Charles Eastwood
A very early member of the choir, First Tenor, Charles, joined Joe Ripley’s Minstrels, in September, 1950, the small group of singers who became Gledholt Male Voice Choir in 1951. Charles was a Committee Member and also a supporter of the National Male Voice Choir Championships for very many years. In 1984 he was elected Vice President of the choir. Charles was, from 1936, also a singing member of the Huddersfield Choral Society. He was choir master of Paddock Methodist Church and sang with other chapel choirs and Huddersfield Methodist Choir for a number of years. In his youth, Charles was a keen runner and ran with the Longwood Harriers, his pride and joy being a mantle clock he won in a road race. Charles worked in various industries, finishing his working life in the Woollen Textile Industry. He went on to become the eldest member of the choir and still sang, in fine voice, and in concerts well into his 80’s only stopping when he could no longer stand for long periods. Charles was made a Life Member of the choir and he kept up with attending choir rehearsals pretty much to the end. |
Keith Watson
Keen choral singer, Keith, joined Gledholt Male Voice Choir in 1981 though his love of singing started much earlier than that. As a teenager he sang in Elland’s Bethseda Chapel Choir and after moving to Lindley, joined Lindley Methodist choir where he sang until it disbanded. Keith also sang in the Huddersfield Methodist choir for a number of years before coming to sing for 28 years with the Gledholt male voices, where he was a well-loved and popular member. Winifred, Keith’s wife was also very involved in choir life and active with the Friends of Gledholt (FOG), helping to raise funds for choir activities. A member of the Bass section, Keith served on the Committee and was the Recruitment Officer for the choir.Some of Keith’s other interests were with the Huddersfield Probus group and also stewarding at Colne Valley Museum. Many of the choir members and their partners will remember Keith’s involvement with TocH and his voluntary work, along with his wife, Winifred, in carrying out ‘wardening’ at Talbot house in Poperinge, Belgium. It was through Keith and Winifred’s connection with Talbot House that the choir had the wonderful and emotional experience in May, 2007, of travelling to Belgium, singing at the Menin Gate, Ypres and visiting Talbot House. |
Gordon Bairstow
Gordon had been a member of Gledholt Male Voice Choir for 8 years and enjoyed singing with the Baritone section of the choir. Gordon was keenly interested in the aims of the choir, always helpful to others and also a member of the Committee between 2003 and 2006. Gordon, along with his wife, Josie, was supportive of choir activities and participated in the many of the choir trips which took place both in the UK and abroad. Gordon was also a member of Probus. |
Kenneth Richmond
Ken was a valued member of the Baritone Section of Gledholt Male Voice Choir and as a singer, raconteur and compere was always heavily involved at concerts, competitions and social events. Ken also served on the Committee and was involved with the organisation of the National Male Voice Choir Championships, an event which was organised by Gledholt Male Voice Choir for many years.As a Dental Technician, Ken’s talents and workmanship also extended to Instrument repair. He was also a keen monologist and could be relied upon to perform part of his monologue repertoire at choir concerts. |
Dr Monty Segal
RETIRED consultant psychiatrist Dr Monty Segal was described by his patients as a real ‘gentle’ man.Dr Segal, 80, worked for 23 years in the Huddersfield and Halifax area, mainly at the former Storthes Hall hospital. When he took early retirement 22 years ago, Dr Segal and wife Renee were inundated with good wishes. Many patients did not want him to leave. Dr Segal was born in Manchester and went on to study medicine at Manchester University, specialising in psychiatry and later forensic psychiatry. He worked in several hospitals in the Manchester area before becoming a consultant psychiatrist in Halifax. He had 600 patients at Storthes Hall and also worked at Halifax General Hospital, St Luke’s in Huddersfield and Northowram in Halifax. As well as a caring man, Dr Segal was incredibly busy, serving on various boards and committees. He sat on the Health Committee in Halifax and was also a member of the Parole Board for Great Britain, which met in London. He was also involved in the St John Ambulance in Huddersfield. After his retirement Dr and Mrs Segal worked as volunteers for Kirkwood Hospice for 14 years. They helped raise