
THE GENTLEMEN
SONGSTERS MALE VOICE CHOIR
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Mike Wells
ACCOMPANIST
Neil Bolton
ASSISTANT ACCOMPANIST
Steven Swindells
DEPUTY CONDUCTOR
John Walley
OUR ADMIN TEAM
Contact Details
PRESIDENT
CHAIRMAN
VICE-CHAIRMAN
VICE-PRESIDENTS
CHARITY TRUSTEES
MUSICAL TEAM
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Mike Wells

Mike's
knowledge of music has been gained from many years of experience. His father
was an opera lover who also sang with a Birmingham based Gilbert &
Sullivan society, teaching Mike many songs at home from an early age. With
help from his parents, Mike learned to play the piano whilst still at junior
school and then went on to direct and accompany various school concerts at
senior school. For many years he was accompanist for several amateur
operatic societies and musical groups, first taking up the baton in 1994 as
musical director for a local operatic society. Mike has been conducting
mixed voice groups and choirs for a number of years but this is his first
time with an all male voice choir. He
was appointed as our Musical Director in March 2008, and has had a
significant positive impact on our performances.
ACCOMPANIST
Neil Bolton

Neil began reading
music at the age of five, and learnt to play the recorder in a lunch-time group at infant
school. He continued to play most members of the recorder family at Causeway Green Music
Centre for ten years, and then joined the "Zephyr Consort", playing bass
recorder until the group disbanded in 1994.
Neil's piano lessons commenced at the age of seven, and continued for eleven years, by
which time he had achieved Grade 8 in piano playing. Throughout his years in school and
higher education, he has learnt to play the tuba, violin and clarinet amongst other
instruments, and he played clarinet in his school Wind Band, "The Sandwell Training
Concert Band", and finally "The Sandwell Youth Concert Band" (as first
clarinet), before leaving to concentrate on his academic studies.
Whilst at school, he played the piano in the Jazz Band, and the Bass in
"Neither Brass Nor Strings" - a Steel Band, the latter making a recording in a
professional studio to raise money for school funds. They also played at many school
fetes, concerts, assemblies and even at a wedding and a birthday party.
Neil was appointed Assistant Accompanist to "The Gentlemen Songsters Male Voice
Choir" in May 1998, after meeting his mentor, Lynn Andrews, whilst undertaking his
first teaching practice at her school. He has served as Accompanist to the "Sandwell
Young Singers", a choir for school children within the Sandwell Education Authority
area, and has also acted as an official accompanist at the Dudley Festival of Music Drama
and Dance
In his professional life, Neil is a primary school teacher working
for Birmingham Education Authority. His current role is as Head of ICT
Neil was promoted to
Accompanist at the end of March 2003.
ASSISTANT ACCOMPANIST
Steven Swindells

Steven was appointed as the Gentlemen
Songsters’ Assistant Accompanist in September 2007 – at the age of 16
He became interested in music at the age of 9
and started keyboard lessons at Roy Jeavons Music School in Dudley, and has
since performed in many concerts organised by both that school and his
former secondary school, Castle High School in Dudley.
Since he was 14, he has concentrated on
piano, and has participated in the RadioWM Summer Star Search, which
afforded him the dubious honour of being interviewed and making a live
performance on the Les Ross afternoon show!
Having gained excellent GCSE results in 2007,
including an “ A* “ in Music, he has now moved from sixth form education,
having studied Psychology, Biology and Music at the Oldswinford Hospital School,
Stourbridge, to the
Birmingham Conservatoire where his objective
is to develop a musical career which will also include the violin and the
wind section.
DEPUTY CONDUCTOR
John Walley

John Walley has been a member of "The Gentlemen Songsters Male Voice Choir"
since January 1989. His usual role on the front row of the Second Tenors has nothing to do
with his love of rugby! John took early retirement from his position as a Civil Engineer
with Sandwell Council, and first served as Choir Chairman during 1998. It was in 1998 that
John, who also is a Church Organist and Choirmaster, was appointed as Deputy Conductor to
"The Gentlemen Songsters Male Voice Choir". John's musical and artistic talents
are often deployed to the full when he leads the choir (some of you will have seen him
conducting "This Old Man"!!!!) and the choir supporters in
"songs and actions" at our regular concert afterglows and in the bar on
choir tours - often ending flat on the floor at the end of leading a group
singing "Who Killed Cock Robin?" John has
served a number of sentences as Choir Chairman, and has also served as Concert Secretary.
Recently, John filled the role of Acting Musical Director until the
appointment of Mike Wells as Musical Director.
OUR ADMINISTRATION TEAM
| PRESIDENT |
Mr
Joe Brandrick |
|
| CHAIRMAN |
Mr Derek Clarke, 29 Sandy
Lane, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 9EB |
01902 744234
dkc1@blueyonder.co.uk |
| VICE-CHAIRMAN |
Mr Peter Hawthorne CBE 8 Meadow View, Sedgley, DY3 3EX |
01902 662498
pete,hawthorne@talktalk,net |
| HONORARY SECRETARY
|
Mr
Tony Fletcher,
7 Stanmore Mews, Stourbridge Road, Bridgnorth WV15 6D6 |
01746 763850
ajfletcher2@btinternet.com
|
| TREASURER |
Mr
Robert Biggs, 18 Hopyard Lane, Gornal Wood, Dudley,
DY3 2XD |
01384 459770
robertbiggs@btinternet.com |
| CONCERT SECRETARY
|
Mr Bill Hart,
25 Casewell Road, Wall Heath,
Kingswinford DY6 9HB |
01384 287715
bilbo.blue@blueyonder.co.uk |
| PUBLICITY SECRETARY
|
Mr John Smith,
47 Summercourt Square Kingswinford, DY6 9QJ |
01384 830149
ejs346@blueyonder.co.uk
|
|
WEBMASTER
|
Mr Keith Moss
1 Hawkswell Avenue, Wombourne, South
Staffs, WV5 0HL |
01902 897037
keith@keithmoss.plus.com |
Joe Brandrick

Derek Clarke

Peter Hawthorne C.B.E.

VICE-PRESIDENTS
Don Marsh, June Box, Michael Collie & Philippa Tomson
CHARITY TRUSTEES
Derek Clarke, Robert
Biggs, Tony Fletcher, Robert Ashwood & Keith Moss
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