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Foreword

by Brian KenwellChairman, Police Male Voice Choir

(incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Male Voice Choir)

T IS MY PRIVILEGE as Chairman of the choir towelcome you here this evening to our annual concert

in this the choir’s fortieth year. The choir was formed in1973 and on pages 4 to 7 you will find a brief history whichoutlines some of our successes in competition.

Over the years a relationship has developed between the choir andthe community of which we are proud. This has enabledcommunity organisations to raise hundreds of thousands of poundsto support their chosen projects. It also gives the members of thechoir pleasure in seeing that their love of music can benefit others.

Throughout the years we have been blessed with dedicatedconductors and accompanists but non more so than with ourcurrent Conductor Mark McGrath and our accompanist StellaGraham. They are inspirational in both their professionalism andtheir commitment to the choir.

Tonight we are joined on stage by some of the artistes who havesupported us both at our annual concerts and as we travel to allparts of the province to perform in concert. To all of them we owea debt of gratitude.

We are indebted to the Principal and Board of Governors of theRoyal Belfast Academical Institution for allowing us the use oftheir excellent facilities for tonight’s concert.

Please sit back and join with us in the enjoyment of music.

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HIS YEAR 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of theformation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary Male

Voice Choir.

In March 1973 the late Chief Superintendent Edward Woods,along with a small group of police officers, met in a room at RUCHeadquarters where he set the foundation for and established theRUC Male Voice Choir. Constable James Baird, a serving policeofficer with previous experience of conducting a male voice choir,was appointed as its first conductor. Four of the foundingmembers Eric Campbell, Girvan Norris, Stanley Officer and SamFinlay, are still members and Vice Presidents of the choir.

From its inception the choir has been a voluntary organisation andmembers give of their time freely. Weekly rehearsals were held atPolice Headquarters and later at St Columba’s Parish Church Knock.

On 9th May 1973 the choir gave its first concert at the JossCardwell Centre, Holywood Road, Belfast.

Membership increased to thirty five and in May 1975 it won themale voice choir section at Morecambe Music Festival againststrong competition from seven other choirs. It was its first entry ina music festival.

Two months later the choir were invited to Sweden as guests of theGothenburg Police Male Voice Choir and participated in an eveningperformance at the city’s concert hall followed by morning worshipin its cathedral.

Like many other choirs, the police choir takes part each year in afestival or concert tour. In 1977 it won the male voice choir sectionat Glasgow Festival. In the same year the choir made its first longplaying record and the then Chief Constable, Kenneth Newman,later to become Sir Kenneth Newman, in a tribute to the choir,printed on the cover of the record wrote:

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PoLICE MALE VOICE CHOIR(Incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Male Voice Choir)

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“It is a remarkable tribute to the members of the Royal UlsterConstabulary that in the midst of so much trouble, they seem tohave an unlimited capacity to rise above the circumstances andkeep on giving in so many ways. The formation of a Male VoiceChoir and its successful development in a short space of time is anindication of the resilience and determination of the force”.

The choir went on a concert tour of Manchester in 1978 returningto it by invitation the following year.

In 1979 the choir began holding its annual concert in the Ulster Hallin Belfast where it combined with the RUC Band and the RUCLadies Choir. The event was so successful that for many years theconcerts drew a crowd which filled the hall to capacity for threeconsecutive nights. In later years the RUC Pipe Band made apopular and additional contribution to the concert performances.

The choir on two occasions took part in concerts in the Ulster Hallas guests of the Russian White Army Band from Belarus. Theconcert was part of the bands European tour.

In 1990 the choir were in Europe again with a tour of Germanywith concert performances in Wiesbaden where the local policeforce were very supportive.

Canada was the venue in 2000 as guests of the Greater VictoriaPolice Chorus. It helped to raise over £25,000 for cancer charitiesin Canada from concerts given at Kamloops, Banff, Lake Louise,Whistler and ending its sixteen day tour in Calgary.

