Leeds Male Voice Choir

Leeds Male Voice Choir was founded in 1916 by Thomas William Crossland, who was the organist and choirmaster at Stourton Wesleyan Chapel. The choir took its name from Broom Pit in Middleton, Leeds. It became known as the Broom Excelsior Male Choir.

After the Second World War the choir was renamed the Leeds Male Voice Choir.^[1]

In 1962 John Wheeler became the Musical Director and his wife Ursula the accompanist. He was a principal singer at Leeds Parish Church and was also conductor of Batley Male Voice Choir and Phoenix Park Male Choir in Bradford. John led the choir and began a series of exchange visits in 1969 with Dortsfeld Male Voice Choir in Dortmund, Leeds’ twin city in Germany. The choir developed a concert schedule across Yorkshire whilst raising funds for local charities. The choir took part in many music festivals across Northern England.

In 1970 Leeds Male Voice Choir featured as part of the '1000 Voice Choir', accompanied by the Black Dyke Band which was recorded for Stars on Sunday on ITV, the choir also featured on the accompanying album issued in the same year.

In 1974 the choir made a TV appearance on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks.^[2] In 1978 the choirs first album was released featuring some of the traditional male voice repertoire.

In 1988 and 1991 the choir took part in the ‘Thousand Yorkshire Voices’ concerts in The Royal Albert Hall in London. Brass band accompaniment came from both Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band and Sellers International Band. The choir featured on the accompanying albums with a range of other Yorkshire Male Voice Choirs.

In October 2013, led by Will Prideaux Leeds Male Voice Choir hosted the Sing For Heroes concert, gathering men from throughout the city to perform in Leeds Town Hall in aid of the charity Help For Heroes and were joined by Peterborough and Gledholt Male Voice Choirs. The concert drew in many new members and expanded the size and quality of sound of the choir.^[3] The year closed with a sell out concert of Christmas favourites in the Holy Trinity Church, Leeds, joined by the women's choir, Peterborough Voices and accompanied by Leeds Festival Brass Ensemble.^[4][5]

2014 started with the appointment of a new Musical Director Tim Knight,^[6][7] Principal of the Yorkshire College Of Music and Drama, and invitation from the Ilkley Round Table (club) to perform at their annual Ilkley Beer Festival in February.

Tim Knight Directs Leeds Male Voice Choir

^[8] In June The Best Of British took place in front of record audiences at Leeds Minster (formerly Leeds Parish Church) featuring songs from around the British Isles and marking of the anniversary of the First World War.^[9] This was followed in December by the popular 'The Spirit of Christmas' in which the choir performed a programme of carols and festive favourites with the Songbirds Ladies Choir in Leeds Minster.

2015 featured a return trip to the Ilkley Beer Festival in February and a new recording in Russian in March.^[10] In June 2015 the choir performed in the 'Hollywood Heroes' concert, celebrating legendary leading men from the movies to a sell out audience at Morley Town Hall with the Phoenix Concert Band ^[11]

The development of the choir under the direction of Tim Knight lead to increased membership, registration with the charity commission, the development of a diverse repertioire and the re-establishment of the choirs annual concert programme.^[12]

References