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GMVC Newsletter November

Vol 17 No.11

From our Chairman.                                                       contributed by John Addison

Dear All

Welcome to a new month and a new home for Gresley Male Voice Choir as we kick off the month at Granville College at Woodville. It’s quite timely with darker wetter evenings so we’ll have improved lighting and parking.

It’s been a fairly quiet October so far as performing goes with just the concert at St Mary’s Church, Barwell on behalf of the RNLI Bicentenary where we managed to raise £885.

As well as the Choir we had solos from Geoff Hampson, and we also had guest soloist Steph Addison and a local performer Michael George. It was a most enjoyable evening.

It was great to welcome Mick Robey back after his illness and he also managed the concert at Barwell which was a real fillip.

Into November and with Christmas getting nearer we are starting to practice our festive music. We still have one non-Christmas concert at Farnsfield which is in memory of Rosemary Wilmott who organized previous concerts and also last year’s concert that did not happen but she sadly died and we wanted to make up for disappointing her last year.

We have another Breakfast Club, and I urge those who have not yet attended to come along to Sweet Caroline at Swadlincote on Saturday 9th November.

Finally, to all our readers of this Newsletter, if you know of any men who can sing and enjoy performing with a choir, give them a shove our way. We are most welcoming!

John

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Patricia Lawton

As most of you know Pat, the wife of our treasurer Clive Lawton, sadly passed away last month after a long and debilitating illness. She was an ardent fan of the Choir and before her illness could always be found helping the Choir in one way or another, Raffles, Christmas Fair at the Delph and travelling all over the place with Clive, Brian & Jean Hollins to find places and other Choirs to sing with on our Annual Tours.

Pat was a great friend to those who knew her and always had a wonderful smile to greet you whenever you met. Nothing was too much trouble for her, and she would always lend a hand or shoulder when needed.

She loved to laugh and especially loved to sing and listen to all sorts of music, especially Gresley MVC. She had a great memory for song lyrics as well and could sing along with almost any piece.

Pat will be sorely missed by many of us, and I am sure you will all join me when I say “Rest in Peace” to this very beautiful Lady.

                                                                                                                     David

Clive has asked me to pass on the following info:

The funeral will be at St Mary’s church, Church Road, Stretton, Burton DE13 0HD

At 11 am Tuesday 19th November 2024. Then at Bretby Crematorium for all who wish to attend.

There will be Tea, Coffee and Cakes in the Church after the Service.

Pat did not like “Black”, so Clive has asked that those attending wear brighter colours please. Her favourite colour was “Blue”      

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MAVORO Ladies Club.                        contributed by Maureen Hickman & Hilda Oates

Friends and family are most welcome to join us for our social occasions.
If you would like any more information about our ladies’ evenings or events, please contact any of the numbers below:

Jan Masterman (Pres.)     01283-348922         Maureen Hickman 01283-703218

Hilda Oates        (V. Pres.) 01283-536144,        Janet Auwkit         07754 428882

Linda Davies                     07749 017234         Josie Ivens             01283-212914

Pat Hurd                             01283-542746         Elaine Newbold     07769-828756

Mavoro Ladies Programme 2024

November 1st                     “The Domestic, part 2”                        Jo Goldby

December 6th                     Party Night Buffet

February 7th                       AGM 2025

MAVORO ladies please bring your own mugs with you to the meetings to save washing up.

                   Gentlemen can you please pass this on to your wives.

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                         Secretary’s Update.                                                                contributed by David Wright

Did you know ???

A few facts about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot

Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes and his companions Did the scheme contrive, to blow the King and Parliament
All up alive.
Threescore barrels, laid below, To prove old England's overthrow. But, by God's providence, him they catch,
With a dark lantern, lighting a match! A stick and a stake for King James's sake!
If you won't give me one, I'll take two, The better for me, and the worse for you.
A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, A penn'orth of cheese to choke him, A pint of beer to wash it down, And a jolly good fire to burn him. Holloa, boys!

holloa, boys! make the bells ring! Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

He wasn’t born a Catholic. Guy was born in 1570 in York. His parents were loyal members of the Church of England,

He fought for the Spanish army; In 1592, aged 21, Fawkes sold the estate he had inherited and set sail for Europe to join the Catholic Spanish army, to help wrench the Netherlands back from the Protestant Dutch forces. Rising through the ranks of the Spanish military, he was promoted to captain and developed great knowledge of gunpowder – which would come in handy later. He also adopted the Italian name, ‘Guido’.

Fawkes joined the plot later: In 1604, he became involved with a small group of 13 English Catholics who were plotting to assassinate the Protestant King James. Let by Robert Catesby, they sought to replace him with his daughter, Princess Elizabeth.

