WARRINGTON MALE VOICE CHOIR - Key Persons
Amanda Davies is the Secretary for Warrington Male Voice Choir, a role which she has held since February 2014. Amanda is also our Music Librarian which she has been doing with the help of her eldest daughter Charlotte since April 2011.
She first became involved with the Choir when her husband Warren Davies (1st Tenor) joined back in January 2008 and immediately became hooked! As a regular ‘groupie' attending all the concerts, she was then asked to sell the Choir CD's at concerts - which she still does today along with other Choir merchandise.
Recently Amanda was quoted as telling the Choir that when she hears them sing "they make my heart melt" something which she means most sincerely!
Amanda & Warren have 3 children - Adam, Charlotte & Alice - sadly only the daughters can sing, taking after their Dad, their son is tone deaf just like his Mum!!!
Russell's interest in choral music began when he was a Chorister at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool. After graduating in music from Manchester University, he went on to become Assistant Musical Director of the renowned Manchester Chorale, and for the past 27 years he has been the Musical Director of the Warrington Male Voice Choir. In 2002 Russell was elected a Fellow of the Academy of St Cecilia. He is a composer and arranger of choral music, and has had compositions and arrangements performed at the Royal Northern College of Music, the National Concert Hall Dublin, The Waterfront Hall Belfast and the Bridgewater Hall Manchester. His concert appearances include sharing the stage with both Jose Carerras and Luciano Pavarotti, and his many media performances include directing live performances on BBC Radio, S4C and RTE. During his time with Warrington Male Voice Choir, the choir has enjoyed a period of considerable competition success, as prize winners at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, winners of the Sligo and Bangor International Choral Festivals and UK National Male Voice Choir Champions. In March 2012, the choir won first prize in the Majestic Tours competition in Torquay. In November 2019, the choir won the Male Voice category at the North Wales Choral Festival held in Llandudno.
Job Titles:
- PATRON
- Patron of the Choir
Warrington Male Voice Choir is one of Great Britain's oldest choirs, tracing its formation to 1898. During its long history the choir has travelled widely and has performed in many famous concert halls and cathedrals throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and Canada. A century of musical excellence has brought numerous festival honours including, National Champions of Great Britain, several times prize winners at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, and premier male choir at both the Sligo and Bangor International Choral Festivals.
Following the IRA terrorist bombing of Warrington town centre in 1993, the choir became deeply involved in promoting peace and an end to violence in Northern Ireland. Close links were forged with Irish peace groups and for many years since, cross-community concerts for Peace and Reconciliation have been performed throughout the island of Ireland, helping to break down sectarian divisions. The fostering and financing of grassroots reconciliation activities with young people in the interface of West Belfast contributed to the choir's initiatives being acknowledged at the highest level by the Irish, British and United States governments. In 1996 Terry Waite CBE became Patron in tribute to the choir's humanitarian role, and now frequently supports the choir's performances in British and Irish prisons, assisting rehabilitation programmes. During 2008 the choir was shortlisted for Ireland's prestigious peace prize, the Tipperary International Peace Award.
Fellowship within the choir is legendary and, with a full strength of around forty-five to fifty voices and an average age range of sixty-eight years, the choir enjoys an international reputation as one of England's foremost choirs - and as a ‘Choir for Peace'.