On the Beat@

30 Years of Music and Memories

30th Anniversary Edition - June 2019

How Did It All Begin?

The story about this stems from one of those

casual comments that started a group of like-

minded people making it happen.

The Essex Police Musical Society had been in

existence for some years when, just before

Christmas 1988, one of their members retired

PC John Bray, was talking with Police

Photographer Norman Eastbrook who was

taking publicity photographs for a forthcoming

performance.

John commented that ‘It would be a nice

change to read from a score and sing whilst

standing still, rather than prancing about on a

stage!” Norman who was (and still is)

Choirmaster of St Luke’s Tiptree suggested to

John that they could start a Choir and he

(Norman) would take on the role of Musical

Director.

In early 1989, John went to

the then Deputy Chief

Constable, Peter Simpson

to ask his permission - only

to find that Peter loved

music and was in total

agreement (he eventually

joined us as well)!

Luckily, the then Chief Constable John Burrow,

who happened to be a former choirboy himself,

was all for the creation of a Police Choir.

Recruitment took place and 26 people joined up

including Bob Hayes, who today is the only

Founder Member still singing and the Founding

Chairman.

Once it became apparent that there were

sufficient voices to start the Choir, arrangements

had to be made for a rehearsal venue and the

Force offered the then Cadet School canteen at

Police HQ. The inaugural meeting of the Steering

Committee took place on 2nd May 1989.

The Technicalities!

OK, we had an MD in Norman and some willing

volunteers but no accompanist, music - or even a

piano!

Through his musical contacts, Norman found the

first accompanist that we had in Ruth le Poidevin.

But soon afterwards, Jo Dudley, a Sergeant at

Chelmsford became accompanist and Deputy MD.

One member, Roger Grimwade, tried to get hold

of the music held by the disbanded Police Staff

College Choir, only to be told that it had been

burnt! But St Luke’s came up with the loan of sev-

eral pieces including ‘All in an April Evening’ and

Martin Shaw’s ‘Fanfare’, both of which we still

sing.

But the way the piano came about is a story in

itself. John Bray was working at Chelmsford

Crown Court and was speaking to the senior

Judge, Peter Greenwood. He had downsized his

house and had a piano but he didn’t want to sell it

- so agreed to an extended loan of it to the Choir.

Although the piano was free, the cost of removing

it to HQ, mechanical parts and tuning came to

over £300 - and this was 30 years ago! -1-

Peter Simpson

CONCERTS FOR THE REST OF 2019

14th September: with Metropolitan Police at the Church of the

Holy Sepulchre, Holborn Viaduct, EC1A 2DQ

19th October: Annual Concert with Essex Police Band at

St Luke’s, Tiptree, CO5 0SU

16th November: United Reformed Church, Billericay, CM12 9LR

3rd December (Tues): Essex Women’s Institutes Christmas

Concert at Chelmsford Cathedral, CM1 1EH

7th December: Methodist Church, Manningtree, CO11 1BQ

14th December: Annual Christmas Concert, Trinity Methodist

Church, Chelmsford, CM1 2XB

Uniforms were another matter but the Force

came up trumps again and provided ladies with

white long-sleeved shirts and checked cravats, as

worn by policewomen and members initially

provided long black skirts. For the men, they had

blue jackets as worn by civil staff and the former

white shirts worn by male officers.

Once the Choir had the basics in place,

administrative matters were then dealt with.

Banking (Lloyds), Trustees (the first being

Assistant Chief Constables James Conlan and

Geoffrey Markham), devising a Constitution

(which was based on the Essex Police Band’s one)

and setting the subs (£12 for the first year).

The First Concert

It was agreed at the outset that the Choir would

make no charge for performing but any voluntary

donations from organisers would be used to

defray expenses. Once a surplus was made it

would be donated to a charity nominated by the

members.

No sooner had the Choir got its house in order,

when on 12th July 1989, they received a request

from Boreham Women’s Institute for a Christmas

concert.

