Welcome

Ashington & District
Male Voice Choir

A community choir with a rich tradition

Ashington Vocal - Summer 2024 Edition

Welcome to the first edition of Ashington Vocal, the newsletter of Ashington & District Male Voice Choir.

The newsletter, which will normally be produced quarterly, is aimed at keeping the community and stakeholders better informed about what is going on or will be happening in the Choir. You will automatically receive future editions, unless you opt out.

Each newsletter will also be posted in a sub-section under ‘News’ on the Choir website, https://www.ashingtonmalevoicechoir.org.uk.

Our Website and Social Media Applications – Ashington & District Male Voice Choir launched the new website in March to keep the community and stakeholders ‘up to date’ on our activities, raise the profile of the Choir and help to attract further new members.

The features available were also enhanced to better share information on our concerts and events, as well as promoting the music which we produce. At the same time, we enhanced our Facebook page and are ensuring that both platforms are regularly populated and updated. When a new article is posted on Facebook, it is also published as a news item on the website.

Not everyone is into or likes social media, but the Choir is now becoming very effective at promoting our activities through our Facebook page. We now have over 530 followers and some of our posts have even reached over 4,500 people. This is a great way to keep up to date with latest news and learn what the public are saying about us. We really received some excellent feedback after the Memorial Service at Woodhorn.

The Choir also has a YouTube channel, from where all our videos are linked to the website.

Don’t worry you can gain access to everything you want to know, hear or see by going to the website, https://www.ashingtonmalevoicechoir.org.uk. There are links to all other applications. Please also encourage your family, friends, neighbours or acquaintances to visit the website as you could all become Ambassadors of the Choir – ‘Onwards and Upwards’.

Excellent Support from Ashington Town Council – Ashington & District Male Voice Choir recognised the importance of the need to do more to promote the Choir and build stronger links with key stakeholders. They created a new role of ‘Public Relations and Stakeholder Officer’ to help them.

Building stronger links with key stakeholders is starting to have positive benefits for the Choir.

Recently, we received the excellent news that Ashington Town Council had awarded the Choir £2,000 from their Grant Aid Budget for this financial year. The grant will allow the Choir to support more community-based events, purchase new publicity material and music, and deliver a programme of member development sessions during the summer, as well as supporting recruitment. We hope that the Leader of the Council will be able to come along to one of our events soon to present the cheque.

Recruitment has already been Positive in 2024! – Many choirs struggled to survive after the Covid pandemic. Ashington & District Male Voice Choir was more fortunate and looked to recruit more members to secure a stronger future.

A reignited effort in 2024 is already paying dividends. The Choir has already recruited 5 new members this year!

Singing in a choir can have many benefits for you:

•It can release or improve your singing skills,

•It can build your self-confidence and release emotions,

•It can generally improve your wellbeing and research indicates benefits for mental health,

•It can be a great way to meet new friends and enjoy a new social experience,

•It can also be great fun and develop your teamwork skills.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining Ashington & District Male Voice Choir, then it is worth coming along to one of our rehearsals. You will be made very welcome. We meet at Stakeford & Bomarsund Sports and Welfare Centre, Choppington, Northumberland, NE62 5UB on Thursday evenings between 7pm and 9pm.

Our Annual Concert was Memorable! – This year’s ‘Annual Concert’ at Holy Sepulchre Church in Ashington on Saturday, 18th May proved to be an exceptional success.

The church was full on a sunny afternoon and the enthusiastic audience was entertained to an enjoyable and varied programme by the Choir. New numbers, ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ and ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ were premiered as part of the programme.

The guest artists were ‘Eclectic Lite’, and they entertained the audience to a mixed variation of arrangements.

The Choir appreciated the Civic Head of Ashington Town Council, Councillor Victor Bridges, taking time out to attend.

You can listen to some of the music and watch videos from the concert on the Choir website.