money through the Marsh, Edgerton and Gledholt Support Group. Dr Segal was also a member of Huddersfield Recorded Music Society and Birkby Probus Club and for 15 years was president of Gledholt Male Voice Choir. His father was a Rabbi and his religion was very important in his life. He helped run services at Bradford Synagogue. Dr Segal developed Alzheimer’s Disease and spent the last months of his life in a care home. He died on October 30th xxxx at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and his funeral took place the following day, in accordance with the Jewish faith. A special memorial service and celebration of his life was held on Sunday xxth xxxx, organised by Gledholt Male Voice Choir, at Lindley Methodist Church. Dr Segal leaves Renee, 66, a son Jonathan, 42, daughter-in-law Helen, 41, and grandchildren Ben, eight, and Jessica, four. |
Bob Whiteley
Bob was in the militia doing his obligatory twelve month service when war was declared in 1939. He stayed in the army until 1946, most of the time in India, where he was commissioned, and in a field ambulance in Burma. When he was demobbed he completed his pharmaceutical training and then worked for Thorton & Ross until he retired.He had many interests besides his home and garden. He became a Freemason in 1948. He was a bellringer at All Hallows' Church Almondbury until after knee operations the steep spiral staircase defeated him. He was a glider pilot and had a share in a glider - he once made an unplanned landing at Salendine Nook, on the playing field. He was fond of swimming and snorkelling, which he did on his 90th birthday in the Red Sea, but it was the last time because he could not see at all in the mask. He loved choral singing and was a member of several choirs. The Gledholt Male Voice Choir was the last from which he retired, because of his blindness, and it was with great regret. He died of cancer on June 20th 2013 as patient and uncomplaining as he had always been. |
Malcolm Fairless
Our former conductor and choral advisor Malcolm Fairless passed away on the 16th of September 2013. It is a sad loss to all of us as we know how enormous his contribution was to the male voice choirs in the region and nationally in the last 45 years or so. We shall truly miss him.Malcolm Fairless was appointed Musical Director in 1977. He was a native of County Durham and he started his male voice choir experience in his early teens. He was for some time Organist and Choirmaster at Bede College, Durham University before 'emigrating' to Huddersfield in the early 70's. Here, he quickly joined Huddersfield Choral Society, was a member of the Karalian Quartet and in regular demand as tenor soloist. He joined Gledholt MVC as a First Tenor in 1972 and, in those early days, he was also a member of Skelmanthorpe MVC, eventually being appointed their Deputy Conductor. Malcom continued to be involved with the choir as our choral advisor until he passed away in 2013. |
Joe Ripley
In 1948, a group of men belonging to Gledholt Methodist Church formed a double male quartet under the leadership of Joe Ripley and with Marcus Draper as the pianist to sing at local churches, old people's homes, hospitals, etc. Gradually the original double quartet expanded to become, first the Gledholt Glee Singers, next the Ripley Singers for two years, and finally the Gledholt Male Voice Choir. Joe Ripley retired as Conductor in 1977 when Malcolm Fairless was appointed as Musical Director. |
Roy Delaney
The number of people attending Roy's funeral at Dalton St Paul's Church on the 10th of February xxxx was a testament to his popularity. Thirty six choir members sang “The Rose” -one of his favourite pieces as well as supporting the singing of hymns. The church was full to capacity and standing room in the lounge and entrance steps was at a premium. Roy was born in Sheffield and vividly remembered the blitz of 1941 since his family were evacuated three times following bomb damage. When he married Jean in 1964 they set up home in Huddersfield. Roy became head of porterage at St. Luke's hospital and no doubt his qualities were appreciated by staff and patients alike. Jean was well aware that Frank Lockwood had tried his best to coax Roy to join the choir. One evening somewhat reluctantly he was persuaded by Jean to stop cutting the lawn and attend an open rehearsal at Oakes Baptist Church .Afterwards she was pleasantly surprised to find he had thoroughly enjoyed himself and he became a member on the 1st May 1987. From then on Roy actively supported choir activities. Initially a front row man he then graduated to the back row and it was from here that we heard his one-liners and dry sense of humour. Roy was also an active member of Dalton St Paul's church helping with whatever was needed to ensure smooth running of activities. One of his tasks was preparing for the Wednesday luncheon club. Peeling sacks of potatoes was reminiscent of life in the forces. Roy was conscripted into HM forces on 2nd November 1950 and served in Korea. He wrote about his experiences in issue 105 of Temeraire. Although a modest man Roy was proud of his life's achievements; sadly his ambition to celebrate his golden wedding in July did not materialize. He will be sadly missed by Jean, Katy and Andrew, Gledholt Choir members and people from many walks of life. |
