Programme Notes

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WARRINGTON MALE VOICE CHOIR

Warrington Male Voice Choir is one of Great Britain’s oldest choirs, tracing its formation to 1898. During its long history the choir has travelled widely and has performed in many famous concert halls and cathedrals throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and Canada. A century of musical excellence has brought numerous festival honours including, most recently, National Champions of Great Britain, several times prize winners at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, and premier male choir at both the Sligo and Bangor International Choral Festivals.

Following the IRA terrorist bombing of Warrington town centre in 1993, the choir became deeply involved in promoting peace and an end to violence in Northern Ireland. Close links were forged with Irish peace groups and, for more than a decade, cross-community concerts for Peace and Reconciliation were performed throughout the island of Ireland, helping to break down sectarian divisions. The fostering and financing of ‘grass roots’ reconciliation activities with young people in the interface areas of West Belfast contributed to the choir’s initiatives being acknowledged at the highest level by the Irish, British and United States governments. In 1996 Terry Waite CBE became Patron in tribute to the choir’s humanitarian role, and now frequently supports the choir’s performances in British and Irish prisons, assisting rehabilitation programmes.

Fellowship within the choir is legendary and, with a full strength of ninety voices and an age range of seventy years, the choir enjoys an international reputation as one of England’s foremost choirs - and as a ‘Choir for Peace’.