Panic didn’t exactly set in but it was at this stage

that the Choir realised that it had to learn a basic

group of songs!

By September 1989, at the first AGM, it was

reported that the Choir had met on 15 occasions

and that we had 28 paid up members. Also, that

10 pieces were in rehearsal and the Choir had

broken the back of them.

At that AGM, a proposal from the floor (possibly

tongue-in-cheek?) that the Choir enter the ‘Choir

of the Year’ competition, was thrown out as being

a bit too ambitious!

As the year rolled on, more requests were

received for concerts in 1990, mainly from

churches attended by Choir members.

In November, Norman broke his ankle in a road

accident but the show went on!

On 5th December 1989, the Choir performed its

first concert with 25 singing members plus a few

‘ringers’ from Tiptree Choral Society whom

Norman had arranged, to give us support.

Choir members had agreed to purchase their own

copy of the Oxford Book of Carols and music was

sung from there, as well as some of the pieces

that the Choir had learnt, including

‘Jerusalem’ (well, it was a WI concert!), ‘‘We’ll

Gather Lilacs’ and ‘Oh! What a Beautiful Morning’.

The concert was a success and we were given a

donation of £60 by the WI which, because we

seemed to be solvent, was given to the first

recipient of our charitable donations, Crossroads

Care Attendant Scheme.

So within a year, the Choir had gone from a ‘throw

away’ comment, to a reality.

Bigger and Bigger Events

The Choir performed 11 concerts in 1990,

including ones in Marks Tey, Southminster, Great

Baddow and Rayleigh.

One major event in 1990 was the celebration of

the 150th Anniversary of Essex Police. On 23rd

September the Choir had two ‘firsts’ - singing in

Chelmsford Cathedral and being accompanied by

the Essex Police Band.

In 1991, as well as performing at 14 concerts (Yes!

14) the Choir entered the Leigh-on-Sea Music

Festival where the Judges complimented them on

their demonstration of ‘life and enthusiasm’.

Also in 1991 the Choir were invited to perform at

All Saints, Great Braxted to celebrate the

appointment of Michael Clark of Braxted Park, as

High Sheriff of Essex. For this the Choir learnt and

performed the challenging ‘Magnificat in B Flat’ by

Charles Villiers Stanford.

Boreham, Christmas 1989

-2-

But with Peter at the helm this was done and the

event was a huge success - and made a profit

which was donated to various charities.

10 Year’s Old

Throughout the 1990’s the Choir had performed

between 12 and 14 concerts every year, trying to

cover all parts of the County but including trips

outside, many singing with other Police Choirs.

With the success of two year’s planning for the

International Festival, there was a bit of a feeling

of exhaustion but celebrating 10 years soon put a

stop to that!

As well as performing 9 other concerts, we held a

packed 10th Gala Concert at Christ Church in

Chelmsford. This saw the Choir performing with

the Musical Society, the Herts and the

Bedfordshire Police Choirs and the Essex Police

Band. The joint number of ‘When the Saints Go

Marching In’ performed by all five groups, was

reported as being ‘spectacular’.

The 10th Anniversary Dinner was held at Three

Rivers Country Club and was well attended by

members and by the then Chief Constable, David

Stevens who took over from John Burrow in 1998.

But John hadn’t ceased his association with the

Choir as he became a Vice President, a role that

he held until last year.

2000 also saw us have our first Christmas Concert

at Trinity Methodist Church where we have

since performed every year for 20 years and we

also we had a return trip to Canada.

Two changes also happened in the Choir. The

uniforms were changed yet again with ladies now

having long navy blue skirts instead of black ones

(measured to within 2½” of the floor!) and men

having new blazers with the Choir crest on them.

At the AGM in 1991 there were some misgivings

about the music that was being sung, as members

felt that it was too ‘choral’ and as there was

money in the Choir funds, a wider range of music

was bought.

