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The Choir Click here
to view a pdf of a recent article from the Cumberland News (December the 13th).
The choir was formed by a
group of sixteen enthusiasts in February 1985 and several of the founder members still sing with the
choir. Members come not only from
Dalston, but also from Carlisle and a wide surrounding area.
The choir rehearses on Sunday evenings in Dalston Methodist Church. The choir’s strong development since its formation is due in no small part to the skilled and energetic guidance it received from Hilary Hodgson, who was its Musical Director from its formation in 1985 until her retirement in December 2011. You can read more about our formation, and see some photos from the choir's early days here. The
objects of the choir under its constitution are “to advance the appreciation
of male voice singing…by the presentation of public concerts…to give
pleasure to others and to help charitable causes.” The choir now gives about 8
concerts each year to support causes such as church funds, NSPCC, Macmillan
Nurses, Eden Valley Hospice, WI, Women’s Guild, Guide Dogs for the Blind,
Overseas Aid Trust, Crossroads, Cancer Funds, Christian Aid Tear Fund, Rotary
International Charities and the Jubilee Sailing Trust. Concerts
are given largely in Cumbria, but performances have also been held in
Northumberland and Dumfriesshire. Further
afield, the choir has sung with the World Choir at Cardiff Arms Park (8,000 male
voices!) and in Atlanta, USA. In
2000, the choir took part in the Massed Male Voice Millenium Extravaganza in
Manchester; and the Cumbria Massed Male Voice Choir Millenium Celebration
Concert in Whitehaven. The
choir has made opportunities available to many young up and coming musicians in the
county by inviting them to appear as guest artists at concerts, giving them encouragement and the experience of performing to
audiences, and affording those audiences – and the choir – much
pleasure. We recorded our first CD, 'With a Voice of Singing' in 1999. Our second CD, entitled 'Ain’t Misbehavin', was made in 2006 and copies are still available. In 2010 the choir celebrated its Silver Jubilee and we thought it appropriate to mark the occasion with a re-issue of our first recording, a cassette tape entitled 'Rhythm of Life' which we made in 1994, as our third CD. To purchase a copy of 'Ain’t Misbehavin' or 'Rhythm of Life', please see our CD & Booklet Page. Musical Director: Michael Deakin Accompanist: Lorraine Gash Choir Members
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