We are both are pleased to be a member of the choir.

I re-joined the choir in January 2021 after many years away.

The Rossendale Male Choir are a great set of lads and its a pleasure to be in the fold again.

Leon join in January 2021 for the first time and we both enjoy the choir.

Mr Michael Banham-Guerrero and Mr Leon Guerrero

Shirleybus

A little history of the choir.

This is a choir with both a great history and a great future too. In 2024 the choir will celebrate a hundred years since being founded by Fred Tomlinson. He took a group of local singers and made of them a choir which, among other honours, would go on to win the Llangollen Eisteddfod an unprecedented THREE CONSECUTIVE TIMES (1952-54)
Fred lead the choir for over 50 years before handing the baton to his son, Ernest, an accomplished arranger and composer. The choir won more competitions later under the 24-year leadership of Beatrice Wade, and her successors, until their current maestro, Matthew Thomas, took over the reins in 2015. Matthew has brought a 21-st century approach to the repertoire, adding a more theatrical element, and the choir have placed highly in every competition entered under his tutelage, including “Song of the Competition” at the Cornwall International Choir Festival 2019.
But it’s not only competitions the choir take seriously. A love of singing starts here in the Valley, where the choir regularly perform to raise funds for local charities, which provides the chance show off a little and really entertain friends and neighbours. Many of the men also join with a sister choir, the Rossendale Ladies Choir, to form the Rossendale Festival Choir, especially for Christmas and charity performances

JOIN US

Whether you’re nearby to us in Rossendale, somewhere else in the UK, or anywhere on the planet – you’re welcome! Contact our secretary [email protected] or 07808 733892

And don’t forget, our Centenary year is coming up soon – this is a great time to get involved!

“THE VALLEY OF SONG”

…is how the Rossendale Valley in south east Lancashire is often described and it’s the home of The Rossendale Male Voice Choir.

Founded in 1924, by the late Fred Tomlinson MBE, who took a group of local singers and moulded them into one of the country’s finest male voice choirs. Winning many competitions and festivals, including the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen. Sharing a love of singing and music-making not only drives us to do our very best in the concert hall or in competition, but also generates strong personal friendships between members.

As you’ll have gathered, we’re nearly 100 years old!

If you want to be part of that very exciting milestone, please get in touch. Whether it’s for a concert which will have an extra special atmosphere, sponsorship, media interest (including radio & TV), or to be a member of the choir through that important anniversary, drop us a line.

OUR MUSICAL TEAM

Matthew Thomas
Musical Director

Joining the Rossendale Male Voice Choir as Musical Director in 2015, Matthew has injected a new impetus into the choir and won the award for top conductor at the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival in 2017.

Liz Baker
Accompanist

Steeped in the 90 year history of the choir, he is the great nephew of the founder conductor, Fred Tomlinson. Michael made his debut as the Choir’s accompanist in 1969 at the Massed Bands Concert at Belle Vue in Manchester.

Charles Crowley
Assistant Conductor

Charles joined the choir in 1987, singing with the First Tenors ever since. He is also the lead conductor of the Rossendale Festival Choir which is a mixed choir formed from members of the RMVC and the Rossendale Ladies Choir.

CONTACTS

Secretary: Peter Beetham, 07808 733892, [email protected]

REHEARSALS

Every Monday at 7.30pm

St Peters Church, St. Peters Avenue, Haslingden, Rossendale BB4 6NZ

We are currently looking for new members to join our choir. Please look at our website for more details or contact us above.

The Rossendale Male Voice Choir recruitment bus.

We are using Shirleybus for our recruitment drive around Rossendale and outside of Rossendale to recruit new members to the choir, this has been a great success with the men of the choir and its also classed as a social night out just see from the photos.

What out for our next outing, which we are planning for the first one of the year being the 14th July times to be arranged and where from.

Why not come and say hello if you see us about Rossendale.