They almost got away with it; The original plan was to dig a tunnel under the Houses of Parliament and use it to transport the gunpowder under Parliament’s walls. Fawkes took the false identity of John Johnson and pretended to be a servant. However, the conspirators managed to rent a basement in the House of Lords, and the tunnel plan was abandoned. Soon, it was loaded with 36 barrels of gunpowder and concealed as a pile of firewood. On 4 November 1605, the basement was searched, and Fawkes was questioned. He begged his innocence by saying he was storing firewood, a claim that was initially believed. However, suspicions were raised again, and another search was conducted. 36 barrels of gunpowder were found stored under the wood. The game was up; Fawkes was arrested.

here was no bonfire to be seen; Fawkes was never burnt on a bonfire, as many people believe. He was condemned as a traitor, and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. On the cold morning of 31 January 1606, he took to the scaffold to endure the first part of his execution. So weakened from torture, he had to be carried to the gallows. When the noose was secured, he fell – some say jumped – and broke his neck, dying instantly and avoiding the rest of the brutal punishment. His corpse was cut into quarters and distributed for public display across the country.

The cellars of parliament are still checked; The cellar within which Fawkes stored his ammunition no longer exists, as it was destroyed by the 1854 fire which ravaged the old Houses of Parliament. Nevertheless, the cellars which remain are still checked annually before the State Opening of Parliament.

The plan may have been doomed to fail; If Fawkes had succeeded in lighting a match, he would have left an enormous explosion that would have decimated Parliament, and scarred the surrounding buildings – not to mention the obliteration of the entire political class.However, some experts now claim the gunpowder had ‘decayed’, and would have failed to explode, even if properly ignited.

His school refuses to burn an effigy; The tradition to burn an effigy caught on pretty quickly. In the 1660s, effigies were filled with live cats in order to make it seem like the figure was screaming in the flames. Today, it’s a widespread tradition – apart from at St. Peter’s School, York, his alma mater. In honour of the ex-pupil, all celebrations are forbidden.

There is a Guy Fawkes Island; Perhaps the most surprising tribute to Guido is an uninhabited outcrop of the Galapagos Islands: Guy Fawkes Island. The origins of the name remains mysterious, but it may be a tribute to his years spent as a mercenary in the Spanish army.

GRESLEY MALE VOICE CHOIR CONCERT/EVENTS

2024/2025

Saturday

09/11/2024

Breakfast Club

Sweet Carolines Café, Sharpes Pottery, Swadlincote

Start 09.15 am

DE11 9DG

Casual

Saturday

16/11/2024

Farnsfield Methodist Church

Chaple Lane, Farnsfield,

Start 4pm   Tickets TBA

NG22 8JP

TBA

Saturday

30/11/2024

SDDC Swadlincote Christmas Lights, Switch-on

The Delph, Swadlincote,

Start 4 pm

DE11 9DA

Blue

Choir Tie

Sunday

08/12/2024

Christmas Carol Concert, The Crows Nest,

Barton Marina

2pm start tickets TBA

DE13 8AS

TBA

Saturday

14/12/2024

Choir Christmas Concert

Emmanuel Church, Swadlincote

Start 7.15pm   Tickets £6

DE11 8LF

Blue

Choir/Tie

Sunday

12/01/2025

Leonard Cheshire Concert

Newlands House, Netherseal

Start 2pm Tickets TBA

DE12 8DA

TBA

Friday

24/01/2025

Gresley Male Voice Choir AGM

Newhall Methodist Church, Swadlincote

7pm Start

DE11 0JU

Casual

Sunday

26/01/2025

Gresley Male Voice Choir Annual Dinner

The Crow’s Nest, The Waterfront, Barton Marina,

Start 2pm Tickets TBA

DE13 8AS

Smart

Casual

Saturday

29/03/2025

Ibstock Palace Concert

High Street, Ibstock

Start 7.30 pm   Tickets TBA

LE67 6LG

TBA

Saturday

26/04/2025

St. Peter’s Church Concert

Main Street, Yoxall

Start 7.15 pm  Tickets TBA 

DE13 8PD

TBA

30/05/2025-

02/06/2025

Gresley Male Voice Choir Annual Tour

Details to be announce

TBA

TBA

Saturday

04/10/2025

Stamford Methodist Church Concert

11 Barn Hill, Stamford

Details to be announced

TBA

TBA

Please bear in mind there could be further amendments to the above list,

dependent on the Venues

Tickets available from our ticket line 07939 012458

 Stay Safe and Well

David

“If you would like to submit a piece for us to publish in our Newsletters please email me a copy and I will share it with all our Choristers and Followers”

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GMVC Website and Facebook

GMVC has now a new more modern Website with a new address www.gresleychoir.com GMVC would like to acknowledge the generous support of the family of the late Mr. Roy Atkins and his son Andy, through his company WebCertain, in securing the availability of our new web address “gresleychoir.com” for a further 5 years.

If you need to know anything, about Gresley Male Voice Choir, visit our Website  www.gresleychoir.com .  It’s full of pictures, videos and information about the Choir. If you need to email the Website or any of the Officers or Committee, email gmv.choir@gmail.com . Also, if you wish to keep in touch with events, other members and supporters of the Choir, look at our Facebook page, web address: https://www.facebook.com/GMVC1904

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