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Portadown Male Voice Choir Page 3 |
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| Portadown Male Voice Choir has also triumphed in Douglas
(Isle of Man) and Bangor, North Wales, where it has taken on and beaten choirs
from the 'home' of male choir singing. However, no victory has been
more acclaimed than in the early 1980's when the choir went to Morecambe
(Lancashire) and won not only the premier award, but other lesser classes and
Gordon Speers took the prize for the best conductor in the festival. Craigavon Borough Council granted a civic reception in 1974 after one of the Cork triumphs, hosted by the first Mayor of the new borough, Councillor Joe Johnston, and the council is still a keen and valued supporter of a choir which brings home so much honour. In 1989, the choir toured West Germany - around the Bremen area - and received rave reviews in the local musical press and by audiences as well. The annual concerts have been well supported over the years, with guests in recent years including Scottish soprano Moira Anderson, tenor Kenneth McKellar, and stars like Marilyn Hill-Smith and Dr. Ronan Tynan, the Irish tenor. Gordon Speers 20 years-plus with the choir have been the most successful in its history, and long may Portadown Male Voice Choir sing out its unique brand of harmony to Portadown, Northern Ireland, Ireland, the British Isles and far beyond |
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