Eddie Parkes
Eddie was a traditional ambulance man known to many. His jovial manner calmed many a person at hospital or whilst transferred there. He joined the baritone section of Gledholt MVC on the first of January 1993. Eddie knew Roy Delaney through work and their friendship continued in the choir. Eddie retired from the choir in October 2011 and became an Associate member. However he soon returned to continue running the 400 club and enjoy listening to the choir rehearse. Sadly as time went on Eddie's health deteriorated and he passed away on the 3rd December xxxx. Many choir members attended the service at the Huddersfield Crematorium on the 12th December xxxx. We send our condolences to Shirley and family. |
John Bailey
Our former accompanist and friend John Bailey passed away on the 25th of October 2013. John was our accompanist for over 6 years and was loved by every one in the choir for his high standard of music and his wit and humour. He retired from the choir due to illness and lived with his wife Karen, in Huddersfield John S. Bailey began studying piano at the age of eight and progressed to the organ shortly afterwards. As a ten-year-old he was playing regularly for services at St. Augustine's Church, Scissett and was aged only fourteen when he was awarded an organ scholarship at Wakefield Cathedral where he studied under Jonathan Bielby. His range as a solo performer covers both organ and piano and encompasses a variety of genres, from Classical to Jazz. In demand both in Britain and Europe as a freelance accompanist, he worked with performers as diverse as Opera North and Freddie Starr and is even to be seen and/or heard in episodes of BBC1's 'Last of the Summer Wine' on occasions when the storyline demands an organist! John who lives in Huddersfield, was appointed accompanist to Gledholt Male Voice Choir in September 2000, after having played for the choir's successful tour of France. He was also accompanist for the Huddersfield Singers and Marsh Ladies Choir, and in 1999 he was invited to join the team of official accompanist's for the Mrs. Sunderland Musical Competition. John accompanied a number of choirs, including Holmfirth Choral Society, as well as being official accompanist for several Music Festivals. He was also the Organist and Musical Director for St. Stephen’s Church, Lindley. |
Lyndon Wilkinson
Our Deputy Conductor and a prominent member of our Bases, Lyndon Wilkinson passed away on 29th June 2014 after a brief illness Lyndon sang in our bass section and frequently sang solos at concerts. He was also a member of the Hudderfield Choral Society and was a supporter of the HCS Junior Choirs along with his wife Susan Wilkinson, who directed both Gledholt Male Voice Choir and HCS Junior Choirs. |
David Turner
David Turner, a long serving member of the choir and a strong member of the bass section died on the 9th of April 2018. David did a great deal of good work for the choir, and was instrumental in creating the Natonal Male Voice Choir Championships. The prestigious competition started in 1985 as the Northern Male Voice Choir Championships and in 1990 became national. The competition ran until 1995 and really put Gledholt on the map, because it was held in Huddersfield Town Hall and organised by Gledholt each year. David also was a member of the committee for many years and contributed greatly to the life of the choir. Many members of the choir have fond memories of David. David was made an honorary life member in 2017. He will be sadly missed by all. |
Ken Wilson
