Mature times asked the question of Grenville Jones who is a highly respected choir leader and musician living in the City of Bath. At the age of 65 his driving passion is to get people of all ages singing and belonging to a singing group where they can make friends, enjoy themselves and have fun through music. “Singing on prescription” is at the heart of all he does.
“You are going to ask me why men don’t sing” he told me even before I posed the question. He is fully aware of the fact that although men do sing he finds it very difficult to get them to join his choirs. “I have stood outside large football grounds and asked the men going in if they sing and the response is 99% no. Then within 5 minutes of the game starting they are all singing their lungs out.”
“I also go to karaoke bars and listen to the lads get up and sing beautifully, some of them have wonderful voices, but don’t want to join a choir and learn how to improve their techniques. It is almost as if they think choirs are for cissies.”
As well as finding it harder to recruit Tenors and Basses, Grenville finds that when they audition the quality of the singing is not as high as with the females. He attributes this to the fact that “men don’t listen”, and find it harder to follow the tune and “don’t concentrate”. The traditional Male Voice Choir is stirring stuff and is a pleasure to listen to as well as to participate in; so it is a real shame that so many men are missing out on this activity.
As founder of the Golden Oldies charity, which he started in Bath just 6 years ago with four daytime sing-a-long activities for socially disabled people, he now runs 100 across southern England and South Wales as Goldies Cymbru. Sir Cliff Richard is the supportive Patron of “Goldies” as it has become known, and its open access sessions are attended by hundreds. Goldies is making a big difference to the lives of older people.
There are now over 30 session leaders and Grenville’s ambition is to see the charity, under the banner Goldies UK, operating across the UK bringing joy to thousands of people including older people as well as those with Alzheimer’s and learning difficulties.
Grenville has worked with the inspirational Gareth Malone on BBC Children in need and has met the Queen at a Garden Party. He has worked with Aled Jones, Kathryn Jenkins, Alfie Boe, Jamie Cullen, Rhydian Roberts, Lee Mead and Hayley Westenra, but his greatest pleasure is in getting ordinary people to sing for the sheer pleasure it brings.
With all this in mind it would be good for our male readers to answer the rallying call from Grenville and other choir leaders and join a local choir. Men do sing and they are needed to balance the harmonies of life. If you would like to know more about Goldies and their work please call 01761 470006 or email hiho@golden-oldies.org.uk
