Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choir

About Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choir

SMVc group photo

Our choir has a long and prestigious history and this reputation continues as every week some 30 enthusiastic members rehearse to achieve a standard which can be carried to performance. The aim of the choir is to share musical enjoyment with audiences and to help charitable organizations raise money.

Jane makes you feel that she is looking directly at you and gives so much encouragement that she gets the best out of each individual.
Richard Brown, Choir member

We usually perform about twelve concerts a year and take part in various competitions. In 2015 we were successful in gaining first prize in the male voice section at three festivals. These were at Mrs. Sunderland, Eskdale and Biddulph. The choir performs concerts for many good causes, raising funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Alzheimer's Society, Wakefield Hospice, The League of Friends for Pinderfields Hospital and Yorkshire Cancer Research. It has encouraged youth choirs, having enjoyed singing with the Yorkshire Youth Choir and The Halifax Young Singers and has developed concerts with local school choirs.

We have a broad repertoire covering traditional male voice pieces, classic and operatic, songs from the shows and popular music.

Our highly talented musical team is:

Musical Director: Jane Hobson

Jane Hobson

Jane qualified as a teacher of music, graduating from Bretton Hall College, and soon found herself as Head of Department in a local Comprehensive School. Taking a break from teaching after the birth of her daughter, Jane had a successful career as a vocal soloist, appearing on many concert platforms around Great Britain.

Having concentrated on vocal coaching and choir training over the last twenty years, Jane is now a well-respected vocal tutor of both individual scholars and choirs.

As a Musical Director Jane has had long standing collaborations with Penistone Ladies Choir and Hobsons Chorus (a small group of male voices) and continues to motivate choristers in her project mixed choir, Coro Amici. She has recently been invited to lead Cawthorne Choral Society during sabbatical leave of their MD.

Under her inspirational guidance and tutelage, Jane’s role as MD to Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choir over the last fourteen years has seen her elevate the standing of the choir with much success and numerous trophies in competitions such as the Mrs. Sunderland, Eskdale, Ilkley, Biddulph & Don Valley. A continuing and thriving choir after the COVID-19 pandemic, Skelmanthorpe Male Voice Choir is testament to Jane’s choral leadership skills.

Deputy Musical Director: Norman Bailey (Deceased)

Sadly, Norman passed away very recently after bravely fighting cancer for more than a year. We will leave his biography here as a testimony to the incredible contribution to our choir that he made for over 45 years. We have been blessed to sing alongside him and to be guided by him on so many occasions; we shall not see his like again. Thank you Norman, rest in peace.

Norman joined the choir as a singing member of the baritone section in 1978. In 1986 he was asked to be the Deputy Musical Director and a three month trial was agreed. Over 35 years later he still held that position having worked with seven Musical Directors.

He has conducted the choir in many venues including two visits to Germany and has stepped into the breach leading the choir between MDs on a number of occasions.

He started his musical interests in the Salvation Army to play the learning cornet at the age of seven. Originally from the midlands Norman studied at Oastler College in Huddersfield and started teaching in 1971. He was a headteacher for 25 years but is now retired.

Accompanist: Tim Wilkes

Tim started playing the piano when he was 8 years old. He later started playing for his daughter and other performers at competitions and then for choirs.

As well as SMVC he is now accompanist for HCS Voices (the community/academy choir of Huddersfield Choral Society), Almondbury Ladies choir, Pennine Singers (Huddersfield) and Oaks choir at Old Earth primary school. He is also musical director and organist for St Barnabas Church.