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School choir success at the Buxton and North Derbyshire Musical Festival, May 1975
Back row, from left: Richard Oliver, Gerard Higgins, Tunji Smith, Roy Knowles, Andrew Lyons, Peter Crookell, David Dwyer, Michael Sadler, Stephen Quinn, Andrew Meakin, Peter Timmons.
Middle row, from left: Mr A.L. Smith (Headmaster), Joseph Haughey (Accompanist), Trevor Moore, Bernard Stubbs, Paul Schofield, Raymond Bonner, Michael Carley, Alex Bardsley, Michael Richter, Derrick Young, Bernard Gleeson, Miss Eileen Dolan (Head of Music).
Front row, from left: Kevin Clarke, Peter Irwin, Peter Leonard, John Madden, Michael Griffin, David Derbyshire, Michael O’Shea, Gregory Coop, Terence Kelly.
Singing in style, the school choir came away from the Buxton and North Derbyshire Musical Festival with two top awards.
Their first success during the two-day event came when the choir took first prize – the coveted Battersby Cup – in the boys’ section for under-18s.
Pieces that won them the trophy were the anthem “O Lord My God” and “The Two Grenadiers” by Schumann.
St Gregory’s second success was in the choirs’ event for the under-16s when they sang “The Lord’s My Shepherd” to Crimond, to take the second prize, a commemorative certificate.
Joseph Haughey, aged 13, accompanied the choir by playing the piano.
Competing with choirs that regularly attended the festival, this was only the second time that the school had entered.
The story was featured in a local newspaper and included a photograph of the 30-strong choir accompanied by Miss Dolan and Mr Smith.
Alderley Edge Musical Festival, May 1975
Peter Irwin proudly shows off his Certificate of Merit.
Christmas Concert, 1975
Below is a record of the boys and staff involved in the concert showing the enthusiasm and love of music engendered in the school and encouraged by the music department under Miss Eileen Dolan, head of music.
Gorton Community Carol Concert, December 1976
It had long been felt that there should be the opportunity for the schools of Gorton and Ardwick to come together for the purpose of “enjoying music-making”. To this end, the magnificent monastery church of St Francis, Gorton, was made available for the first Christmas Festival Concert to be held. Apart from its beauty, the great size of the church allowed the organisers to draw together a wide representation of the Gorton community. Performing at this inaugural festival were a number of local schools, including the Nicholls Ardwick High School Wind Band, Armitage Primary School Wind Band, Crowcroft Park Junior School Choir and St Gregory’s School Choir.
Miss Eileen Dolan was, as usual, the choir’s musical director.
School choir’s success at the Buxton and North Derbyshire Musical Festival, May 1977
Their rendition of “Come Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl” won an award for the school’s under-18 choir at the Buxton Music Festival. In doing so they collected the “James Battersby Cup”. In addition, the 35 boys took second place in the choir winners’ competition … as they did in the hymn-singing category of the contest, too. They also won the “Mary Locket Trophy” for light operatic ensemble.
Miss Dolan, the music teacher, won the mezzo-soprano cup at the festival.
Examples of some of the certificates awarded are included below.
Orchestral & Choral Concert, June 1977
Organised under the auspices of the Manchester Education Committee and again using St Francis Monastery Church, Gorton, as the venue, a concert was held featuring the combined choirs of Central High School for Boys and St Gregory’s, just weeks before St Gregory’s was to close as a Grammar school.
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