Singing for the community for three generations
When We Started
1948 was a time of post war austerity and rationing. The Forest of Dean was still very much an area of coal-mining and industry, criss-crossed with railway lines rather than the beautiful tourist destination it is today.
It happens that it was not only the year in which the National Health Service was founded. In June of that year nine men, mainly church choristers, met in the Methodist Chapel in Drybrook with a mission to form a choir and sing - in the first instance - for their own enjoyment. However, we also believe our founders also saw singing as a way of entertaining and uplifting the community’s spirits in those harsh times. Times may be easier for most people now but that is still our guiding principle – to sing and entertain and to draw our membership from the community.
How We Started
The Choir was formed with an initial subscription of £2.65 in today’s money to purchase sheet music for it to sing. Three members of the original member were from the Kettle family including its first conductor Fred Kettle. Once the choir attracted new members and started to perform it became known affectionately by the nickname, ‘The Singing Kettles’.
Where We Sing
For a brief period at the start of its career the choir was based in the Drybrook Methodist Church. Over the ensuing years it rehearsed at a number of locations in Drybrook village, in particular the United Reformed Church for 25 years, the Village School and the Forest Church.
However in the mid 1980’s, with the choir’s membership increasing and its musical prowess growing, it was able to purchase the old telephone exchange next to its original home, the Methodist Chapel, and convert it into the excellent purpose-built rehearsal room that it still uses today. This includes a music library, a generous music room able to accommodate a choir of up to fifty people, and happily for its membership, a licenced bar.
Our People
A choir needs a strong leader and over the years we have been blessed with many dedicated and talented Musical Directors and accompanists. The original MD, Fred Kettle (1950-1977) was succeeded by Olwen Williams (1977-80), June Jones (1980- 2009) and others, right up to our current MD Simon Andrewes, who joined the choir in 2018. We have been very lucky to be helped by such people. Simon is ably supported by our extremely hard working pianist Anita Chaloner, who has also set up the highly successful local mixed choir, the Forest Singers.
Our Music
In the past the choir has entered and been successful in many competitions. We have a huge library of music to draw from; however the emphasis these days is on looking forward. Whilst mining the rich tradition of three-part male voice arrangements, we have introduced fresh new arrangements of these pieces as well as more contemporary work. We now have a repertoire which we believe will entertain and uplift - and in a way that our illustrious forebears would be proud of.