A name change came in November 2001 when the operational titleof the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was changed to the PoliceService of Northern Ireland. Simultaneously the choir becameknown as the Police Male Voice Choir (incorporating the RoyalUlster Constabulary GC Male Voice Choir.)

Prague was its next destination in 2003 where it took part in aninternational festival of police choirs and bands.

Jersey welcomed the choir to the island in 2007 for a concert in StHelier with funds raised going to a local hospice.

In February 2010 the choir was honoured to take part in amemorial service in Newry for colleagues who had lost their lives25 years earlier in a mortar bomb attack on Newry Police Station.

The choir travelled to Aberfeldy and Dunblane in Scotland in 2009and 2010 respectively to fulfil fund raising concerts.

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It was invited to Nottingham in 2011 where, in addition to a concertand church service, it had the opportunity to visit the Royal UlsterConstabulary GC Memorial Garden at the National Arboretum.

A service to celebrate a significant milestone in the history ofpolicing in Northern Ireland was held in St Anne’s Cathedral,Belfast on 27th May 2012. It commemorated the 90th anniversaryof the formation of the RUC. The choir was highly privileged tohave taken part.

To commemorate its 40th anniversary the choir has made a CDentitled ‘40 Not Out! The Ruby Anniversary Album Of The PoliceMale Voice Choir’.

On the disbandment of the RUC Band we were pleased to have theservices on the platform in the Ulster Hall of Festival Brass followed

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by the band of the Royal Irish Regiment. Owing to the refurbishmentof the Ulster Hall the concerts were re-located to The Spires, ChurchHouse and subsequently to The Royal Belfast Academical Institutionwhere for the last three years we have been joined by the NorthernIreland Fire and Rescue Service Concert band.

The choir endeavours to meet all worthy requests for its service whichhas down the years helped to raise thousands of pounds for localcharities. Even throughout the darkest days of Northern Ireland’s pasthistory and despite the dangers associated with some of the borderareas it travelled to these events, sometimes in an armoured bus, andwas given armed protection while fulfilling its engagement.

Throughout “The Troubles” a number of choir members sustainedserious injuries often necessitating long periods of hospitalisation.We were also privileged to have among the membership policeofficers who had received significant recognition for acts ofbravery while serving as members of the armed services.

The choir has enjoyed singing under various conductors since itsformation, namely:

James Baird, James Moor, Charles Black, Stanley Officer, LornaWatton, David Galashan and Charles Black for a second time. Ourcurrent conductor is Mark McGrath who was appointed in 2010following the retirement of Charles Black and our accompanist isStella Graham.

From small beginnings it has grown into one of the mostrecognised and competitive male voice choirs with a currentmembership of fifty. It has competed in thirty one music festivals,won twenty two of them and placed second in seven others. Thisyear it will be returning to England to compete in a music festival.

We are indebted to all those organisations, groups and individualswho have enabled the choir to continue to rehearse and performand enjoy the companionship and pleasure which music brings.

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HE BAND was originally formed in March 2005with 8 players - 3 serving Firefighters and 5 relatives

of staff - as a wind Concert Band performing a widerange of musical styles and genres. They have a currentmembership of around 45 comprising current and former NIFRSpersonnel from both operational and support roles as well as manymembers from outside the Service. Band members come from allwalks of life, ages, abilities and musical backgrounds and givetheir time voluntarily to attend weekly rehearsals andengagements. The Band plays numerous engagements throughoutthe year, notably including the Royal Garden Party at HillsboroughCastle for the last number of years. They also play at events insupport of charities such as Marie Curie Cancer Care, UlsterCancer Foundation and Mary Peters Trust as well as on request atfundraising and social events.

T Martin Wall – Musical Director

Martin has been Musical Director of NIFRS Band since October2009. He studied French Horn at Trinity College of Music, London.He went on to play with a variety of orchestras and ensembles inLondon and around the U.K. including a number of West EndMusicals. In 1993, Martin was pleased to be offered the post ofPrincipal 2nd Horn with the Ulster Orchestra and since then has beeninvolved in numerous concerts, recordings and broadcasts for bothradio and television. He is very involved in teaching and educationwork in Belfast and very proud to be given the opportunity to conductNorthern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Concert Band.

