A Century Of Song

Pye Hill and District Male Voice Choir. Founded 1903.

In the year 1903 there was a mixed Choral Society at Pye Hill, that little hamlet forming part of the Jacksdale Ward of Selston Parish in the county of Nottinghamshire and from discussions between the male members of the Choral Society there emerged the idea of forming a Male Voice Choir.

The first meeting was held in the Vestry at the Providence Chapel at Pye Hill on the 9th November 1903. The first official President was Mr.B McLaren, who held office for 21 years. When Mr. McLaren retired he left the district in 1926, Mr. Titus Searson was invited to be President, and he accepted and remained in office until his death in 1942, after which Mrs. Searson was elected President.

Practices for a time were held at the homes of the members and later, as the numbers grew, they were held at the Pye Hill, Jacksdale and Westwood Working Men’s Club, known as the Jacksdale Institute Two outstanding records are those of the Conductor, Mr Joseph Bonsall, and the Chairman, Mr William Edwards, both of whom held their offices continuously from 1903 to 1946.

The Musical Festival Records from 1903- 1946 were 87 Firsts, 46 Seconds and 17 Thirds. During the War Years, 1914 1919, there were no contests but during the 1939 1945 War Years, when most of the Musical Festivals in the country were cancelled, a number of Concerts were given for War Charities. In 1934 the choir made 15 live broadcasts for the B.B.C consisting of 73 pieces of music sung in four parts. Many letters of appreciation, not only from this country but also from abroad, were received as a result of the broadcasts, and one of the leading critics of the day, Mr W R Anderson, writing in the Musical Times in April, 1936, made the following comment:

“The Pye Hill Male Voice Choir knows how to frame ‘Strike the Lyre’ like an heirloom, for here was all the gracious, velvety quality of our best Choralism”.