Two new baritones,
John Kilner and
Kieran Chadha were welcomed into membership last Monday. They were amongst the newcomers who came to October’s
Open Rehearsal.
Kieran tells VotV, “I've lived most of my life in the Colne Valley, with a short sojourn in Cambridge, and we now live in Netherton. I've followed the Choir for a good many years - attending the Marsden Christmas Concert and Concert on the Hill, on-and-off, over the last decade or so. (crikey!)
I work for a company that's based in Manchester, writing and designing sales and training presentations for a wide range of clients, then coaching their teams to deliver them effectively.
I've not really got a musical background. I've always admired CVMVC and finally plucked up the courage to attend an open rehearsal to give it a try.”
As for
John, he says, “I’m always looking forward to a Monday night; thoroughly enjoy singing. It’s both relaxing and rewarding.
I’m a Structural Design Engineer, born and bred in Huddersfield with two grown-up children, Claire 36 and disabled Gareth 29.
I started singing out and about maybe 7 years ago - used to be a guest singer in a reggae band... did that for nearly 3 years”.
VotV wishes them many happy years of singing with us.
Not so new to membership are
John Radcliffe and
Ian McCaul. Here John congratulates Ian for achieving
25 years of membership.
John, it must be said, has been around for ‘Donkey’s Years’. We’re all new boys to him. Only Keith Swallow matches his longevity with CVMVC.
Ian is a Bradford lad, now living in Fixby with Liz (to whom he’s been married for 45 years). He writes, “I sang very briefly in the school choir but that was it until I met up with a friend,
Kevin Martin, a former first tenor. We were coaching our sons playing Rugby for the
YMCA at
Salendine Nook and Kevin said, ‘You sound like a 2
nd tenor to me’ and the rest is history.
The first event after my test was the Christmas Concert followed by the '
1,000 Voices' at
The Royal Albert Hall. My favouite song? - Well that's really difficult. I’ve always enjoyed singing, ‘
Two Roses,’ ‘
Bon Jour Mon Coeur’ and ‘
True Love’.”
Well done, Ian! Well done all four of you
The band will also be venturing into Jazz territory with their version, quite different from the Choir’s of, ‘O Holy Night’. The arranger, Tom Kubis, plays it here with his Big Band. You’ll like it – and of course it will be better still in the Town Hall with our fabulous instrumentalists. 
All those who were there at the Remembrance Service on Sunday 6th November couldn’t help but be moved by the event. 
ICU doctors and nurses talked and read poems, their contributions interspersed by music from the Choir. At one point, people were invited to come down and light a candle in memory of their departed.
This is an event that the Choir does voluntarily and happily, not least because it’s moving for us, too, but also because - as can be seen from the feedback - it is evidently helpful and meaningful to the bereaved who come to take part. 
And don’t forget to put the Marsden Christmas Concert in your diary, either
