Love is in the Air
We have a core contingent of members that have been with us for decades, and we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and social group. We’ll get back to more musical content in short order, but to celebrate Valentine’s Day we thought we’d take a look at some of the choir’s cute couples.
Hanover Matches
First up we have some couples who had a very musical beginning indeed… These folks met their other half in the Hanover Choir, and the rest is history! We are honoured to be a part of their story.
Nick (tenor) had been in the choir for about five years when Katharine (alto) joined in 2005. Katharine was interested within a couple of years, but they didn’t get together until Christmas 2010. In addition to the Hanover Choir, they have also sung together in a local choir which was delighted when Katharine brought along a tenor! They have participated in other singing events including a tour to Budapest with a large choral society and also briefly sang together in the Hackney Secular Singers, an a capella punk choir. They got married in March 2012 and will soon celebrate their 10 year anniversary. Happy Anniversary, you two!
Martin (bass) joined the choir as a university mate of former director Huw Morgan in 2009. Nic (soprano) was brought along by a friend in 2016, and the pair quickly hit it off. In addition to singing, they enjoy travelling, cooking, hiking and running together. They got engaged on New Year’s Eve – or really, very early in the morning on New Year’s Day, 2020. Congratulations to the happy couple, we look forward to hearing wedding bells soon!
Couples Who Sing Together Stay Together
We’ve got some evidence that a shared hobby could be a factor in relationship longevity!
Judy (alto) and Alan (bass) have been married nearly half a century which we can’t help but find inspiring. They joined the choir together in 2003, joining Judy’s brother Roger, a long-standing member. In addition to the Hanover Choir, they also sing together in a chamber choir, Tredici, and in the Addison Singers. We love to see their shared passion for music and are grateful they share it with us too.
Janine (soprano) has been in the choir for almost 30 years. Not long after joining she met Mike, and she credits their mutual love of singing as a factor in getting them together. It was a little while before Mike joined her in the Hanover Choir, but he has sung for many years on stage at Opera Holland Park and he also sings with Chelsea Opera Group.
Their favourite choir memory is the choir’s trip to Poland in 2000. They fondly recall the glorious venues in which we sang and learning the right intonation to say ‘cheers’ in Polish!
They continue to enjoy being in the choir because of the sense of community and feeling that we are creating something together – it is fun and stimulating particularly with our current energetic conductor, Adam.
Willing WAGs
Lastly, we want to shout out some supportive partners who don’t sing but find other ways to contribute to our choral community. We really appreciate all the help they’ve given us over the years.
Mary (alto) has been in the choir since 1995. She met Dave in 1986 through a mutual friend, and they got together in 2000, eventually marrying in 2008. They love to travel, and are always good fun on the choir away weekend to the seaside each September. Dave is a great help to us on concert days. He checks and sells tickets on the door, and helps out with refreshments at the interval. Thanks for all your help, Dave!
Not pictured is Kathy, another WAG who has provided invaluable support for 23 years. Kathy’s partner Peter (tenor) has been in the choir for about three decades, and they met in the Cheshire Cheese pub, the choir’s local pub when we rehearsed in Fleet Street. Kathy is often seen serving refreshments during the interval of our concerts. And we always look forward to her mince pies which she generously bakes every year for our Christmas concert – they’re legendary, and delicious! Thank you, Kathy!
These two are our resident American ex-pats. Sophie (alto) joined the choir for a brief stint while studying in London in 2009. (Mary, above, is her cousin and introduced her to the choir.) When Sophie and Rob relocated to London in 2013, she joined back up for the long term and got involved on the choir’s committee. Rob is always ready to perform any task that’s needed, including running to the nearest shop when we’re close to running out of wine during a concert! He also very often performs amateur photography and videography duties. Thanks, Rob!
There are countless benefits to singing in a choir – improved musicianship, de-stressing, a great way to connect with music if you love to sing – and the social aspect can be underestimated. We’ve got a supportive, encouraging, fun community in this choir. And in addition to making music and good friends, you might even find a partner for life!