A LEADING Vale choir which has raised thousands for good causes for a number of years is in danger of folding.
Pershore-based Vale Harmony The A Cappella Fellas have been without a tenor section since Christmas, despite all their efforts to find men who can sing in that voice range.
One of Worcestershire’s best known male choirs is so desperate to find new tenors it’s offering a ten pound note to any tenor who joins them.
“We used to have two tenors but one has retired and the other has left. Without a tenor section we can’t properly sing in the four-part, close harmony style that we are known for,” said the chorus’s musical director Mike Gearey.
“We’re neither able to do public performances nor take part in competitions… and even rehearsals are difficult with guys from other sections filling in temporarily.”
The fellas hit all the right notes in June last year at the historic Pershore Abbey to hand over more than £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK.
The concert was the third time the Pershore-based chorus had performed alongside the 10 times UK champions, The Great Western Chorus of Bristol.
The chorus’s donation included money they raised last October when they entertained the Rotary Club’s caravanning section at their annual festival at Malvern.
Vale Harmony’s four parts are: leads singing the melody, basses singing the lower notes, baritones in between and the tenors singing the high notes above.
They are hoping their offer of a tenner for any tenor who becomes a member of the chorus will highlight their plight.
“It’s not being over dramatic to say that this 45-year-old chorus is in danger of folding if we can’t find new tenors,“ said Vale Harmony’s chairman, John Franks.
“If you’re reading this and you can sing high notes, do come to some of our rehearsals and see if you’d like to join us.
“It doesn’t matter whether you already sing in another chorus or whether you’re a complete beginner, we’d love to see you.
“Come along and surprise us but, above all, surprise yourself,” he added.
Vale Harmony The A Cappella Fellas rehearse every Wednesday night at the St Andrews Centre in Pershore from 7pm to 9.30pm.
Anyone who believes they could fill the role is invited to either just drop in or call 07766 524833.
Visit www.valeharmony.co.uk for more information