In 1993, the Choir decided to attend another

music festival - an international Police one - but in

British Columbia, Canada! In May, a respectable

number of singing and non-singing men and ladies

made the trip which also prompted a change of

uniform. New blazers were bought for the men

with the Choir crest and ladies had blue jackets

and houndstooth skirts as worn by civil staff.

In May 1994, the international tag was

supplemented by a trip to Criossy-sur-Sienne

(Danbury’s twin town) where two concerts were

performed with the local choir and pieces included

the joint singing of the ‘National Anthem’ and ‘The

Marseillaise’.

Following on from Canada, Peter Simpson and the

Choir decided to host a 2nd International Police

Music Festival in Chelmsford in 1995. There was a

great deal of work involved and fundraising for this

was needed as the budget required £10,000.

Hong Kong Police Choir in Chelmsford,

-3-

First Official Photo 1990

Vancouver 1993

The music was also subjected to a major review to

broaden the range and in 2000, this led to the

recording of our first sell-out CD ‘On the Beat’.

Foreign travels continued with a joint concert with

the Royal Ulster Constabulary Ladies Choir in 1999.

We had organised the visit to them in Belfast but

unfortunately there was an escalation in ‘the

Troubles’ just prior to the event and a number of

members decided not to go. But 12 did do so and

participated in several joint numbers.

Major Changes in the ‘Noughties’

The Choir were still receiving many requests for

concerts and decided that they should limit the

numbers to around 10 a year and ensure that they

were spread around the County.

However whilst Founder and subsequent

members had to have had an association with the

Force, it was decided in 2001 that the Choir would

now accept members who had no direct

connection with, but who would uphold the ethos

of, the Police Service.

Another major trip happened in 2003 when the

Choir and the Essex Police Band took part in

‘Festpol’ in a very hot Prague.

What was meant to be a show of community with

the local population, turned out to be concerts by

choirs, for choirs but it was still great fun.

After a joint concert at Charter Hall in 2006, where

the Police Service of Northern Ireland Ladies Choir

were singing from memory, a proposal was

accepted that we sing without folders of music, as

from the start of 2008.

This was not unanimously accepted and nor was

the introduction of Voice Tests for existing

members. It was reported that there was poor

communication from the Committee to members,

some of whom felt that they were being judged as

to whether they were good enough for the Choir

and this did cause a few members to leave.

An independent musician was brought in to ‘test’

people to ensure that the Choir had the right

balance and from then on, new applicants are

given a test to ensure that they are going to fit in

with the Choir’s make-up.

For a period there seemed to be further

breakdowns in communication between the

Committee and members and so in 2007 there

was an EGM to clear the air and the roles of Male

and Female Representatives were established.

In 2008 two of the younger members, Mark

Lawrence and Stewart Eastbrook, (son-in-law and

son of Norman) created a website and found

other ways of advertising the Choir and using the

Force intranet to try to recruit new members.

November 2007 saw the recording of our second

CD and in 2009, there were long discussions about

coach travel which now had to be paid for by the

members who took advantage of the transport. It

was decided to charge £10 per person for the

privilege - something that continues to this day.

Chelmsford 1999

Norman, Peter and CC David Stevens with the first CD

-4-

Prague Concert 2003

Continuing our ‘foreign’ travels a large group of 71

members and friends went to Southern Ireland in

2009 and had a great time at the two concerts, a

coach ride around the ‘Ring of Kerry’ - and the

odd Irish Pub visit!

The Next Decade

In 2010, we were told that the Assembly Hall was

no longer available for rehearsals. However, ‘The

LEC’, which is back at the Training School, was

offered and has proven to be a good venue.

For the first time, in 2010, we had to cancel our

Christmas Concert due to a heavy fall of snow.

Had we actually run it, no-one would have got out

of the building, let alone home!

In 2011 we recorded our 3rd CD which has since

sold out.

