Tour to Oxford and Basingstoke – 24 May 2019 to 27 May 2019
Singing with Oxford Welsh MVC at St Helen’s Church, Abingdon (25 May 2019) and Basingstoke Hospital MVC at All Saint’s Church, Basingstoke (26 May 2019)
Tour included an informal concert at the University church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford ( 24 May 2019) where the choir were joined by members of Oxford Welsh MVC
Ian Grice MD writes:
In our anniversary year it has been such a blessing to have enjoyed such a memorable tour to Oxford and Basingstoke.
Meeting up with Oxford Welsh MVC and singing in in two amazing churches was a wonderful experience and has created a long-lasting friendship. We will remember especially the power of two choirs passionately singing those amazing Welsh pieces.
David Francis of Oxford Welsh has been in touch with us following the concerts:
“On behalf of Oxford Welsh Mail Voice Choir I’d like to say how much we enjoyed the company of everyone from Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir and their friends and partners over the last few days and, of course, the concert and subsequent afterglow, even if it was a little cosy! Hopefully, you all had plenty left in the tank for Sunday’s concert at Basingstoke.”
“Many thanks for the gifts of the plaque and arrow, which I shall show them off proudly to the choristers. Helen’s [Helen Swift MD] overriding mantra is that Singing Should be Fun! And she makes sure that it is. Mansfield has that by the sackful! We have made a host of new friends through our contact with Mansfield MVC and look forward to singing with you again at sometime in the future.”
We enjoyed another brilliant concert at Basingstoke on the Sunday and making music with some old colleagues of former Chairman Gordon Blanc. We were very pleased to see a full house and hopefully the afternoon would have generated some support for the Ark cancer Centre in Basingstoke. We have been advised that the afternoon raised £1231 + gift aid for the charity which is a great effort by all concerned.
Dai Ogborn, MD of the Basingstoke Choir also contacted us;
“From our standpoint we couldn’t feel happier with the wonderful standard that was achieved. It was such a supportive atmosphere with no prima donnas present, everyone simply working to achieve a very happy result. It was a delight working with your wonderful choristers and Ian – so normal, and so talented”
“I have received so many lovely compliments for the music and the whole concert.”
“Whilst we were so sad when Gordon Blanc left us when he moved from the area we now realise what blessings there are in such moves – we now have many new friends as a result. It was a real privilege working with you all and I am sure that this is just the start of something musically very special.”
All three venues for the concerts were just amazing and it was a privilege for us to sing in them. I would like to thank the music team at Oxford – Helen Swift, Jonathan French and Andrew Patterson and to Dai Ogborn, Paul Wright and Steve Busby at Basingstoke. And to our very own Margaret Ball for her wonderful contribution as always.
Also special thanks to the Committee and to Geoff Mansfield, who did most of the organisation work for this trip.
See a selection of images from the tour here – thanks to Anne Shelley and Kev Bradley for their contributions.
One of the main features of any tour is that it gives us all time to socialise and get to know each other better. This was truly memorable on this trip. We has some great afterglows and one of the best impromptu concerts we’ve ever had, entertaining the guests in the lounge of the Double Tree Hotel on the last night of the tour. What a show that was!