Reading Male Voice Choir celebrates 50 years
Sale tackles rising cost of living
READING’S Male Voice Choir is holding a performance to celebrate 50 years of singing.
Fresh from its performance at the beacon lighting ceremony during the jubilee, the RMVC will mark its own golden anniversary on Saturday, July 2.
The grand Gala Concert will take place at the Reading Concert Hall, featuring guests Mayor & James, Lori Tingay Weber, and the Abbey Junior School choir.
The event will be led by musical director Clive Waterman, who joined the choir as an accompanist shortly after its founding in 1972.
As well as the beacon lighting ceremony, the RMVC was also featured in a video which was released to accompany a Jubilee song, Song for the Commonwealth.
It was one of just 20 performance groups included in the video, which was sent around the world to celebrate 70 years of the Queen’s reign.
Now it is will celebrate its own achievements, which include winning the BBC Radio 3 competition Let the Peoples Sing.
The concert was postponed twice due to the pandemic, but will now mark the end of its 50th season with the event.
Martin Butler, the RMVC’s secretary, said this year’s season “has definitely been the busiest the choir has had in its whole 50 years.
A COMMUNITY group is helping residents handle the current cost of living crisis.
Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA), which already runs a food surplus, threw a garage sale at its home on Northumberland Avenue last Thursday.
Clothes, books, school uniforms and miscellaneous items were available at affordable prices.
“It’s gone very well, we’ve sold quite a lot,” WCDA volunteer Majorie Small said.
“This is stuff that we’ve had here at the community centre for quite some time, and we’ve decided now the only way for people to see it is actually to bring it out in the open.”
“Hopefully it’ll be something we can do regularly, at least until [the items] are all gone.”
“We’re inviting anyone from any area, letting them know that they’re welcome to come and take anything they want at really, really reasonable prices.”
The items have been collected through donations made by individuals and shops.
The WCDA was unable to hold the sale sooner due to the pandemic, however, the organisation is looking to launch the project in earnest.
“Especially in these hard times, for the prices that we’re selling the items for, you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth when you come on down,” Ms Small said.
“It’s a little bit of bric-a-brac, new and used clothes and uniforms for
“Because of covid and the best part of two years away from performing, the choir has pertformed two concerts for local charities,
“Two free concerts in aid of Ukraine, raising over £5,000 between them, and four performances at the International Male Choir Music Festival in Cornwall.”
Mayor & James is the collaboration of mandolin virtuoso Simon Mayor and vocalist Hilary James, performing blues, folk, classical, swing, and even comic children, so there’s really something for everyone.”
Organised by a committed team of volunteers, funds raised from the sale will help support the WCDA’s work.
One of the organisation’s most successful endeavours has been its community cafe, something Ms Small was full of praise for, saying: “We need it. Whether it’s in Whitley or anywhere else.”
“Everyone can benefit from it, especially those in really hard times right now.”
“It’s really important because being in lockdown, everyone was in their music.
Also joining is Lori Tingay Weber, whose impressive vocals include a repertoire of operatic arias, jazz standards, and pieces from musicals.
Members of the Abbey Junior School choir, seven-time finalists of the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition, will also be performing.
Tickets are £10 per person, £5 for children under 12, available from: www. whatsonreading.com homes, no-one could get out. Coming out of the pandemic, everyone’s able to communicate again, mix again, talk again.”
“When they come down to the hub, you’ve got the cafe where you can have something to eat, you’ve got the surplus food, we’ve now got the [garage sale] out here as well. There’s a bit of everything.”
“It’s like going shopping you know, getting a cup of coffee and some clothes, all at affordable prices. And if there’s some people who really can’t afford it we can sort them out as well. Everyone’s welcome.”