Lancaster choir in full voice to celebrate 120 years with new musical director

The choir was founded in the latter part of 1899 by a renowned local singer, favourite of Queen Victoria, Richard Thomas Grosse. With breaks for the world wars, it has been performing regularly in the region since that date and continues to entertain audiences wherever it goes. The choir is currently two dozen strong and performs about six times a year in various locations around the district. Recently, it has been part of massed male voice choir events in Kendal and at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and sung with Lon Dhoo Male Voice Choir in Douglas, Isle of Man and Dalston Male Voice Choir from Cumbria in Penrith. Its next concert marks the 120th anniversary and will be featuring Dalston Male Voice Choir in a ‘return fixture’ in Lancaster Methodist Church on November 16 at 7pm. Choir members are very grateful to their patron, the Lady Shuttleworth of Leck, president Suzie Reynolds of Leighton Hall and vice-president, Gill Allen for their continued support of the choir. Thanks also go to Infinity Print Solutions of Penny Street for their continued sponsorship in the production of posters and leaflets. This year also marks the retirement of the current music director, Derek Walters, after 10 years leading the choir. He will be much missed as a consummate musician, a committed director and musical arranger. He lives in Morecambe and will continue to be involved in an administrative capacity. Tetiana (Tanya) Kolosova continues as the choir’s excellent accompanist. For Christmas, the choir is welcoming the new music director, Alex Phillips-Yates. An excellent graduate of the Lancaster University School of Music, he was accompanist from 2009-11, and is a proficient violinist and viola player as well as a very able pianist. Under Alex members look forward to many more years entertaining audiences in the locality. The choir is always keen to enrol new singers especially as it is good to sing. For more information visit www.ldmvc.org.uk, email enquiries@ldmvc.org.uk or call 01524 561904 or 07846 409825.