A highlight of 2012 was the 3 Police Choirs

Concert at St Botolph’s in Colchester with Suffolk

Male Voice Choir and the Hertfordshire

Constabulary Choir and a host of VIP guests.

Our 2014 Silver Jubilee concert with Essex Police

Band and the Glenfaba Chorale virtually filled the

Cathedral and was a roaring success. In May, we

also held a celebratory dinner in the Conservatory

at The Essex Golf & Country Club in Earls Colne.

Up to Our 20th

In 2002, a trio called ’Musicality’

joined us as guests and a lady

called Doreen Potter really shone

with her superb piano playing and

her ‘Joyce Grenfell’ type

monologues.

Doreen and Fiona Whittaker (daughter of former

Choir members Henry and Judith) guested at

concerts over the next few years and we loved

having them.

In January 2007 it was announced that Clive

Eastbrook, Norman’s brother, who had been our

accompanist for many years, wanted to take time

out and that Doreen Potter, was to become the

new incumbent.

In May 2008, we had 45 singing members and

our repertoire had gone from singing a lot of

‘choral’ type pieces to a range of music from the

shows, old favourites and some more formal

works. Whilst new music was introduced,

Norman maintained his insistence that some

songs he brought in were to challenge the Choir

to perform even better.

The most tragic event in 2008 was the death of

Peter Simpson who was not only our Chairman

for 10 years but a superb Compére at concerts.

His jokes were superb and couldn’t be matched

by any future person!

Also during that year, Dick Giggins, our stalwart

Page Turner and wife and Choir member Mollie,

celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary

with a mid-rehearsal buffet!

Several special events were planned to celebrate

our 20th year including an Anniversary Dinner at

The Essex Golf & Country Club and 10 concerts,

including one across the border in Long Melford

and an annual concert with a visiting choir from

Cornwall.

For our 20th Year in 2009 member Maureen

Scollan produced an amazingly detailed booklet

about the Choir which was eventually sold with

the CDs and from which the first part of this

‘potted’ history has been taken.

Kath, Diane, Dick

and Norman–

checking out the

local brew!

St Botolphs Church,

Colchester, 3 Police

Choirs Concert

Founder Members with

the President (l to r) Bob

Hayes, Roger Grimwade,

CC Stephen Kavanagh

and Diane & Tony Hillam

at our 25th Dinner

-5-

Also in 2014, 34 members and guests, together

with a group from our friends the Cavender

Singers, made a weekend trip down to Saltash.

But one sad event soon after our

25th Dinner was the death of Dick

Giggins, our former page turner

and someone dear to all of our

hearts.

In 2015 a Memorial

Trophy which was

commissioned by two

Choir members was

presented to the member

with the best attendance

record. First, and joint

winners were the two

Kaths - Weedy and Adams who were presented

with the trophy by Dick’s son and daughter-in-law.

2015 saw another version of lady’s uniform,

dispensing with the polycotton blouses that were

cold in winter and too hot in summer!

They say ‘never perform

with children or animals’

but this proved incorrect

when, as well as our own

Christmas Concert in 2016,

we performed with a choir

from The Iceni Academy

Primary School which was a really fun affair.

Another busy year in 2017 culminated in a super

Christmas Concert with a guest choir that has one

of our former members as MD.

For the first concert in March 2018 in Ingatestone

we were met with a heavy snowfall but, as the

saying goes ‘the show must go on’ and a full choir

turned up and gave a super performance.

Later in the year we were privileged to organise a

concert to commemorate the Anniversary of the

end of WW1. We performed to a sell-out

audience of 300+ at St Botolph’s, Colchester with

the Colchester Military Wives Choir and the

superb Band of the Parachute Regiment, in aid of

SSAFA. It was a real joy for everyone concerned

and the feedback from guests was soooo good

and we raised £1,500 for the charity.

