Sing up with Peterborough Male Voice Choir!

As local choirs go, they don’t come much better than the multi award-winning Peterborough Male Voice Choir (PMVC), with its busy concert schedule, an impressive record of national and international success and a 1200-seat auditorium with extensive rehearsal facilities at its new Broadway Theatre home

Highly regarded as one of the country’s foremost male voice choirs, PMVC’s reputation is built on high quality live performances, recordings and broadcasts and a fresh and challenging approach to new music under the direction of international award-winning choral conductor Will Prideaux.

In the last few years PMVC have performed a diverse range of music, appearing with the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band, the late Bernie Nolan, legendary soprano Leslie Garret and folk hero Jon Boden of Bellowhead, among others, in venues stretching from Truro Cathedral to the Sage Gateshead, regularly featuring on BBC local and national radio.

The choir welcomes talented and enthusiastic men from all walks of life and ages, and offers a fantastic social scene, with a high proportion of younger members (the youngest only 16). While some of the men are experienced singers, professional training and support is provided for all members, enabling those new to the activity to develop their skills quickly.

Paul, 30, says ‘I’ve only lived in Peterborough since March 2012, and having sung at university and in one or two things over the years, I wanted to sing regularly again. I stumbled on some amazing PMVC performances on YouTube and I knew that this was a choir I wanted to be a part of. I couldn’t have imagined doing some of the things I’ve done with the choir, from going on tour to recording for BBC Radio 2 and the amazing experience of performing with Jon Boden in Peterborough Cathedral. The emphasis is on a high standard of performance and I like that. We know that when we work hard we can create a very special sound!’

Brian Gibson agrees, saying: ‘In 2010, aged 60, I joined PMVC with no previous experience and I am amazed by how much I have learned since, under expert direction. Rehearsals and concert performances are a significant commitment but the satisfaction of singing in an award-winning choir is far greater than I could ever have imagined. The interaction and camaraderie between all ages, abilities and backgrounds within the choir adds a social element to this very stimulating pastime.’

Ellis Brookes, 16, joined the choir in the summer of 2013 after first being a member of Peterborough Youth Choir. ‘I really love singing and being part of the choir,’ he says. ‘It’s awesome being part of a group that loves singing as much as I do. I am the youngest member and I am made to feel really welcome. Being part of the choir makes me so happy. The concerts and performances we do give me a really good feeling.’

Competitions form an important part of PMVC’s programme both locally, in Peterborough and Oundle and – on a larger scale – at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts, where PMVC recently won a hat-trick of trophies against stiff competition and were commended as ‘musical champions of male voice singing’ for the intelligence of their performances and their smoothly polished harmonies. On the international circuit, they achieved third place in their class at the 2011 Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival – with a special prize from the international judging panel for Will Prideaux’s choral conducting – which they were successful in maintaining against strong overseas competition in May 2013.

PMVC has recently been awarded funding by the Performing Rights Society Foundation and Arts Council England. Future plans include recording a second CD and a concert and competition tour to participate in the Bangor International Choral Festival in Northern Ireland in 2015. Director Will Prideaux says: ‘It’s a real privilege to work with such a cracking bunch of blokes. They take their music making as seriously as their socialising. There’s a real camaraderie amongst them and a tight-knit aspect to the group makes them a force to be reckoned with.’

There are very few pastimes as worthwhile and rewarding as being a member of Peterborough Male Voice choir. Isn’t it time you joined…?

PMVC is now recruiting. For further information please contact Peter Larke on 07762 147696,
visit www.peterboroughmvchoir.org.uk or email