the result of which is that we have a new President in the form of John Pritchard, our accomplished and popular concert compere. John thanked the gentlemen of the Choir by saying a few words : "Gentlemen, it's a great honour to be elected President of Bestwood MVC.and I'm humbled to say the least. We are all individuals and I would in no way profess to be a Len Hogg or a Howard Leese both past Presidents of the choir and significant role models. You more often than not see the humorous side of me but I do have a serious side and I will do my best to represent Bestwood MVC. at all time and lend to the position the gravitas it warrants. However, I can't promise that there won't be humour lingering close to the surface" The Choir would like to congratulate John on his new appointment and wish him continued success in the Choir. Summer Charity Concert
19 July 2013
After an extremely busy and successful Diamond Jubilee Year in 2012, followed by 7 concerts in the first half of 2013, Bestwood MVC is now entering a period of more concentrated rehearsing before its next concert on the 7 September 2013. This is a Charity Concert, organised by choir member Claude Dilks, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and Treetops Hospice. The concert takes place at The Duchess Theatre, Chatsworth Arts Centre in Long Eaton at 7.30pm. Bestwood MVC will be joined on this occasion by the Imari Ladies Chorus, who sing 'A Capella' or without musical accompaniment. The chorus began its life in 1995 and was origianlly a barbershop chorus. In recent years however, under their Musical Director Linda Gourlay, the chorus has changed direction and now sings a wider range of songs in harmony style. Tickets are £5.00 and available from Claude Dilks on (01159) 726747 or Peter Fletcher on (01773) 715819. All Together Now
9 July 2013
It has been reported by scientists investigating the effects of music on our well-being that the calming effects of collective singing are as beneficial to a person’s health as yoga. Yet another reason to join a choir. Read more in an article on the BBC web site here or in the Daily Mail here Media - Dispatch Article
16 June 2013
Read the article from this week's Hucknall Dispatch about one of the choirs recent fund raising concert. Len Hogg Tribute Photos
5 May 2013
When not conducting, the Choir's Musical Director, Mirek Rus can also be found behind a camera. A selection of his photos from the recent Len Hogg Tribute Concert are now available to view on the Photos 2013 page. Dave's Going Down Under
4 May 2013
Dave Moore, bass singer has just retired and will take a year out from the choir to travel with his wife Chris all around Australia and New Zealand in a camper van. You can follow their adventures and exploits on their blog. Their trip of a lifetime starts on 18th May 2013. By clicking 'follow' on the blog you can choose to receive the stories by email without having to log onto the blog each time. BMVC Mugs Now Available
13 April 2013
Be the proud owner of one of our new Bestwood Male Voice Choir mugs. The mugs will be available to purchase at our concerts for only £3.50 each. Double Celebration Concert
4 April 2013
Bestwood Male Voice Choir is performing at the Hucknall Central Methodist Church, on Baker Street, Hucknall, Nottingham on Saturday 27 April at 7.30pm. The concert is to celebrate 50 years at Central, as well as incorporating the Len Hogg Tribute Concert, which unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions back in January this year. Len Hogg, as many will know, was the founder of Bestwood MVC back in 1952. Tickets are £5.00 (children under 12 free) and are available from Graham Daft (0115 953 9545) John Pritchard (01623 612872) Keith Dennis (0115 968 1297) Bert Hallam (01773 788693) Tribute Concert
28 March 2013
Howard Leese OBE
27 February 2013
It is with the deepest regret that we announce the death of our dear and much loved President, Howard Leese OBE. Howard passed away peacefully on Sunday 17 February, in King's Mill Hospital, surrounded by his wife Marjorie and other family members. Music was a significant part of Howard’s life, having been encouraged by his mother, a soprano soloist, to enter competitive music festivals with his treble voice, before joining church and chapel choirs. He served an engineering apprenticeship at Jos. Sankey & Sons (now GKN Sankey), joining their male voice choir at 18 years of age. At 21 years, Howard left his Shropshire home, joining the Civil Service on outstation duties at Morris Oxford, staying there for some 3 years. He spent happy times there in their male voice choir, becoming Assistant Conductor. Many years followed working from offices in London, living in Middlesex and Surrey, singing mostly in church choirs. During August 1971, Howard was posted to Royal Ordnance Factory, Nottingham and soon afterwards, joined Bestwood MVC. He conducted the choir on many occasions, including tours abroad, making many friends over the years. In the choir’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee Concert Souvenir Programme, Howard was quoted as saying “Bestwood MVC has a reputation for outstanding fellowship amongst its members, no doubt fostered by its mining roots. As a miner’s son myself I am very proud to be President of this magnificent choir, having reached our Diamond Anniversary year.” Howard was a true gentleman, in every sense of the word and will be very sadly missed by his family, choir members and all those who were fortunate enough to know him. Christmas Season Reflection
16 February 2013
Bestwood Male Voice Choir's Diamond Jubilee year drew to a close with a very successful run of high profile concerts. On 5 December, the choir were invited to the magnificent Southwell Minster to take part in the Age Concern and Age UK Support Group's 'A Christmas Celebration'. The following evening saw the choir singing to a capacity audience at St Leonard's Church, Wollaton for the Rotary Club of Wollaton Park's Christmas Music Concert. On 12 December the choir returned to Southwell Minster, where it had been invited to take part in the Emergency Services Carol Service, along with the Nottinghamshire Police Band. St John's Church, Mansfield was the setting for the next concert on 13 December, the BBC Radio Nottingham's Christmas Carol Service, led by Sunday Breakfast Show Presenter, Sarah Julian. The service was broadcast on BBC Radio Nottingham on Christmas Eve at 6pm and Christmas Day at 12 noon. The choir's final contribution of the year was at St Mark's Church, Bestwood Village on Sunday 16 December, joining in the service of Lessons and Carols and singing two carols alone. A very fitting end to a very exciting and rewarding Diamond Anniversary Year. |
Upcoming concerts
Joining the Choir If you think you may like to join the choir, come along and listen to a rehearsal on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm.
We meet at Bestwood Village Social Club, Park Road, Bestwood Village Nottinghamshire NG6 8TQ Booking the Choir We are available to perform at all kinds of events. We can provide a varied programme of songs from our 2013 repertoire to entertain at weddings, corporate events and fundraising concerts.
If you would like the choir to sing at your event, please contact our Concert Secretary, by email on concert@bestwoodmvc.org.uk or use the Contact Us page. Links National Association of Choirs
Arion Choir Rotenburg an der Fulda Gedling Borough Council Bestwood Village WI Contact Information Patron:
His Grace the Duke of St Albans Chairman: Colin Pursglove chairman@bestwoodmvc.org.uk Musical Director: Mirek Rus musical_director@bestwoodmvc.org.uk Membership Secretary: Colin Pursglove choir@bestwoodmvc.org.uk Registered Charity No. 702126
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