With the proceeds of our Annual Concert (which,

due to the high cost of hiring the Cathedral,

moved to St Luke’s, Tiptree) and our Christmas

event, plus dipping into our healthy reserves, we

were able to donate a bumper £5,000 to the

North Essex Cancer Centre Campaign.

For 2019, we have another busy year with two

concerts that will be very special. One is with the

Metropolitan Police Choir - which will be a return

for our former Chairman David Hylands who was

previously a member of that Choir.

However, a week ago, we performed at the Royal

Albert Hall - but no doubt you will be regaled, ad

nauseum, about it by just about every member

who was there!

First winners of the Trophy

Chairman Mark Lawrence presenting the cheque

2017 Christmas with Southend Vox Choir

-6-

Principal Officers of the Choir

Presidents

1989-1993 - DCC Peter Simpson

1993-1998 - CC John Burrow

1998-2005 - CC David Stevens

2005-2009 - CC Roger Baker

2009-2012 - CC Jim Barker-McCardle

2012-2018 - CC Stephen Kavanagh

2019 -now - CC B.J. Harrington

Chairmen

1989-1993 - Bob Hayes

1993-1997 - Roger Grimwade

1998-2008 - Peter Simpson

2008-2013 - David Hylands

2013 - to date - Mark Lawrence

Choir Members in 30th Year

(In order of photos on Page 9)

Musical Team

Norman Eastbrook MBE (Musical Director), Doreen

Potter (Assistant Musical Director), Clive Eastbrook

(Page Turner)

Soprano Anne Gooch, Kath Weedy, Lindsey Willson (Hon. Treasurer), Joyce Ryder, Helene Jones, Val Barson, Julia Reed, Joyce Rowland, Sylvia Beament, Sue Dobson (Membership Secretary), Margaret Rootkin, Angela Dennis, Beryl Munro (Hon. Secretary), Barbara Locker

Alto Sandra Bundy, Jenny Nichols, Kath Adams, Pat Nicholson, (Wardrobe Mistress), Wendy Cowell, Sally Low, Jo Lawrence, Suzanne Waring, Amy Wharton, Ali Perrott

Tenor Adrian Cowell, Roger Bullen, Colin Butcher (Vice-Chairman), Doug Bettall-Higgins, Brian Nicholson, David Jepson, Mark Lawrence (Chairman), Bob Hayes (Founder Member), Robin Shenton, Tony Willson (Publicity Officer)

Bass James Allison, Bob Drake, Patrick Halls, Eric Rowland, David Hylands

The Highlight of Our 30th Year?

Our appearance at the Royal Albert Hall last

month was certainly, for all of us, a privilege and a

pleasure.

It was also the 30th Anniversary of the British

Police Symphony Orchestra who had organised a

charity concert and, in planning it, had asked

Police Choirs from across the country to join

them.

The programme was far

more complicated than

we (or come to that. most

of the other Police

Choirs!) were used to and

so our rehearsals were

important. As well as our

own ones, we had one

with Suffolk Police Male

Voice Choir and another

with the Orchestra and 6

other Choirs, consisting of around 120 voices, in

High Wycombe.

On the 11th May, we spent the day rehearsing

and then the concert, hosted by Nick Knowles,

happened. It was in front of the largest audience

we are ever likely to perform before and there

were 420 voices in the Choir and nearly 80

members of the BPSO, as well as various other

musicians

Singing Highland Cathedral with a pipe band and

the orchestra was one of those moments that

sent a tingle down the spine and then with pieces

such as Rick Wakeman’s Dance of a Thousand

Lights with 5,000 blue flashing lights and Hymn for

the Fallen with flags of the various Constabularies,

it was all a real treat.

This was undoubtedly the pinnacle for members

of the Choir and one that will not be quickly

forgotten.

-7-

We also have a website that is kept up-to-date

and which has clips on it and our Facebook site

and twitter feed are well used.

We are often on BBC Essex to promote our

concerts and using them and local newspapers

and magazines, we have commenced a

recruitment drive.

