Choir will celebrate its 90th anniversary on May 8 which is, coincidentally, my birthday. Not that I’m 90.
It was founded at a meeting at Slaithwaite Liberal Club in 1922 and Mike Shaw, former editor of the Colne Valley Guardian, has sent me a few notes about its greatest conductor of yesteryear, George Stead.
"George was an early member and was the inspiration behind most of its successes on postwar contest and concert platforms," writes Mike. "A Slaithwaite man who was a bass singer, he was choirmaster at Golcar Baptist Church for 40 years. Under his guidance, the Colne Valley men grew in musical stature and their greatest triumph came in the 1960s when they won their class at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod for three years in a row.
"The opposition was strong. Besides prominent choirs from Britain, there were impressive ensembles from Europe and America, but all failed to prevent an unprecedented Colne Valley hat-trick."
George feared no one on the concert platform, says Mike. But he was terrified of flying.
"While the rest of the lads took to the air for their European concert destinations, he made the journeys by other means. He remains today a giant in the history of male voice choral singing."
