.htm_cmp_sweets000_vbtn.gif){kind=small}
Bournville Phoenix Male Voice Choir
Formed from the Bournville and the Phoenix Male Voice Choirs in 1999, the group has gone from strength to strength performing concerts for many charitable organisations. Bournville & Raddlebarn choirs were both formed in 1923,(Raddlebarn on St. George's Day), at the Friends Hall, Selly Hill (search on Friends Hall, Selly Hill).
Raddle Barn (Now Bournville Pheonix) Yes 1926 Len Hunt
Yes 1933 Len Hunt
Yes 1946 E.T. Baldwin
Yes 1947 E.T. Baldwin
Click on thumbnails NB only 14 shields.
1926 1933
A SHORT HISTORY OF
RADDLEBARN E.M.S.MALE VOICE CHOIR
by Arthur Bowkett MD 2004
At the beginning there was the Early Morning School at the Friends' Meeting House in Raddlebarn Road. This met on Sunday mornings at 8.30 a.m. and included the singing of hymns in its programme. A suggestion was made that the singing was good enough to share, so a concert was arranged. This was so successful that the group of singers became a choir, and this was known as the Raddlebarn EMS choir until the Raddlebarn meeting was dissolved after the second world war, when the building was taken over by the City Education Dept.
The choir went from success to success during the 1920's under the conductorship of Len Hunt who had been one of the first enthusiasts. In 1926 the Barrow Cadbury Shield was won for the first time, and other festival successes were achieved. At this time there were thirty-five singers, more than half of whom remained members for a further twenty years.
By the `Thirties, the choir was holding a regular competitive festival for local people, although numbers were beginning to decline to about twenty-five. For the second time, the choir's name appeared on the Barrow Cadbury Shield. A tradition that had developed was the annual Christmas event, in which solo items were performed by members, poems and stories were read (mostly about current events and interests of members) and there were also performances of playlets. Most of the writing for these items was in the hands of three members, Arthur Harris, Frank Hobday and most prolifically Eddie Baldwin. Several of the scripts for these events are in the archives. This kind of entertainment was frequent among people who belonged to groups recruited very locally.
There were three male voice choirs in the immediate locality at this time. Besides Raddlebarn, there was Northfield, based on the Institute in Bunbury Road, with Tom Osborne conducting, and at Cadbury's was the Bournville choir, the largest of the three. On the outbreak of World War Two, the choirs were faced with a problem as, one by one the younger singers were called up for military service. There was a risk that the choirs could cease to be viable individually, so a merger was arranged to form a joint choir conducted on a rota system. The friendship that resulted from this was maintained after the war, and several joint concerts took place.
After the war, the three choirs separated again and pursued their own fortunes. Len Hunt had retired, so his place was taken by Eddie Baldwin. In other ways the choir went on as before. There had always been a traditional comradeship within the choir and this remained into the post-war period. A second success was achieved in the competition for the Barrow Cadbury Shield. One interesting event is worth reporting. In 1950 the choir decided on an annual summer outing as a social event to replace the Christmas party which was now out-of-date. The venue was the river Thames, places being booked on a steamer from Windsor to Maidenhead. What was not expected was that this coincided with the first post-war Maidenhead regatta, so the choir suddenly found itself in a procession past cheering crowds and our presence was announced by no less a person than John Snagge. We naturally struck up the "Jolly Roger" and were greeted with applause.
By now the choir was older and had begun to lose its competitive spirit. Competitions were still entered but there was little enthusiasm for the rigour and detail of preparation needed. Fund raising for charity and entertainment of others was regarded as a better outlet for the choir's efforts. Other attractions reduced the ranks and at one time only seven men met to debate the future. Old members were persuaded to return, and the choir survived. By then, Northfield Choir had folded up, partly for similar reasons and partly with the death of Tom Osborne, so there were a number of singers available in that area. Recruitment was brisk and the choir entered into a new era of success; at one time there were more than thirty singers on the list, the highest since the war.
Then a blow fell. The Meeting House closed and with it the Early Morning School, when the old tin chapel (a corrugated iron structure heated by two military style coke stoves - less attractive than Bournville Meeting House down the road) was taken over by the Education Authority so the choir needed a new venue. A brave decision was made to become an Evening Institute class, which meant a roof over our heads, salaries for conductor and pianist, a high fee paid on one day instead of the 6d. a week collection by the treasurer, and the only income coming from concert fees. At first the venue was Raddlebarn School, which was local and isolated from the education officials, but a move to Selly Park School became a last straw, and the decision was made to return to independence and the current arrangement with Bournville Friends' Meeting House led to the present venue.
In 1973 came the fiftieth anniversary. A dinner was held at which no less than five founder members were presented with fifty-year service certificates - Eddie Baldwin, Frank Hobday, Bert Moore, Albert Andrews and Denis Crowe. Of these Bert was the oldest survivor, having been singing solos until just before he died with more than seventy years service.
The Northfield contingent was now very strong and the link with Raddlebarn Road broken, so the choir became Phoenix Male Choir but this was not regarded as the end of Raddlebarn Choir. The original spirit lived on and if anything became stronger. However, age began to be a problem and the choir declined somewhat, still determined to keep the flag flying. Younger new members were sought in vain and the prospect was not clear. Then in 1998 it was time to celebrate the 75"'. Anniversary and it became clear that help was needed. Co-operation had been developed with Bournville choir who had similar problems so both choirs helped with both anniversaries (there was less than six months between the date of founding of both); the futures of both choirs were clearly bound up together and the decision to merge was made. So the Bournville Phoenix came into existence and a joint 80th. Anniversary concert resulted.
So the choir lives on, in a new form, now a choir of retired men, with the same spirit and determination to keep the male voice choir tradition going. Concert venues are now mainly weekday afternoons and these are equally rewarding; more intimate and friendly with a chance to sing to older people who appreciate the performance. Besides, there is no competition from other choirs whose members have to work!
In 2003 we celebrated our 80th anniversary. Amongst other activities we took part in the inaugural concert of the Birmingham St. George’s Day Association in company with other choirs over the Midlands which was staged at the marvellous Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Email to; Cadbury Challenge Shield
Phone No. 07985041167
Webmaster: Challenge Shield
We take no responsibility for the information on external links