Kenneth Stead Wilson (known to all as “Ken”), who sadly passed away on 27 September 2019, joined the choir in 1982 as a First Tenor, and remained in that section of the choir during the whole of his time with the choir. He retired from the choir in October 2007 and was made an Associate member. Ken was persuaded to join the choir by another of our loyal members, Keith Watson. Ken sang in both Lindley and Slaithwaite Amateur Operatic Associations. He was Treasurer for the National Male Voice Choir Championships which were hosted and organised by GMVC. Other than that, he was a very conscientious first tenor and used to contribute articles to the choir magazine from time to time. Well before the days of the Concerts Committee, Ken also arranged trips and social events for the choir. Ken worked for Huddersfield Corporation and latterly he was Principal Environmental Health Officer for Kirklees. One of his more interesting tasks was to oversee the exhumation of remains from the crypt of the old Queen Street Mission in Huddersfield before it became the Lawrence Batley Theatre. He wore white overalls, headgear and footwear for this purpose, and must have presented quite a sight. Ken loved singing with the Choir, music was always a huge part of his and June’s life. He loved the friends that he met over the years and made some friends for life. He enjoyed performing the concerts, was very proud of wearing the uniform and enjoyed travelling with the choir and also socialising with wonderful, likeminded people. The choir had the honour of singing at Ken’s funeral at All Saints Church Elland on 15th October 2019, when we performed two of his favourite pieces, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Goin’ Home”. |
John Allen
John Allen, a member of the Bass section for over 20 years, a committee member and Choir treasurer died on the 27th of September 2020. John was a much-valued member of the choir, a true gentleman and a friend to all with a mischievous sense of humour which he used to good effect when needed. He loved singing with Gledholt and took every opportunity to practice and perform. John sang in Methodist Church Choirs for almost 70 years and indeed had sung Messiah at Batley Central in December 2019, a few days before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. John told Philip Ramsden just after Christmas 'I have had a word with my Maker and am content to leave it in his hands', a testament to his deep Christian faith. It is a measure of the high regard the men of the choir had for John that even with Covid 19 restrictions, over 39 formed up in full concert dress outside the church for his funeral. He would have loved us to sing for him but that was not to be, a fitting tribute none the less. |
Robert Garforth
Robert joined Gledholt Male Voice Choir early in 2019, having moved to Huddersfield with his wife, Wendy, in October 2018. Unfortunately, his time with us was cut cruelly short when he died scarcely a year after joining. Nevertheless, in that limited time, he had become an enthusiastic and well-liked choir member. Robert already had experience of singing in Castlecomer Male Voice Choir in Ireland, where he and Wendy lived from 2009 until 2018. As the lone Englishman, he was sometimes teasingly introduced by a compere at concerts as an English refugee who'd been found down the local coal mine! He loved singing with his choir at weddings, funerals, concerts and competitions. Wendy recalls how Robert steadfastly resisted all invitations to sing a solo at social occasions in Ireland but then surprised her once when they were staying at a hotel in Clifden on the West Coast. One evening, when a pianist was entertaining people in the lounge, Robert, having been fortified by a few Irish whiskeys, strolled across to him, made a request and proceeded to sing 'The Fields of Athenry', to be greeted with wild applause. At the end, he returned to their table to announce firmly That was a one-off! Robert had a varied life and career. He trained initially as an electrician but became a policeman, worked in hospitals and care homes and, for a time, he and Wendy ran a pub in Keighley. As well as living in Ireland, they lived for a time in Norfolk. They also travelled, visiting family in New Zealand, friends in Australia and holidaying in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria. His introduction to Gledholt came on the occasion of our concert at Dalton St. Paul's Methodist Church which he and Wendy attended and through the good offices of Jean Delaney, whose late husband many of us remember as a valued and long-standing member of our choir. Wendy informs me that Robert thoroughly enjoyed his time with Gledholt not just for the singing but for the camaraderie as well. He wore his uniform with pride at concerts and always insisted on being well turned out. |
Charlie Clarkson