To request the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service ConcertBand to play at an event or to enquire about vacancies withinthe Band, find contact details at www.nifrs.org in the AboutNIFRS section.

Northern ireland fire & rescueservice concert banD

The band appears with the kind permission of the Chief Fire Officer.

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MArk McGratHARK WAS BORN in Belfast in 1982, and showed a keen interest in music from an early

age, taking piano lessons with Donal McCrisken from the age of six. He was educated atBelfast Royal Academy and then at Methodist College Belfast where he held the Kerr

Henderson Organ Scholarship, playing for services, concerts and broadcasts.

In 2001 he was appointed Assistant Organist at St George's Belfast where he studied the organ withCharles Harrison, and in that year went with the choristers to represent the UK at the BaselInternational Choral Festival.

Mark moved to London in 2002 to take up an organ scholarship at St Martin-in-the-Fields,accompanying the choirs as well as giving recitals and playing for broadcasts. He is currently theDirector of Music in St Finnian’s Church Cregagh, in Belfast.

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In 2007 Mark toured India with a company called Toccata, performing with musicians and singers from Northern Ireland and London inBangalore and Chennai, and went with the company in 2008 as State guests of Zambia, performing in the country’s Parliament Buildingsfor large audiences to raise money for local charities.

For several years Mark has worked with Roma Tomelty and Centre Stage Theatre Company as Musical Director, working withprofessional actors and teaching music and drama to young people, and touring Ireland with Christmas shows aimed at children. Hecomposed and performed an original score when the company presented Louis Macneice’s “The Dark Tower” as part of the celebrationsof the poet’s centenary year. He also composed and arranged music for a performance of the 18th century “Dialogues from the Portugese”and accompanying recording in the Archbishop Robinson Library in Armagh.

Mark is currently the conductor of Spark Opera company, recently set up to commission young Northern Irish composers to writecontemporary opera, and last year conducted Spark’s first performance, four short, specially-commissioned chamber operas, with acompany made up largely of students and young singers. The company is hoping to go to London in the summer with a show of threenew chamber operas aimed at children.

Mark also works as a piano teacher and accompanist, and recorded an album with the band Seven Summits in 2008, which was recentlyplayed on radio 1.

In September 2010 he joined the Police Male Voice Choir as conductor where his enthusiasm and professionalism are much appreciated.

RETIRED primary school teacher and music teacher Stella studiedpiano with Harry Grindle and Elizabeth Bicker. She has accompanied

school choirs, adult choirs and soloists, both vocal and instrumentalduring her career. In 1999 Stella joined the Police Male Voice Choir asaccompanist and has travelled to venues across Northern Ireland and further afieldand has made an invaluable contribution to the choir’s success.

AStella grahaM

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The BROOKLYNERS

HE CLARINET ENSEMBLE was formed in theBelfast School of Music over five years ago and

consists of students of all ages and abilities. They meetonce a week to rehearse and perform all styles of music

under the guidance of Gillian McCutcheon. They are delighted tobe performing here this evening.

Gillian McCutcheon began playing the clarinet at the age of tenstudying under Christopher King. On entering EdinburghUniversity to read music Gillian travelled to London to study

T with Dame Thea King at the Guildhall School of Music. Ongraduating with a BMUS HONS Gillian continued herpostgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music on ascholarship. Since graduating with an MMus in PerformanceGillian has continued to perform both locally and further afield.She is also in demand as a teacher and enjoys her other role as areviewer for the BBC on Sounds Classical. She is delighted to beperforming along with her students this evening.

Gillian McCutcheonand the cLARINET ENSEMBLE

ORN IN BELFAST, soprano Janine Burnside is a versatilesinger comfortable in art song, oratorio, opera & cabaret.

