Portsmouth Trip

Romsey is a beautiful town, 28 miles northeast of Portsmouth and in the cosy and welcoming United Reform Church we were hosted by the talented Romsey MVC. Having recently won two cups at the Mid Somerset Music Festival with an adjudicators comment ““lovely vocal quality, dynamic palletes, thrilling at full throttle, glorious, good diction, always singing with such a committed, warm performance style” “A male voice choir at its very best”……wonderful”; we knew we were in for a treat. The delicacy of sound in “Hine e Hine” and “Prayer of the Children” left us spell bound and our as Deputy Musical Director, Phil Robinson, commented, it was “painting with sound”.
As for our contribution, William Asher of Romsey MVC said “I so enjoyed our joint performance last night and your singing and set list was superb. “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “The Fields of Athenry” were my favourites and your rendition stirred deep emotions, I absolutely loved your performance. The afterglow was one of the best I have been to and the friendship and fellowship was very strong in the room between the two choirs. Thank you again for a really good night’s entertainment and I’m sure we will meet and join together in song in the not too distant future.
We were treated by the hospitality of their welcoming Supporters‘ Group, the music of the concert, the friendly atmosphere and the wonderful skills of their MD Marion Maxey BEM. It was indeed male voice singing at its best. We concur.

Milton Glee Choir is led our old friend from St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir, Mark Jefferson. His new role is guiding and developing a long established mixed choir which is very different to the atmosphere of a male voice choir. Their music was complex and skillfully presented with soaring sopranos and beautifully balanced altos, tenors and basses. I really enjoyed the “Ubi Caritas”, “And So it Goes” and the “Sondheim Selection”. Once again, we were congratulated on our classic male voice singing particularly the singing Welsh in “Rachie” and “Ar Hyd Yr Nos”.
The finale pieces at end of each half “You Raise Me Up” and “Morte Criste” were a spectacle. Beautiful singing, tenderness and subsequently volume in an organ enhanced (played by Mark) “Morte Criste”.

Our MD Ian Grice and Accompanist Maureen Lockwood were on top form as was our chairman and compere Paul Bennett. The afterglows were great fun after both concerts, building long-lasting relationships and memories and, of course, we continued the singing at hotel until a record breaking 1.30am. Phew!

This was a super weekend, classic in fact, which will long remain in our group memory. Our organizer, Concert Manager Lynden Lowe surpassed himself didn’t he; thanks mate, a great job and we look forward to the return matches here in the East Midlands.