I AM writing to the St Helens Star to ask for help and support for Haydock Male Voice Choir as it approaches its centenary in 2023.

Like a number of choirs locally and nationally, Covid has severely disrupted our activities and has also led to a drop in our numbers through both age and passing.

Nevertheless we have been back up and running for several months now and held two sell-out Christmas carol concerts in December at Haydock Conservative Club.

Whilst we are delighted that rehearsals and singing are taking place once more, our choir numbers are at least 10 fewer than what they were.

Recruitment of new members is therefore a major challenge for us, one which we relish because to us the most important thing is keeping the good name of Haydock Male Voice Choir in the public eye.

We are a choir that we know St Helens is proud of. We are delighted to be the current holders of the title of winners of the Isle of Man Festival of Choirs which was last held in 2019.

With this in mind, I am asking on behalf of the choir for help and support for both its recruitment drive and centenary celebrations. We rehearse twice a week, on Tuesdays at 7.30pm at Haydock Conservative Club and on Thursdays at 7pm at the United Reformed Church in St Helens. On March 1, 1923, a letter was circulated to all the houses in Haydock inviting any men so inclined to attend an inaugural rehearsal for a male voice choir some four days later at the Conservative Club.

More than 20 men attended this and, as they say, the rest is history!

On March 1, 2022 we plan to celebrate our 99th birthday with a special event at Haydock Conservative Club as this will mark the start of our 100th year!

On March 26 the choir will be performing a concert at St Helens Town Hall alongside Rossendale Male Voice Choir and Parr Brass band.

Mike Danvers, chair, Haydock Male Voice Choir