This is the first of a series of blogs featuring individual members of our Choir under the heading “I Love to Sing”. We have a broad range of personalities in our midst, with different interests and many stories to tell. We can’t tell them all here, of course(!) but it’s worth just getting to know a little bit about some of these characters.
Brian Frith is a bass and has been a member of the Choir for about eight years.
I asked Brian how he got involved. “A member of the Choir, somebody I worked with at Sherwood [Colliery], Bill Robinson had passed away following a car accident and I went to his memorial service at Mansfield Baptist Church on Rosemary Street in Mansfield. I met up with a few of the other Sherwood lads at the service – Geoff Shooter, Gerald Houldsworth and Harold Rimmell- they got me involved. But I’d always sung in church since I was young”.
Brian’s other great passion is fly fishing. Brian started in the sport back in 1974 after a particularly bad day on the River Derwent near Matlock fishing with his sons fishing for trout with ground bait. “We then saw a fish take a fly and it was fly fishing for us from that time on”.
Brian has achieved considerable distinction in the sport and was Captain of the England disabled fly fishing team at an international event held last year on the Lake of Menteith, Stirling (Scotland).
Brian also wanted to share a lovely family photo of his daughter Kate and new husband Shane who held their wedding in the beautiful setting of Protarus, Cyprus in August of last year.
I asked Brian what he thought was the most satisfying thing about being in the Choir.
“The companionship. Being in a wheelchair I am very independent, as anyone who knows me will tell you but I will always get help if I need it. There are some lovely blokes in the bass section with lovely voices. I enjoy being a part of it.”
I also asked him what advice he would give to someone thinking of joining the Choir. “Do it!” was the immediate response.