Having accumulated a wealth of experience singing with chorus shedecided to concentrate on solo performance and in 2009 was awarded anassociate diploma in singing and performance.

Since then she has travelled to Portugal to play Papagena in Mozart's MagicFlute, roles in Gilbert & Sullivan operetta include Princess Ida, Iolanthe andRose Maybud. Performances in opera scenes include Electra in Mozart'sIdomeneo and Amore in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. She appears regularly asguest soloist for local choirs and continues her vocal studies with Betty Orr.

BJANINE BURNSIDE

HE BROOKLYNERS BARBERSHOP QUARTET was formed in 1992 fromwithin the Choir. They take their name from Brooklyn, the Police Service

Headquarters at Knock. They have taken part in concerts throughout the BritishIsles and apart from barbershop their repertoire includes a range of sacred and secular

music, often with a light hearted and comedic aspect. The current members are DavidAdams, Stanley Officer, Brian Kenwell, Colin McClure and Raymond Hannigan.

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LEE LawsoN

RIGINALLY FROM WARINGSTOWN, CountyDown, Lee Lawson is one of the top pipe band and

rudimental drummers in the world. Currently she isleading drummer with Howard Memorial Pipe Band and

led the drum corps to many competitive wins, including Ulster andAll Ireland Championships, as well as being crowned ‘Championof Champions 2012’.

Playing with The Pipes and Drums of the Royal UlsterConstabulary, and being the first female ever to be invited to playin their ranks, Lee holds numerous drumming accolades. Theseinclude winning Ulster, All Ireland, Scottish, British, European andWorld Championships as well as ‘Champion of Champions’ titles.

In a solo drumming career Lee can has won over 35 SoloChampionship titles, include Ulster, All Ireland, and four WorldSolo Champion titles. She has also won solo competitions in theUSA and Europe. Lee is still the only female to play at Senior levelin solo competitions – having won the right to do so at the tender ageof just 18 years! She is the current holder of the Competing Soloists’Organisation’s ‘Celtic Thistle’ solo ‘Champion of Champions’ title.

Having studied at Leeds College of Music, Lee moved to Scotlandto work as a drumming and percussion instructor for Argyll andBute Council, where she played percussion with CampbeltownBrass Band at local, regional and National Championship level.She has been a guest percussionist with The Kirkintilloch BrassBand in venues such as the Birmingham Symphony Hall and theRoyal Albert Hall. Lee also plays the Bagpipes and has featuredplaying the Highland Bagpipe on CD recordings of Gospel andTraditional Irish music and, whilst in Leeds, was a regularpercussionist and piper with the Yorkshire Volunteers Band. For

the past few years Lee has also been a percussionist for ‘TheThursford Christmas Spectacular’ – a specialist musical show heldannually in North Norfolk, England and which has the uniquedistinction of being billed as “the biggest Christmas show in theUK” where in 2010 she played for HRH Prince William and hisnew fiancée Kate Middleton.

Lee has toured, performed and recorded throughout Europe andthe United States of America with artists such as Aoife NiHerraigh, Peter Corry, Brian Kennedy, Noel Eccles PercussionEnsemble, Van Morrison, Red Hot Chilli Pipers and numerousorchestras in the UK and Ireland.

Together with her cousin Mark Wilson – yet another solo and drumcorps Championship winner – Lee performed in a percussion suitefor 25 percussionists and the percussive foot taps of a troupe of Irishdancers for the half time entertainment at an Ireland v Scotland 6Nations Rugby match in 2004 with the performance televised liveto over 80 million viewers throughout Europe.

In 2007, Lee represented the drumming traditions of NorthernIreland at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC,performing on the National Mall and in The White House. She hasalso performed for HM Queen Elizabeth II in Royal Palaces andfor the President of Ireland at Aras An Uachtarain.