What can I say about our good friend Charlie?? It was a pleasure to be in his company, he was a kind, quick witted man who was a very good raconteur who could tell jokes at somebody else's expense, but he could also tell jokes at his own expense. He also had a very good baritone voice. As he got older, he did develop a slight degree of deafness which could lead into an amusing verbal exchange with the then Musical Director. The rest of the choir would sit back to relax and enjoy the banter. Charlie more than held his own in the discussions, it was his way of trying to lighten the atmosphere He was also a very good walker, but when it came following the route, he did tend to go his own way on some occasions resulting in someone (usually me) getting him back on route. I have known Charlie for 30+ years, he was a serving high ranked police officer, I made the decision to stay at ground level. One of the few times I had dealings with him, he put me on a charge for growing a beard without permission during duty time (I can elaborate on the point if you want me to) needless to say this did not endear me to him. Several years later at a choir coffee morning at the Town Hall I saw Charlie again (I did not bear a grudge) and introduced Sharon to him. He did remember me whilst putting the charm act on with Sharon. Unfortunately, his wife had just died. He asked me why was I at the coffee morning. I said words to the affect that I was singing with the choir at the town hall that night, to which he said he would come to listen to us and if he liked what he heard he would join us. The rest is history. He was a good addition to the choir and we became good friends. There are many tales I can tell, but I will keep to one, we were singing at the Royal Albert Hall, the piece of music we were trying to sing was the 1812 overture in Russian, without script, getting absolutely nowhere when Charlie gave me a sharp dig in the ribs (I thought it was because I was singing out of tune) I looked at him, he had a big smile on his face. I asked him what was amusing him. His response was that he had cracked it and that if we sang the 1812 overture to 'On Ilkley Moor ba't' at the words fitted the music perfectly, he wasn't wrong, other baritones heard our discussion and started to sing the Yorkshire national anthem, we all had big smiles on our faces and what's more we got away with it. Charlie was a lovely man to know, a man who could bring a smile to your face and in his own way he was a proper gentleman and that is high praise from me. - Tribute by John Topham |
Philip Ramsden
Philip was the longest serving member of Gledholt Male Voice Choir; having joined the choir in 1979, his membership lasted for forty-three years. He sang as a bass, and was a soloist at many of our concerts. He served on the committee and took an active part in the life of the choir. ‘My forty years with Gledholt have been wonderful - the camaraderie, the friendship, the trips abroad and at home’ he wrote. Having been in Gledholt for so long, he knew a lot about its history and I remember him telling me how the choir was once considerably bigger than it is now with a bass section of twenty-two. Singing was a very important part of Philip’s life and he not only sang with Gledholt but with Mirfield Choral Society and with his own church choir – St. Andrew’s Methodist, Mirfield. He loved singing hymns and always found singing ‘The Messiah’ at Christmas uplifting. He had a rich and varied life outside his singing activities, too. Having been born at the end of the war into a loving family and benefitting from the welfare state, he considered himself to have been very fortunate and even more so in having the love and companionship of Rhonda, who sadly died after they’d been married for thirty-five years and then of Sandra, who spoke so warmly of him at the funeral. Although Philip had not enjoyed school as a pupil and left at fifteen, he proved to be a very successful schoolteacher, putting his practical skills and ability to relate to young people to good effect as Head of Technology at Westborough High School. Those practical skills also enabled him to build and repair steam engines; I have good cause to be grateful to him for repairing my own 110-year-old model steam engine. He also built a train set and a Land Rover for his grandchildren. Sandra recalls that he had a passion for cars and had probably owned more than forty in his life; he liked ponds and he liked poetry, sometimes writing it as well as reading it. He had a sense of humour, too: Derek Ogden remembers him commenting how when he looked in the mirror, he sometimes felt like saying ‘Hello Dad!’ Everyone at Gledholt remembers Phillip as a kind, thoughtful and loyal man; it was a pleasure and an honour to know him. - Tribute by Bryn Moore |