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Where have we been ?
The choir is now 50 years old, and can boast that some of the original members are still within its ranks. Although a Shropshire choir, they can boast that choristers come from many lands including England, Scotland, & Wales.
As one of the premier Choirs in the county, the Choir has performed throughout England and Wales. The Choir has enjoyed concert tours of Germany, singing in and around Koblenz, Trier and Aschaffenburg; in addition it has visited Luxembourg, Shrewsbury’s twin town of Zutphen in Holland, and Arnhem. At this point, Howell Rees retired and the baton was then taken up by the present conduct Ivor Willams. In 1993 the Choir joined with the World Choir of 3500 voices to present a concert at Cardiff Arms Park. They completed another successful tour in Heidelberg, Germany, including singing at the internationally famous ‘Asparagus Festival’ in Neudorf Late in the same year, they won the ‘BBC Radio Shropshire Choral. Competition Perpetual Trophy’.
They have won the Minsterley Eisteddfod Male Voice Competition in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The choir have made many visits to the Royal Albert Hall singing at the Festival of Massed Male Voices with the Welsh Association of Male Choirs, and The London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs with the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. Concerts were also performed with the Band of the Welsh Guards, with the Hour of Power Children’s Choir from Los Angeles and at the Shrewsbury International Music Festival with the Stockton Chorale from California.
They have sung at the Birmingham Symphony Hall and presented joint concerts with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, and with the Northern Pines Young Men’s Chorale both from the USA. Concerts also took place with the Band of the Royal Artillery, and for the choir’s 40th Anniversary in 1999, a concert with the Band of the Royal Marines was performed in St Chad’s, Shrewsbury to a capacity audience. In 2000, a tour of Southern Ireland was accomplished at Duiske Abbey, Graignamangh and Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford. Concerts have also been presented with the Augustana Choir from South Dakota, USA. Later in the year they performed a joint concert with the Dutch National Male Voice Choir to a capacity audience in Shrewsbury Abbey. Highlights for 2001 include two concerts with the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Pipes & Drums of the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles
They have now released five recordings under the title of ‘Shrewsbury MVC Volume 1 and Volume 2’, ‘Solitaire’, "50 Golden Years of Song" and "Severn Sounds". The Choir continues to go from strength to strength under the skilled baton of Ivor Williams. They enjoy performing in all possible venues from village halls to churches or concert halls.