Rossendale Male Voice Choir Review Page
13th June St Mary’s Rawtenstall
RMVC with Goodshaw Band
This was an evening of musical excellence, greatly appreciated by the large audience.
Goodshaw Band under the baton of Graham Hetherington had recently returned from an award winning visit to an Open Brass Band Championship at Amboise in France and their playing illustrated the very high standard of musicianship and the precision of their polished performance.
The acoustic in St Mary’s Church is ideal and from an audience point of view gives a natural unadulterated sound from the band the choir and the soloists: a venue free from the reverberation which plagues many churches and some concert halls.
Having listened to the RMVC for six decades (from the age of 14 years) memories of the much talked about “Llangollen Era” still remain and the thrill of of hearing those unique sounds created by Fred T will never be forgotten. BUT! On this occasion the audience was treated to a glorious new sound which has been developing over recent months, created by their new Musical Director, Dennis Kay. Dennis has this rare and wonderful ability to pass on how to achieve the seamless blending of beautiful sounds, producing very moving interpretations of the poet / composer’s message. The discipline and diligence in response to Dennis’ leadership and experience is proving to be a real winner: the wonderful results promising a great future.
The solos by John Chadwick, Ken Heys and Dennis Kay were a sheer delight.
A varied programme by both band and choir, guaranteed success and an immensely enjoyable evening. The accompaniments by Michael Farnworth were exemplary: no praise could be too high. The concert demonstrated how fortunate we are in the Rossendale Valley to have such a high standard of musical talent, and the audience that there is a body of support willing to turn out to show their appreciation. This was a truly memorable evening.
Stanley Hoyle