WELCOME TO TEESSIDE APOLLO MALE VOICE CHOIR
Choir Principals
Concert Diary
Choir recordings
Choir Officials/Committee Members
How to Contact The Teesside Apollo Male voice choir
Recruitment
Choir Personnel
Choir Update
Tribute to Gwyn
Nick Bennett
ANNUAL CONCERTS
Message Board
Guestbook
|
President
 Mrs Lilian Thompson
Lilian was appointed President in 1984, replacing our previous president Sir Harry Mortimer. This was universally popular with the choir because Lilian's husband, Stan, had been a popular and energetic Chairman of the Apollo Choir until his untimely death in 1983.
Although Stan was a sucessful businessman, Lilian has been successful in a long political career, serving as Councillor on the Teesside Council in a number of capacities, including Head of the Education Authority. Lilian has also been active in helping underprivileged children to have holidays and fulfil their potential.
Her interest and pleasure in music is reinforced by the fact that she is also President of the Teesside Operatic Society. As with the Operatic Society we at the Apollo consider ourselves fortunate to have her. She always attends our AGM and rarely misses the monthly committee meeting. It is also unusual for Lilian to miss any Apollo concert and her benign and gracious presence is always a pleasant feature of all of our Annual Concerts at the Middlesbrough Theatre.
|
Chairman
 David Carter
David joined the Apollo Choir way back in 1961 when the choir was known as the Middlesbrough Apollo Male Voice Choir and when rehearsals took place in a large shed next door to Ayresome Park. David, in addition to being a choir soloist, has appeared locally in musicals and operettas, mainly with the Stockton Stage Society. He has served as Vice Chairman from 1987 under Vic Spencer, Tom Haigh and latterly Gene Jarred.
He became Chairman at the beginning of the year 2000 and has since hosted two Chairman's evenings at The Marton Country Club.
David has always been actively involved in choir tours, but particularly the Canadian and Jersey trips.
|
Secretary
 Joe Thompson
Joe is originally from Liverpool and describes himself as "A Yorkshire by adoption" having moved to the Teesside area with parents in the late 1950's. He was a visitor to the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool and his only claim to fameis that in school he sat next to Joyce-the girl who married Marty Wilde and became the mother if Kim! He has always enjoyed music,singing in both school and church choirs and before joining the Apollo he sang with the 'Transporters of Harmony',the Middlesbrough based barber shop group. Like many in the choir Joe has associations with the steel industry,having worked in the Dorman Long rolling mills. A varied working life followed and included; a male nurse, a lab. technician with ICI, and an HGV driver with British Steel before going 'back to school' to gain a BSC honours degree in Social Administration. This led to sixteen years employment as Information Officer with Redcar & Cleveland Council before retirement in 1999.For many years Joe was Assistant Secretary and tour Manager with the Apollo and was involved in taking the choir on tours to Germany ,Holland and Jersey and bringing other choirs to guest with the Apollo. He took over as Choir Secretary in 2000 and is enjoying the day to day involvement of choir management. His hobbies include trout fishing, walking his terriers and with his Italian partner, Patrizie, presenting Italian Lifestyle cooking classes at local schools and colleges. Joe's love of choral music is summed up best by a quote from Il Maestro Luciano Pavarotti "To sing is to live but to live is to sing" |
Registrar
 David Pearce
Dave joined the choir in 1984 and sings in the baritone section. From the days when he sang as a choirboy at St. Luke’s Church in Thornaby he has always enjoyed singing and still gets as much pleasure from rehearsals and concerts as he did then.
He became choir registrar in 1995 following the death of Harry Dunn who had held the position since 1975.
He hasn’t missed a choir tour since joining the choir and, as with most choir members, remembers the 1986 tour of Canada as being the highlight.
After working at British Steel for 37 years in the Safety Department Dave is now happily retired.
Dave’s other interests include golf and bridge and he is also a season – ticket holder at Middlesbrough Football Club.
Along with Carol Nugent, his wife Ann attends almost every concert selling CDs and cassettes of many of the choir's recordings.
He and Ann are also proud grandparents of Luke who takes up much of their spare time. |
Librarian
 Steve Kayley |
This page has been visited  times. |
