Many concerts are presented in the choir's local area of Hampshire/Surrey, where it has sung in many churches, theatres, village halls, stately homes, shopping centres, garden centres, and retirement residential homes in connection with many charities and fund raising events. The choir's own concerts are often presented in the Maltings, Farnham, and on these occasions one or more a local deserving causes are selected to benefit from the concert.
The choir also sings further afield within the United Kingdom. It has often sung in London, including the Royal Albert Hall (4 times), the Royal College of Music (a joint concert with Benjamin Luxon), the Stationers Hall, and at the bandstand in The Victoria Embankment Gardens, including being invited to perform there for the VJ Day celebrations. The lively members of the choir have also tried busking in Covent Garden, and collected £80 in 30 minutes!
One of the Albert Hall appearances was as a guest of Anneka Rice, which was broadcast on BBC TV (Challenge Anneka), where other guests included the astronomer Patrick Moore and the percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Indeed, the choir came to the aid of Evelyn Glennie on that occasion, as she would have been unable to perform due to an administrative hitch, which resulted in her being left without her musical instruments. One of the Irish members of HMVC never travels without his bodhran (a traditional Irish drum), and another always has his penny whistle in his pocket. Together these 2 enterprising stalwarts borrowed a tom-tom drum from the nearby Royal College of Music for Evelyn, and with no more than a few minutes rehearsal off-stage, these 3 put on a performance for the Albert Hall audience, and the TV cameras! This performance was televised by BBC TV in September 1995.
Other performances around the UK have included various tours where the choirs present series of concerts in a particular area. The Choir has twice visited Cornwall, most recently in 2007 for the Cornwall International Festival of Male Choirs, with concerts at various venues, including Truro Cathedral, and the Eden Project; in Wales where they sang in St Davids Cathedral, and Norfolk where they sang in Wymondham Abbey, earning £1000 for the abbey funds, and in August 1997 in Shrewsbury Cathedral where they raised £1200 for the Hope House Appeal. The choir has presented concerts with Evelyn Glennie (in 2000) and Julian Lloyd Webber (in 2003) in Guildford Civic Hall; and the choir has twice visited Tavistock (1999 and 2001) giving concerts in aid of local causes. The choir has performed on many occasions with bands including The Bands of the Welsh Guards, The Irish Guards, and The Parachute Regiment.
Overseas concert tours have included France (Alencon), Holland (Coevorden) and Germany (several times, including Andernach, and Koblenz Cathedral). In 1997 the choir presented several concerts in Spain, including Calella, Barcelona, and the majestic Montserat Monastery high in the mountains, where they sang to an audience of over 1000 people. In 2000 the choir took a cruise on the Oriana, and presented concerts on board and in ports of call; and in April 2001, the choir visited Capetown, South Africa giving several memorable concerts including in St George's Cathedral, at the KWV wine cellars with the Cape Welsh MVC (has to be a perfect venue for MVC's!) and with the children of Lwandle Public Primary School in Khayelitsha Township - a most moving experience which all who were there will remember for a long time.
The choir often competes in choral competitions. Its first major competition, which was also its first venture to Wales, was in 1982, when it entered the Welsh Miners Eisteddfod at Porthcawl. This is a premier Welsh choral competition. On that occasion the coach broke down carrying most of the choir, and Valerie who had travelled separately was soothing her nerves with numerous gin-and-tonics as the deadline approached and she had no choir. Eventually the coach arrived and the singers all tumbled onto the stage without a chance for a warm-up, and the choir came 1st out of 10 choirs!
Since then the choir has been back to the Porthcawl Eisteddfod 6 times, renewing contacts with old friends. Its record is 3 times winner, and 4 times runner-up. Twice the choir has lost by 1 point. Usually this eisteddfod attracts a high number of good choirs. At the 1996 eisteddfod, Hart MVC was the only choir to sing in Welsh! (We sang a song called "Clychaur Goch" ie "Cuckoo"). Hart has also competed in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, and the Cardigan Eisteddfod.
The choir often competes in England, having won at the Cheltenham Music Festival, the Croydon Music Festival in 1996, the Basingstoke Music Festival, and the Aldershot Music Festival (several times). It has also competed at the South Woodham Ferres Music Festival, where it came second. In 2007 at the Cornwall International Festival of Male Voice Choirs, the choir competed in the over 41 voices section (with 66 voices!), and was placed 3rd out of eight.
It also competes overseas. It has competed four times at the 6-yearly International "Harmonie Festival" at Limburg in Germany. The first time it came 8th; the second time (1993) it entered 2 classes, it came 1st in one class, 3rd in the other class, and was placed 2nd overall. It competed again at the next Limburg Festival in May 1999 and was awarded Bronze Medal; and in 2005 it was awarded a Silver Medal. It has also competed at the Cork International Music Festival in Ireland.
Hart MVC always learns new pieces for a competition. It doesn't simply disgorge well-honed party-pieces, and it always strives for pieces which are entertaining as well as difficult.
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