The Future

Is rosy!

Our former President

Stephen Kavanagh

retired as Chief

Constable at the end

of last year and the

Force’s new Chief,

B.J.Harrington, has

already accepted the

position and has

visited us at our AGM. We look forward to having

his support in the future.

One announcement greeted our 30th year, in that

Norman was going to celebrate his 30 years

leading the Choir - and then wanted to cut down,

or even retire, at the end of 2019. This is going to

mean some new

arrangements for the role

of Musical Director.

Refusing to accept his

request just didn’t work!

Having been conducted

by many other MDs at

joint concerts, the way

that Norman manages to

get all four parts in and

out when they need to be, is to be marvelled at

and even though sometimes when he mouths the

words, they don’t always accord with the score,

Norman will be a very hard act to follow!

We have had a few retirements recently, mainly

due to age or infirmity, so we cannot be

complacent as the age profile is becoming older.

Recruitment is always a concern for any voluntary

organisation and especially for choirs.

That Gareth Malone guy has a lot to answer for, as

in the last ten years community choirs have

sprung up all over the County and so the ’pool’ of

possible singers has to be shared with many

organisations.

However, we are not being complacent and are

coming into the 21st Century and have had a

series of videos made (which can be seen on our

website) and have a YouTube channel and Vimeo

account.

The Choir are indebted to:-

The Chief Officers of Essex Police who have

supported us every year for 30 years

Our Vice Presidents and Trustees and especially Rick

Tazzini who has kindly audited our accounts for

many, many years

All of the supporters of the Choir who continually

attend our concerts

Concert organisers for giving us such wonderful

opportunities to do what we love to do - and for their

donations to the Choir and its charities.

The many Guest Artistes (especially ‘regulars’ Essex

Police Band, Kathryn Cavender’s Spectrum & Fiona

Whittaker) who have added to our performances at

our concerts over the years

All those who have served and those that still serve

on the Choir Committee, or undertake jobs for the

Choir including erecting and dismantling staging at

concerts, re-arranging rehearsal rooms, providing

drinks, organising raffles, manning doors, selling

tickets, dealing with uniforms and generally ‘mucking

in’ to make things happen

Clive Eastbrook for his time accompanying us and

now as such an important Page Turner

Doreen Potter - for just being her!

Norman Eastbrook MBE - our MD for 30 years and

without whom the success of the Choir would not

have been possible and for whose musical talent

everyone who is, or has been, a member of the Choir,

has the utmost respect

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-9-

The Musical Team

Basses

Tenors

Altos

Sopranos

2006 (8): Kelvedon, Lawford, Chelmsford (3), Colchester,

Tiptree & Great Burstead

2007 (9): Halstead, Southminster, Hertford (Herts), Myland,

Wivenhoe, Chelmsford (2), Maldon & Billericay

2008 (10): Chelmsford (3), Bunwell (Norfolk), Colchester,

Great Burstead, Leigh-on-Sea, Great Bromley, Hutton &

Clacton-on-Sea

2009 (13): Kelvedon, Sandon, Chelmsford (3), Tiptree,

Hutton, Eire (2), Colchester (2), Witham & Long Melford

2010 (10): Chelmsford (3), Great Dunmow, Leigh-on-Sea,

Ipswich (Suffolk), Great Burstead, Westcliff-on-Sea, Maldon

& Mistley

2011 (16): Saltash & Plymouth (Cornwall), Chelmsford (3),

Epping, Canvey Island, Colchester, Rivenhall, Harwich, South

Woodford, Sible Hedingham, Kelvedon Hatch, Brightlingsea

& Songs of Praise in Colchester (2)

