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