This year we introduced a Spring Concert at North Camp Methodist.Church in order to have a first outing for the songs that we plan to sing in the competition at the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival over the May bank holiday weekend.. Those new items are a Hampshire folk song, "The Willow Tree", which has been specially arranged for us by local musician Simon Hancock in memory of the late Brian Carter who was a long term choir member; "Pueri Hebraeorum" , a rather difficult polyphonic number by Palestrina; the well known male voice standard "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" ;  and "Soon Ah Will Be Done",  an African American Spiritual arranged by William Dawson who was the first African American Doctor of Music.
As well as the competition pieces, the audience were treated to renditions of Broadway and West End numbers ("Cole Porter Medley", "On The Street Where You Live" and "Bring Him Home"); songs from round the world ("Aberystwyth", "Kalinka", "What Would I Do Without My Music ", "Londonderry Air", "Wellerman" , "The Wild Rover"), Music of Faith ("With A Voice Of Singing " and "My Lord What A Mornin' " ) from the Choir plus three items from The Hash Tones, our small sub-choir (Didn't My Lord Eliver Daniel", "Were You There",  and "Myfanwy").
Sadly the second half was interrupted by an invidual throwing rocks through the stained glass windows behind the choir. Although some glass landed on the choir seats and one lady in the audience was struck on the hand by a rock there were no serious injuries and, after a short break, the choir was able to continue with the concert. Despite the rude interruption the audience was able to really enjoy the concert and we were pleased to learn that the police were able to identify a named suspect who will be investigated. 

On Saturday 18th April, once again we were priviledged to be asked to perform a concert at the Berkshire Masonic Centre on behalf of The Association Of Friends of Lord Harris Court.

For this performance we treated the audience to a varied programme that included our second outing for the four items we intend to be singing for the competition at the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival at the beginning of May. These are "Pueri Hebraeorum" , a rather difficult polyphonic number by Palestrina; a Hampshire folk song, "The Willow Tree", which has been specially arranged for us by local musician Simon Hancock in memory of the late Brian Carter who was a long term choir member; " the well known male voice standard "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes";  and "Soon Ah Will Be Done",  an African American Spiritual arranged by William Dawson who was the first African American Doctor of Music.
As well as the competition pieces, we performed renditions of Broadway and West End numbers ("Cole Porter Medley", "On The Street Where You Live" and "Bring Him Home"); songs from round the world ("Aberystwyth", "Kalinka", "What Would I Do Without My Music ", "Londonderry Air", "Wellerman" , "The Wild Rover"), Music of Faith ("With A Voice Of Singing " and "My Lord What A Mornin' " ). Further variety was provided by our very own talented singer/songwriter David Doddington who accompanied himself on the guitar singing a piece of his own composition.

The concert succesfully raised about £1,000 for charity.

Image courtesy of  Steve Gotting.

After last year's "flash mob" style sing-out that we enjoyed at the Farnham Beerex beer festival the organisers asked us back again this year for their opening day.. The Festival is now in its 48th year and raises large sums for the Farnham Lions Charity, so we were delighted to agree (nothing to do with the avavilability of over 100 different beers of course).

We, of course, began and ended our set with a rousing version of "Wild Rover", as requested by the Beerex organisers, and in between them included crowd pleasers "Molly Malone", "Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her", "Don't Fence Me In', "Worried Man Blues", "Puttin' On The Ritz" and "Wellerman".

Image courtesy of Mike Carrington.

We were very proud and delighted to return home yesterday with a prestigious second-place award from the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival (CIMCF) — the largest international male choral festival in the world — after a triumphant weekend of competition and performance across Cornwall from 1–3 May 2025.

The choir secured the runners-up position in a highly competitive category of ten choirs, with the competition taking place in the magnificent setting of Truro Cathedral. Over the weekend, the choir also gave public performances in Bodmin, Porthleven and Falmouth — including an unforgettable concert inside the keep of the historic Pendennis Castle.

A Diverse and Demanding Repertoire
The choir’s four competition pieces showcased remarkable breadth and musical accomplishment:

• “Pueri Hebraeorum” by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — a challenging polyphonic Renaissance work.
• “The Willow Tree” — a traditional Hampshire folk song specially arranged for the choir by local musician Simon Hancock, in loving memory of long-term choir member Brian Carter.
• “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” — the beloved male voice choir standard by Jerome Kern.
• “Soon Ah Will Be Done” — a deeply moving African American spiritual in an arrangement by William Dawson, the pioneering musician who became the first African American to receive a Doctor of Music degree.

“
We are absolutely thrilled with the award which is testament to the hard work put in by every choir member to reach this standard, our talented Music Director, Philip Viveash-Brainch, and accompanist Charlotte Hobbs.”
— Mark Kusionowicz, Chairman, Hampshire and Surrey Hills Men’s Choir
 

The Hampshire & Surrey Hills Men’s Choir is celebrating a remarkable double triumph — a prize-winning debut at one of the world’s leading male choral competitions, and a generous £500 donation to Step Beyond Alderwood, the Mayor of Rushmoor’s flagship charitable fund for young people.

The choir recently returned from the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival, a prestigious biennial event that draws male voice choirs from across the UK and around the world. In a wonderful achievement for a choir competing at the festival for the very first time, the choir claimed second place in their class — a result that has galvanised members and brought a tremendous sense of pride to the whole ensemble.

Buoyed by the success, at a recent rehearsal the choir decided to donate £500 to Step Beyond Alderwood, a cause that reflects the choir’s longstanding commitment to the local community.

Step Beyond Alderwood is an aspirational fund developed by the Mayor of Rushmoor, Councillor Calum Stewart, for the 2025–2026 mayoral year. It is designed to broaden the horizons of the 4–16 year old pupils of Alderwood School in Aldershot, removing the social, financial, and cultural barriers that too often limit opportunity. From STEM workshops and university visits to outdoor expeditions and creative masterclasses, every initiative is chosen to ignite curiosity, build confidence, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.

“Coming back from Cornwall with a second place in our very first competition was an incredibly proud moment for everyone in the choir. It felt only right to mark the occasion by giving something back to the local community that supports us. Step Beyond Alderwood is a wonderful initiative, and we hope our donation helps open doors for the children of Alderwood School.”

— Mark Kusionowicz, Chair, Hampshire & Surrey Hills Men’s Choir

Mayor Councillor Calum Stewart welcomed the donation warmly, noting that the generosity of local groups like the choir is vital in helping every young person at Alderwood take that next step — and step beyond into a world of new possibilities.

The award-winning choir is now preparing to impress a local audience at their summer concert at St.Thomas-on-The Bourne church in Farnham on 18th July. The concert will be supporting the Cheryl King Trust, a fantastic local charity that funds music lessons for children and young people from low-income families across Surrey. Tickets are available from https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GMCK