GMVC Charity Concert 2017

The Maria Hanson Foundation

(me&dee)

St George's Church, Ticknall

12th August ,2017

Certificate of Appreciation and Personal Letter from Maria Hanson MBE, Founder

Rev Kim Thomas leaving Gresley Male Voice Choir

 August 22nd 2016

As our president sets sail and heads across the pond she leaves us this message

Gresley Male Voice Choir – The Pride of South Derbyshire (and of a certain Vicar in Stretton)

The Choir came into my life in 2007 when one of its choristers asked me if I would consider hosting a concert in our church, St Mary’s, Stretton. I readily agreed not knowing what the choir was like and encouraged the church members and the community to support the concert. 

It was a real leap of faith for I had no idea how good (or bad) they were! I was the most relieved person ever when they sang their first song and I was enthralled by the quality of singing and choice of music. I was hooked! Over the years, I have gone to France and Cornwall, attended as many concerts as work commitments would allow and compered two of the town hall concerts. To my delight, a few years ago, I was asked to be a vice-president of the choir, a real honour. 

I have seen this choir grow from strength to strength, they are of a constant high quality and always a delight to hear. As well as being fine singers, they are a real family and care for each other as well as sing together. 

Never was this more apparent than when one of the choir was ill or sadly died. Their care and concern for each other is heart-warming, but this is no ‘closed shop’.  

This is a family who welcomes new members with open arms and they soon become members of the finest choir in South Derbyshire. 

 I became President of the choir in January ( 2016) and it is one of the proudest moments of my life. 

When I agreed to be president, little did I know that events would take me to the other side of the world, so I must also have the record for the shortest servicing president! Having said that, I will miss ‘the chaps’ so much, their sense of fun, their devotion to the choir and their fine singing, playing and conducting skills. 

Thank you GMVC, it has been a privilege to be your president. Here’s to an Antipodean tour – you come and I will find the venues!       

SATURDAY 15th AUGUST 2015

BURTON BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED CONCERT

IT CAME UPON A SATURDAY

WE AWOKE AND FELT SUCH GLEE 

FIRST WE HAD OUR ‘FOOTY’

THEN GRESLEY CHOIR AFTER TEA 

THE ‘FOOTY’ WAS AN IMPROVEMENT

 TO DISASTER THE PREVIOUS WEEK

SO ONLY JUST IN TIME, TO STRETTON 

ST. MARY’S THERE TO SEEK

DA DA DE DUM OUTSIDE THE DOOR 

THE CHOIR DID HUM AND SMILE

 SUCH A GREETING WE HAD NOT RECEIVED 

WELL NOT FOR A VERY LONG WHILE 

WE PAID AND TOOK OUR SEATS

BY THEN QUITE NEAR THE REAR 

SETTLED DOWN TO LISTEN

READY TO CLAP AND CHEER

THE CHOIR BEGAN TO SING

WE THOUGHT WE WERE IN HEAVEN 

WE COULD HAVE SAT AND LISTENED 

MUCH LONGER ........ T0 ELEVEN

MEN SINGING IN A CHOIR

IS A SOUND BEYOND COMPARE 

SUCH MAGICAL POWER PUTS 

ELECTRICITY IN THE AIR

WE HAD SOLO’S WHIT AND SMILES 

LOTS OF CLAPPING DOWN THE AISLES 

THE BURTON BLIND WOULD BENEFIT 

FROM THE PROCEEDS OF THE NIGHT 

FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS RECEIVED 

WITH THANKS AND GREAT DELIGHT 

OUR ONLY SADNESS TO THE NIGHT 

WE COULD NOT STAY FOR TEA

FOR AT A PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT 

WE REALLY NEEDED TO BE

IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING GENTLEMEN 

ENJOYING GIVING TIME

SHARING THEIR MAGNIFICENT VOICES 

TO HELP THE LOCAL BLIND

Thank You

Connie Barker and husband,

A volunteer at the Club