YOUR CHOIR
Name: John Robinson, Bass2 singer and chairman with Macc Male Voice Choir – a 70-strong choir performing around a dozen concerts each year, many for charity. What is the best thing about Macclesfield? Location: Surrounded by beautiful countryside and yet easy to get to the cities of Manchester and Stoke. What is the worst thing about Macclesfield? Lack of a major concert hall/cinema. Where are you favourite places in Macclesfield? Golf Club, Rugby Club and Broken Cross Methodist Church Hall where the choir rehearse on a Monday night. How long have you been performing for? Started playing the cornet in Macc Town Silver Band age 12. Later started playing the trumpet with a ‘The Red River Jazz Band’. At 21 I took up rugby, playing prop forward which meant I regularly received a ‘fat lip’ that put a stop to my musical career. Persuaded to join Macc Male Voice Choir by an old rugby colleague at the age of 64, and was elected chairman in January this year. Who are your main influences? David Court, our musical director, Marcus Williams his deputy and the late Derek Lewis who was assigned as my mentor when I first joined the choir. What has been your most memorable moment while doing this? Singing at the Royal Albert Hall with 1,500 other choristers for the Cancer Charity Concert and singing at the ‘Voices of the Commonwealth Concert’ at the Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, where MMVC represented England and sang two pieces before an audience of 6,000. We brought the audience to their feet in applause and received many plaudits. Do you have anything planned for the future? Highlights to come this year include accompanying Russell Watson at Gawsworth Hall and being chairman of the choir for our 60th Jubilee Concert which takes place at St Michael’s Church in October. AS Kate Davies has moved on to pastures new, Matt Isaacs will now occupy the Sunday morning slot.
Matt will be going back in time between 10am and 12noon when Matt’s magic month takes a look at the charts from the 1960s and ‘70s, with the odd cheeky tune from the ‘80s thrown in when you least expect it.
Keep an ear out for Matt’s monthly live and acoustic programme which showcases the vast local talent.
Tiki Black kicks Sunday off from 7am with her ‘I write the songs’ show when she features upand-coming artists.
Following Tiki are Patti Callaghan and Gill Maguire with the arts show, then Fay Armstrong comes along with her Sonic Stir Fry show.
Matt then follows with his magic months before Jonathon Cook entertains you from midday with some weekend Rolled Gold. Following Jonathon it’s Harry Atkinson with two hours of Solid Gold then Brian Moores presents the Radio Club.
Tiki then returns at 6pm before Mark Foley presents the covers show. To end the day Harry and Brian return with some more past memories.