2012 (11): Billericay, Sandon, Witham, Buxton (Derbys),

Bunwell (Norfolk) Clacton-on-Sea (1 concert + Memorial

Service), Chelmsford (2), Colchester & Tiptree

2013 (10): Ingatestone, Felsted, Brundall (Norfolk),

Braintree, Bures (Suffolk), Colchester, Chelmsford (2),

Harlow & West Mersea

2014 (10): Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow, Tiptree, Great

Burstead, Waltham Abbey, Saltash (Cornwall), Chelmsford

(2), Southend-on-Sea & Colchester

2015 (8): Westcliff-on-Sea, Great Dunmow, Witham,

Bunwell (Norfolk), Chelmsford (2), Colchester & Billericay

2016 (9): Chelmsford (3), Takeley, Tollesbury, Tiptree,

Harwich, Harlow & Colchester

2017 (9): Chelmsford (3), Colchester, Burnham-on-Crouch,

Blackmore, Rayleigh, Galleywood & Clacton-on-Sea

2018 (9): Ingatestone, Ipswich (Suffolk), Colchester, Great

Burstead, Woodham Ferrers, Great Dunmow, Chelmsford

(2) & Tiptree

Total concerts from 1989 to June 2019 = 331

Concerts Over the 30 Years

1989 (2): Boreham & Tiptree

1990 (11): Marks Tey (2) Purleigh, Burnham-on-Crouch,

Tiptree, Southminster, Chelmsford, Great Baddow,

Galleywood, HQ & Rayleigh

1991 (14): Coggeshall (2), Tiptree, Marks Tey, Mersea Island,

Colchester (2), Witham, Southminster, Great Braxted,

Brentwood, Boreham, Rayleigh & Witham

1992 (14): Chelmsford (2), Grays, Coggeshall, Stisted, HQ,

Witham, Sandon, Colchester (2), Brentwood (2), Mersea

Island & Chelmsford,

1993 (15): Witham, Danbury, Prittlewell, Chelmsford (2),

Rochford, Steeple Bumpstead, Braintree, Tiptree, Sandon,

Vancouver, Canada (3), Leigh-on-Sea & Stanway

1994 (13): Chelmsford (3), Clacton-on-Sea, Springfield,

Dersingham (Norfolk), Little Waltham, Rivenhall, Great

Bromley, Dunstable (Beds), Rettendon, Hadleigh & Maldon

1995 (15): Chelmsford (3), Colchester (2), Springfield (2),

Hutton, Thorpe Bay, Brentwood, Southend-on-Sea, Writtle,

Harwich, Witham & Rettendon

1996 (12): Clacton-on-Sea, Brentwood (2), Stanway, Ford

End, Colchester (3), Danbury, Chelmsford, Leigh-on-Sea &

HQ

1997 (10): Braintree, Stanway, Clacton-on-Sea, Great

Bromley, Tiptree, Chelmsford, Wivenhoe, Colchester, HQ &

Maldon

1998 (11): Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Langham,

Thorrington, Holland-on-Sea, Warley, HQ (2), Clacton-on-

Sea, Colchester & Maldon

1999 (10): Takeley, Hutton, Tiptree, Chelmsford (2), Great

Bromley, Stanford-le-Hope, Prittlewell, Colchester & HQ

2000 (11): Springfield, Langham, Chelmsford (2), Weeley,

Leigh-on-Sea, Vancouver (Canada) (2), Tolleshunt Knights,

Stansted Airport & Witham

2001 (14): Clacton-on-Sea (2), Thundersley, Hutton, Hitchin

(Herts), Belfast (N. Ireland), Springfield, Takeley, Tiptree,

Chelmsford (2), Maldon, Witham & Coggeshall

2002 (9): Colchester, Clacton-on-Sea, Bocking, Great

Bentley, Ipswich (Suffolk), Leigh-on-Sea, Chelmsford (2) &

Hutton

2003 (13): Takeley, Fingringhoe, Tiptree (2), Witham (2),

Prague (3), Colchester, Chelmsford (2) & Great Burstead

2004 (10): Southend-on-Sea (2), Thundersley, Prittlewell,

Westcliff-on-Sea, Great Bentley, Leigh-on-Sea, Chelmsford

(2) & Hawkwell

2005 (13): Chelmsford (3), Hutton, Ridgewell, Layer de la

Haye, Saffron Walden, Ferndale (S Wales), Brightlingsea,

Witham, Prittlewell, Tiptree & Maldon

-10-

CONCERTS FOR THE REST OF 2019

14th September: with Metropolitan Police at the Church of the

Holy Sepulchre, Holborn Viaduct, EC1A 2DQ

19th October: Annual Concert with Essex Police Band at

St Luke’s, Tiptree, CO5 0SU

16th November: United Reformed Church, Billericay, CM12 9LR

3rd December (Tues): Essex Women’s Institutes Christmas

Concert at Chelmsford Cathedral, CM1 1EH