Now living back in Northern Ireland, Lee continues to teach andperform across the country and abroad. In 2012 she performed in“Titanic Drums” at a BBC Titanic Centenary Commemoration inBelfast’s Waterfront Hall; piped and drummed as the OlympicFlame arrived in and departed from her native Northern Irelandand played at the Official Garden Party during the Queen’sDiamond Jubilee visit to Belfast.

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MARK WILSON

ARK WILSON is a world class drummer withvast international experience in performance,

recording, tuition, writing, arranging, touring shows,corporate entertainment and TV and radio presentation. He

has had a highly successful career in competitive drummingincluding 15 Ulster, 4 All Ireland, 4 Scottish, 4 British, 2European, 5 World Championship Titles and 7 “Champion ofChampions” titles. A former Director of the Northern IrelandPiping & Drumming School, member of the RSPBA Music Boardand the Scottish PDQB Board of Examiners, he is a qualifieddrumming adjudicator, and is in constant demand for dutiesthroughout the UK, Ireland, Europe, Asia and the United States.Mark is a full time professional drummer and has played withsome of Irelands’ top international recording artists and

international touring shows. In 2004 he wrote, orchestrated andconducted a drum suite for the half time entertainment at anIreland V Scotland 6 Nations Rugby match. The piece includedover 40 performers and the percussive feet taps of Irish Dancersand was broadcast live to over 75 Million homes throughoutEurope. More Recently he has been involved working with localcomposer and conductor John Anderson, to write and create“Titanic Drums” which made their first performance last April onlive network TV throughout the UK. He is currently working onwriting and arranging new works for “Titanic drums” which willpremier at The World Police & Fire Games in Belfast this August,and further new pieces for “The Belfast Tattoo” which will be heldin the Odyssey Arena at the end of September.

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HE FOUNDATION was created by virtue of Section70 of the Police (NI) Act, 2000, for the purpose of‘marking the sacrifices and honouring the achievements

of the Royal Ulster Constabulary’. It is privileged to have as itsPatron, HRH The Prince of Wales.

A principal function of the Foundation is the management of theRUC GC Garden at Police HQs, Knock Rd, Belfast, which can bevisited any day by arrangement. Volunteer Guides are availableto conduct the tours.

To mark the formation of the RUC on 1st June 1922, a Service ofThanksgiving is held each year in a different location in theProvince. This year the Service will be held in St. Anne’sDungannon on Sunday 2nd June. The creation of an Oral Historywhich records the stories and experiences of former RUC GCofficers and their families is now well advanced. A bursaryscheme to develop innovations in policing has also been operatedfor some years past.

The Foundation undertakes a variety of memorial and ceremonialinitiatives, together with various Associations and Groups within

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the policing family, in pursuance of its overall purpose. TheFoundation is extremely appreciative of the efforts of all thoseinvolved in producing and delivering the Concert to-night.

The Foundation can be contacted as follows:65 Knock Road, Belfast BT5 6LET: 02890-700116E: rucgcfoundation@nics.gov.ukW: www.rucgcfoundation.org

The royal ulster constabularygeorge cross foundatioN

MEMBERSHIPEW MEMBERS are always welcomed by the Male

Voice Choir. Membership is open to serving or formermembers of the RUC, RUCR, PSNI, PSNIR, full or part

time, or male relatives of any of the former. Membership is alsoopen to male members of civilian support staff.

The choir meets weekly for practice on Tuesday afternoonbetween 4.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m.

Nof the Police Male Voice Choir

The choir has performed throughout the United Kingdom and inSweden, Germany, Canada and in the Czech Republic.Throughout the concert season from September to May thechoir averages two concerts each month in Northern Ireland toassist local fund raising groups.

If you would like to join the choir please complete the slipbelow or contact any member of the choir.

�

I am interested in joining the Police Male Voice Choir.

NAME: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE NO: ________________________________ MOBILE NO: ____________________________________

When completed, please return to any member of the choir or to:The Secretary, Police Male Voice Choir, c/o Newforge Country Club, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5NW.

MEMBERSHIp FORM