Much of the material for this potted history has been taken from Four Lanes Male Choir 1944-2012 written by Roy Blewett – we recommend it for a much fuller history.
Autumn 1944: Four Lanes Male (Glee) Choir formed with 16 members.
1944-1969: Wilfrid Brown, Musical Director.
Mrs Lottie Williams, Accompanist.
The choir’s dress was informal – a dark suite, white shirt and black tie.
Rehearsals were initially held in Pencoys Church Hall, Loscombe Chapel and then, for 55 years, in Forest Sunday School.
3rd October 1944: The choir’s first concert – at the Wayside Forest Sunday Schoolroom.
Its second performance was at a “Welcome Home” concert for personnel returning from the Second World War.
The first choir members:
First tenors: A Kemp, H Martin, A Williams, C Opie, R Brown, M Wicks
Second tenors: S B Brown, T Wills, W J Roberts, Billy Treloar
First bass: T Williams, I Chesterfield, D Wills, R Bray
Second bass: G Skewes, W G Brown, J Thomas, T Johns, B A Brown
1947: A set of rules and a constitution was agreed at the AGM and these are included in the above-mentioned book and make interesting reading.
The choir’s name was changed to Four Lanes Male Voice Choir.
Wilfrid Brown, Musical Director.
R Brown, Accompanist.
The Choir circa 1947
1947: Placed 2nd at first competitive festival – at Camborne Wesley Eisteddfod.
1948: First BBC Radio broadcast.
1955: Hazel Brown (later Roach) accompanied the choir for the first time as Malcolm Brown was unavailable. She later became Deputy accompanist and then accompanist as well as singing duets with her sister, Ruth.
1968: Ronald Brown, Deputy Musical Director.
1969-2004: Ronald Brown, Musical Director.
1973: A new dress code of dress suits introduced.
1979: Ladies Committee formed.
1979: “Old-gold” bow ties worn during the choir’s jubilee year.
1989: Michael Uren, Accompanist.
1980: First competed at the Llangollen Eisteddfod.
August 1980: Ten-day visit to Lorient Festival in Brittany.
1982: Participated in the combined male voice choir concert at Truro Cathedral in aid of the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster Fund.
1982: Top award for the third successive year at Cornwall’s Open Male Voice Championships.
1983: Participated in the Cornish 1,000 Male Voice Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
1985: Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup winners.
1994: Fiftieth Golden Jubilee Year celebrations.
1994: Austrian Tour.
Circa 2002: Rehearsals moved to Four Lanes Methodist Chapel.
The Choir in 2004
2004-2011: Alastair Taylor, Musical Director.
2005: Participated in the Goff Richards 60th Birthday Celebration Concert at the Hall for Cornwall.
2005: Choir concert tour of Bridgend, Wales.
2009: Participated and won the International Choir Festival under Alistair Taylor in the Hall for Cornwall – the only Cornish Choir, to date, to win it.
2011: Alastair Taylor, Musical Director at the Cornwall International MVC Festival.
2011: Michael Uren, Accompanist at the Cornwall International MVC Festival.
2011-2013: Michael Uren, Musical Director.
2012: Keith Halstead, Accompanist.
2013: Michael Uren, Musical Director at the Cornwall International MVC Festival.
This programme has been lodged at Kresen Kernow
2013: Keith Halstead, Accompanist at the Cornwall International MVC Festival.
2013 and still in place in 2022: Tim Hosken, Musical Director.
2015: Placed 2nd in the International Choir Festival under Alistair Taylor in the Hall for Cornwall – best Cornish Choir.
2021: David Wingham, Accompanist.
The Choir in 2022
Four Lanes Male Voice Choir has competed in many local, national and international competitions – too many to list here – and have certainly had its share of success. Again, these can be found in the book on its history.
Through it’s long history, the Choir has supported many local and national charities and continues to do so.
The Choir’s motto is Sing we for pleasure for one and all.
More information can be found about the choir on its website: https://www.fourlanesmalechoir.com/
If you would like to amend or add to this page then please leave a comment and we will be in touch.
This is a part of the Cornish National Music Archive (CNMA) project to Collect, Preserve and Share our Cornish Heritage and Culture.