Newchurch Male Voice Choir

Newchurch is lucky to have a Male Voice Choir.

It is the only Male Voice Choir on the island.

A History of the Choir.

The Choir began as a turn at the long-established Village Concert in 1967 and became known as The Hart’s Ash Male Voice Choir. Its members, some of whom are still singing in the Choir today, were dressed in white smocks, red handkerchiefs and string gaiters.

Under the baton of its second conductor, David Forrest, the Choir entered the Isle of Wight Music festival singing “All Through The night”, following which it cut a vinyl disc, “Village Voices”, with Solent Records.

In 1973 a link with Sandown High School was established when Jason Smart, a teacher of music at the school, took over as the Choir’s conductor. His successor at Sandown, Neil Cloake, despite having heard the record “Village Voices” followed in his footsteps! Legend has it that it was Neil who started an awareness amongst the Choir members that the conductor was not there just for ornamentation but had to be watched! The link with Sandown High School continued with Neil’s replacement, Andrew Duxson, who lead the Choir from 1977 to 1978.

Ken Clarke “rose from the ranks” to take over from Andrew as conductor from 1979 to 1982. Ken introduced light operatic works and musical comedy into the Choir’s established repertoire of traditional male voice choir songs.

From 1982 until 1999 the Choir was privileged to work with yet more talented and gifted musicians. John Watson conducted the Choir throughout this time apart from a brief spell when he accepted an appointment in London. For much of John’s era Bassett Stevens accompanied and sometimes conducted the Choir until his death in 1993. Bassett had been Professor of Singing at the London College of Music, a member of the BBC Singers and a rehearsal pianist for the BBC Chorus before retiring to the Island in 1972. He arranged many songs for the Choir, including several unaccompanied items. After Bassett, John’s wife, Kathleen Dobbs, herself a professional singer, accompanied the Choir.

In 1999 the conductor’s baton passed to Gareth Balch, a teacher of music at Sandown High School and around the same time the Choir’s present accompanist, Joan Chaundy, bravely accepted the challenge of playing piano. By 2001 Gareth had found that the demands of his work coupled with fatherhood prevented him from continuing as the Choir’s Musical Director (MD) and Isobel Edwards, a local piano teacher, gallantly took on the role for several months.

In the summer of 2001 Roy Bevan, who has been a member of the Choir since 1982, agreed to act as the Choir’s MD until another was found. Roy was joined in the autumn by Pauline Stephens and the Choir now has the luxury of two MDs.

Over the years the size of the Choir has varied from around a dozen to the current strength of twenty-five active members. The Choir is arranged into four sections: First Tenors, Second Tenors, First Basses (or Baritones as they prefer to be known) and Second Basses (or just “The Basses”).

Rehearsals are held every Friday evening in Newchurch Parish Hall and the Choir performs around twelve concerts per year in support of various charities.

Newchurch Male Voice Choir enjoyed success in the 2006 Isle of Wight Musical Competition Festival.