Remembering the 40th Anniversary through Music - It is 40 years since the last Miners’ Strike in this country. This is an event which had a devastating impact on so many families, particularly here in the Northeast, and has affected lots of local communities across the region.

Music can be one of the most effective and moving tributes.

Ashington & District Male Voice Choir recently returned to the Northumberland Miners’ Picnic and performed ‘The Colliers’ Requiem’ at the Memorial Service on the 8th June, before the laying of wreaths. This was very emotional for the audience and the Choir. We also supported the singing of the congregational hymn, ‘Abide with Me’.

The Choir has also held a special commemoration to all the miners in the Durham and Sunderland coalfields when they performed two concerts at Beamish Museum on Saturday, 6th July. A selection of coal mining, popular and traditional male voice and Tyneside music was performed.

Singing at Beamish a week before The Durham Miners’ Gala was appropriate as it is classed as the world's greatest celebration of community, international solidarity, and working-class life. This year’s event took on extra significance and marked the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike at the 138th Big Meeting on Saturday, 13th July 2024.

You can also listen to music from these events on the Choir’s website.

Supporting the Ashington Community Fair – This event, which was held at People Park, Institute Road in Ashington between 11.00am and 4.00pm on Sunday, 7th July, is always popular with the local community.

Ashington & District Male Voice Choir returned to the Fair this year, but not in a ‘singing capacity’. The Choir took a market stall to ‘meet and greet’ the community as they aim to improve their community engagement.

Dressed in their new ‘blue polo shirts’, members were on hand to raise the profile of the Choir and try to attract new members.

Summer School to Develop Musical Skills – When it comes to summer holidays, most choir members usually like to take a break. Well, that is not the case at Ashington & District Male Voice Choir!

Thanks to the Grant Award from Ashington Town Council, members will be taking part in a Summer School over 3 Thursday rehearsals in August. The members will develop their basic understanding of musical terminology. They will also develop their skills to work with backing tracks and not always have to be reliant on working with an accompanist. This should enable the Choir to be more engaging and flexible in the future when developing its forward programme. It should also assist with the Choir’s ongoing recruitment campaign.

It is hoped that the first event at Stakeford & Bomarsund Sports & Welfare Centre on Thursday, 1st August will also used as an ‘Open Session’ to attract new members.

Remembering Local Heroes in Newbiggin by the Sea – Ashington & District Male Voice Choir will be holding a ‘Charity Dedication Concert’ at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland, NE64 6DB on Sunday. 20th October 2024 at 3.00pm.

The concert will be dedicated to former member, Alan Thompson, R.I.P., and the crews past and present of the Newbiggin by the Sea RNLI Lifeboat.

Local and popular soprano, Susan Robertson, will be the guest artist.

Tickets will be £10 per person. They will be available from St. Bartholomew’s Church, Lifeboat Station Shop at Weekends (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) between 10am and 4pm or Choir Members. Enquiries to ADMVC Secretary Colin Prow, Tel 01670 815534.

All proceeds from the concert will go to the RNLI and St. Bartholomew’s Church, Newbiggin by the Sea.

An Annual Christmas Date! – Diaries often get very busy around Christmastime!

Well, here is an event that you will not want to miss. Ashington & District Male Voice Choir ‘Christmas Concert’ will be held at St. Cuthbert’s Bedlington, Church Lane, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 5EL on Saturday, 14th December 2024 at 3.00pm.

Kevin Lillie

Public Relations and Stakeholder Officer

Ashington & District Male Voice Choir

July 2024

Forthcoming Events

Friday 14 Feb 25 7:00 pm
Charity Musical Evening

Supporting 'Brighter Storey for All' and 'Newbiggin RNLI'

Venue: Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Sports and Community Hub

More details...

Saturday 8 Mar 25 7:00 pm
Community Concert

(Provisional)

Venue: Druridge Bay Community Centre, Hadston, Northuumberland, NE65 9YF