7th December: Methodist Church, Manningtree, CO11 1BQ

14th December: Annual Christmas Concert, Trinity Methodist

Church, Chelmsford, CM1 2XB

Want Us to Perform for You?

The Choir only performs concerts for

organisations that are raising money for good

causes, charities, churches, Rotary Clubs or any

other group whose objectives are to help

communities, local, national or even international.

We cannot accept invitations to perform for

anyone who is intending to make a profit from our

attendance, or even planning to just make a

donation of part of the proceeds, to a good cause.

Applications for us to perform need to be made by

the June of one year, for the following year. We

consider applications and allocate concerts in July

and you should know whether you have been

successful by the beginning of August. Sometimes

we have cancellations, or a month to fill, and so it

is always worth making an enquiry via the

Contacts Page on the Website, to see whether we

have any available dates in the year.

Please either write to us or use the website, giving

rough details about the proposed event. You will

then be contacted by our Secretary. If you want a

particular date, or month, let us know but we

can't guarantee being able to accommodate

you. However, if we are unable to fulfil a date, we

will always offer you an alternative in the year

requested, or ask that you apply again for the next

one.

we do suggest that organisers make a donation to

our funds and this is rarely under £100.

This means that the Choir always

breaks even, so that the pro-

ceeds of the Annual and Christ-

mas Concerts can be donated to

our chosen charities.

The sale of our CDs has resulted

in actually selling out of the first

and third ones but we still have

a good stock of the second one.

These are sold at concerts but can also be pur-

chased via the website or through our quarterly

Newsletters. If you aren’t receiving these,

please contact us.

Funding the Choir

From its formation, Norman and Peter Simpson

had insisted that the Choir be self-supporting and

not require money from Police resources. To this

day we make sure that audiences are aware of

this!

However, throughout, the Force have helped with

things like providing the rehearsal venue at no

charge, making a coach and then a van available

for transport and letting us use photocopying and

oth- er

ad- min

facil- ities.

In 1994, wives, husbands and supporters of the

Choir formed ‘The Friends of Essex Police Choir’.

Main drivers of the Friends were Marjorie, (wife of

Peter) Simpson, Gillian (wife of Roger) Grimwade,

Ken (husband of Jessie) Shipley and Sue (wife of

Norman) Eastbrook.

They raised funds by holding events, organising

day trips and making handicrafts to sell.

Marjorie was particularly adept at handicrafts and

for many years made and sold her wares at the

Sandringham Show, donating the proceeds to us.

This fundraising enabled the Choir to buy staging

and uniforms as well as increase donations to

chosen charities.

To recognise theirnwork work that had raised over

£20,000 in 9 years, the Friends were invited to the

2003 AGM and warmly congratulated on their

efforts.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of people to run it,

the Friends sadly ceased in 2012.

Although we do not charge to appear at events,

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Some of Our Past Beneficiaries

Chelmsford & District Cardiac Support Group

For 2019

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© 2019 Essex Police Choir Written by Tony Willson, Publicity Officer, Edited by Beryl Munro, Hon Secretary