Leeds Male Voice Choir are enjoying one of their most successful periods in their 99 year history and are set to perform a sensational Hollywood themed concert in the splendour of Morley Town Hall on Saturday 20 June.
Featuring songs made famous by legendary leading men, the Hollywood Heroes concert will include music from the James Bond Series, Singin’ in the Rain, Les Miserables, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls and a whole host of other popular movies. The concert will also feature the celebrated 50 piece Phoenix Concert Band. Director Tim Knight explains; “We wanted to present an entirely different programme and the Hollywood theme has been proving very popular with the choir in rehearsals, as we prepare a number of toe tapping classics”.
The choir, who have enjoyed a remarkable upturn in fortunes in recent years, have recently registered as a charity with aims to increase the accessibility of choral music and to encourage more men to try singing. Choir spokesman Rob Butler explains; “We aim to be accessible to all men who are keen to try singing and offer a supportive environment where they can join us, develop their skills and not be judged”. Given the choir’s continuing growth and renewed success it’s clearly a winning formula. The choir maintains a busy concert schedule and has been able to find the time in recent months to support the work of a number of local charities including St Georges Crypt, Cash for Kids and the Ilkley Round Table.
Formed in 1916 at Middleton Broom Pit in Leeds, the choir is now in its 99th season and has renewed focus and energy under the direction of Tim Knight. Much of the early part of 2015 has been spent perfecting a number of sacred pieces recorded for Leeds Male Voice Choir’s YouTube channel, which necessitated learning Russian, under the tutelage of a guest singer from Moscow. Director Tim Knight said; “We recorded at the BBC last year, which gave us a taste for sharing more of our work via our social media channels. What you find online is not only a testament to the hard work of the choir, but also a taste of the variety of music we sing.”
Hollywood Heroes looks set to be a spectacular fun-filled affair for the whole family, with free entry for accompanied children and featuring music made famous by Hollywood stars such as Gene Kelly, Marlon Brando, Hugh Jackman and Frank Sinatra and a range of special guests, all under the baton of award winning choral conductor and composer Tim Knight.
Reflecting on the success of the past 12 months Tim says; “It’s a tribute to the dedication and teamwork of the choir and illustrates what can be achieved in a relatively short space of time with a lot of hard work. Hollywood Heroes is going to be a spectacular evening with something for everyone in the programme. The guys are looking forward to performing as never seen before. It’s going to be a magical evening in Morley Town Hall”.
Hollywood Heroes takes place at Morley Town Hall, Queen Street, Morley, LS27 9DY on Saturday 20 June at 7.30. Tickets are available via www.leedsmalevoicechoir.co.uk or by telephoning 0113 2431605.
If you are interested in joining the choir please contact
info@leedsmalevoicechoir.co.uk
