Chester’s premier choir is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a new president well known for his work with community groups and choirs around the city.
Chester Male Voice Choir founded 80 years ago as The Cestrian Male Voice Choir, recently announced that Matt Baker BEM will serve as its new president, succeeding Her Grace The Duchess of Westminster in that position.
Matt is known for his work with local community groups and choirs in Chester, as well as his compositions for several Chester Mystery Play cycles, and the Chester City Passion.
In his position as artistic director of Theatre in the Quarter, he has developed exciting projects with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, taking place in venues such as palaces, railway stations, regional theatres, and village halls.
Besides being musical director for A Handbag of Harmonies and Chester’s LGBTQ choir Proud Marys, he is also director of music at the University of Chester.
Cheshire Community and Voluntary Arts awarded Matt the Outstanding Achievement Award for his years of commitment to the arts in Cheshire as well as an honorary Master of Music Degree from the University of Chester. In 2021, Matt received a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of his services to music and the communities of Chester and beyond.
In a statement regarding Matt becoming president, choir chairman John Walsh said: We are delighted to announce that Matt has accepted our invitation to succeed the Duchess of Westminster as President of the choir. Matt is a great friend of the choir and will be a brilliant ambassador for us. We couldn’t be more pleased. The Duchess of Westminster retired as President at the end of 2021 after giving unstinting support over many years and we are immensely proud of her association. We wish her the very best in her retirement and look forward with excitement to a new era with Matt”
Matt commented on his appointment as the new choir president:
I am honoured to have been asked to be president of the tour de force that is Chester Male Voice Choir. I recently took a group of teenagers to interview the men for a project. Seeing how blown away the teenagers were at the choir’s singing reminded me why they have been so well-loved through the years, and assured me that this is a choir that ought to have a bright future. If I can do anything to direct audiences to hear this choir and encourage new members to join, then I feel I will be playing my role.”Chester Male Voice Choir will join forces with Matt’s female choir, A Handbag of Harmonies, for “Bow Ties and Boas”, this concert celebrating 100 years of music-making between both choirs. After being postponed for two years due to the pandemic, the concert takes place at St Columba’s Church in Plas Newton, Chester on Friday 8th April at 7.30 pm.
Full details of the concert can be found at www.chestermalevoice.com where tickets can be booked online. Tickets are also available at the Visitor Information Centre at Chester Town Hall.
