Navan Male Voice Choir pitching for new members
While repeated and protracted lockdowns incurred by Covid-19 were felt throughout society, few groups were impacted as much as choirs. Choral singing was prohibited worldwide, not for months but effectively for two years and lots of choirs have since disbanded, while others are still picking up the pieces.
Navan Male Voice Choir (NMVC) weathered the storm as they’ve weathered others; with grit, wit and determination. Zoom rehearsals proved fruitless because of latency but the choir discovered a way to continue rehearsals very early on during lockdowns. This involved the use of specialist IT equipment, costing more than the choir’s slender coffers could manage. Enter Meath County Council Arts Office, who kindly supplied funding to purchase and install the necessary kit. Very soon it was business as usual on Tuesday evenings from the safety of members’ homes.
Rehearsals continued, although choral engagements didn’t, with social gatherings cancelled for what seemed like forever. But now, in the words of a certain famous Irish band, the boys are back in town! They’ve been honing their skills and learning a whole new repertoire while preserving some old favourites, and they’re planning to return to public appearances with music from Pergolesi to Pink Floyd, Bach to the Beatles, Caccini to Coldplay. Rehearsals are informal and fun, although they like to keep their standards high, and this year the choir is on a recruitment drive for new members. No experience is necessary, nor do members need to be sight-readers, they’ve got that covered. Rehearsals take place every Tuesday from 8-10 pm and they’re hoping to welcome newbies into a choir that’s been part of the town’s fabric since 1979.
Founded by Navan native Richard Brady, the choir has performed throughout Ireland and also in the UK, France and Germany. They were part of a flash mob that gathered to sing on Suicide Prevention Day in Dublin’s Heuston Station, literally stopping the (human) traffic. They’ve sung at the Dawn Chorus on the Hill of Tara as part of the Bealtaine Festival and have made countless appearances over the years on RTÉ television and radio, as well as in the National Concert Hall. They’ve provided the chorus for INO (Irish National Opera) and have even performed their very own opera, Conversations Across Time, directed by internationally acclaimed composer Brian Irvine.
Choir Chairman, John Doyle, said: “Thanks to Meath Arts Office, we could keep rehearsals going during lockdowns, giving us more than forty unbroken years as a choir. Hopefully we’ll remain for another forty! To achieve this, we need new members. While we enjoy singing, we also enjoy the social element that comes with being part of a large group and this is as important to us as the music.”
New members are always warmly welcomed and can simply turn up on any Tuesday evening at 8pm in the Active Retirement Room in Navan’s Community Centre. Alternatively, they can phone Choir Secretary, John Kelly, at 087 8213075 or email johngpkelly@gmail.com.