A Nottinghamshire volunteer choir who had limited singing experience at the start of 2024 have capped off a remarkable year of musical transformation by performing live on The Jeremy Vine Show.
The group appeared on the Channel Five show this week, alongside their mentors in the Radcliffe on Trent Male Voice Choir (RoTMVC), to talk about their experiences and how they went from complete novices to performing in front of a national TV audience within the space of a year.
The Men United in Song choir came together in March as part of a national pop-up singing project in support of Prostate Cancer UK. More than 100 volunteer singers joined the choir for the chance to learn a new musical skill while making friends and supporting a worthy cause. The local project was organised and supported by RoTMVC.
The men underwent an intense nine-week rehearsal programme with RoTMVC’s music team to prepare for a spectacular sold-out concert in front of more than 600 people at Southwell Minster, where they performed alongside the main RoTMVC choir and Mansfield’s Cantamus Girls’ Choir. They also performed sell-out shows at Nottingham’s Albert Hall and St Giles Church in West Bridgford over the summer.
More than 70 of the men brought the campaign to a close with a surprise flash mob, serenading shoppers at the Victoria Centre with a medley of their favourite tunes.
During the year, they raised more than £60,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, and around 40 members of the Men United choir have since joined RoTMVC.
Malcolm Dillon, RoTMVC spokesman, said: “Our appearance on the Jeremy Vine show this week brought the curtain down on a fantastic year for the Nottinghamshire Men United choir, who have been on an incredible musical journey over the past 12 months.
“Many of the guys who signed up had little or no singing experience. We gave them the skills and confidence to go out there and perform in such beautiful venues alongside renowned local choirs, and not look out of place.
“The invitation to appear on Jeremy’s show came completely out of the blue. The fact that we raised so much money for such a worthy cause caught the producers’ imagination, and we were delighted to accept.
“Many of the Men United choir have experience of prostate cancer, whether personally or through someone they know, so the project helped to bring them together and give them a space to talk about their experiences and support each other through whatever they’ve been dealing with.
“We were delighted to have been able to facilitate this, but also to raise such a big total for Prostate Cancer UK, which will help fund vital research to support the ongoing fight against this deadly illness.”
The RoTMVC will be performing two Christmas charity concerts in aid of Nottingham Childline later this month. The first takes place at 2pm on Friday 13 December, at Bingham Arena, alongside the Bingham Primary School Choir and the West Bridgford and Toot Hill Schools’ Symphony Orchestra. The second takes place at 2.30pm on Saturday 21 December, at St Mary’s Church in Radcliffe on Trent, alongside the Radcliffe on Trent Junior School Choir and the Blidworth Welfare Band. Tickets for both shows are £10 (£1 for under 16s). To book, email ROTMVC@gmail.com or call Bill on 07972 013614.
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