The history of Mansfield Male Voice Choir, from its beginnings in 1926 to the present day, is featured in a new book.

A History of Mansfield and District Male Voice Choir, which has been compiled by Geoff Mansfield over the past two years, contains details of choristers, concerts, music festivals, repertoire, newspaper clippings, photographs and anecdotes, representing as complete an anthology of the choir as possible over 500 pages.

Geoff said: “For families who had a member of the choir, no doubt memories will flood back. For others there is a rich tapestry of information that reflects the choir’s music making in Mansfield over the years.”

The history of the choir can be traced to 1926 and the formation of Rainworth Male Voice Choir.

In 1944 Mansfield Male Voice Choir was created by the amalgamation of Rainworth Male Voice Choir, Stanton Hill Male Voice Choir, and Mansfield Orpheus.

Notable achievements since then include singing at No. 10 Downing Street, and two major concerts with The Welsh National Choir Association in the Royal Albert Hall in London (2009) and Manchester Arena in 2012. In both concerts there were more than 900 male voices on stage.

An eight-day visit to Wales in 2012, singing with four choirs, raised more than £2,200 for charities.

In May 2018 the choir performed at the Royal Albert Hall in the Festival of Massed Choirs.

A year later it received the Freedom of the District of Mansfield.

Copies of the book cost £25 and are available by calling Geoff on 07923 423447 or by emailing [email protected]

Copies will also be available at The Great Nottinghamshire Local History Fair at Mansfield Library on Sunday, 15th May, from 11am to 3pm, when the choir will also be performing from 1pm to 2pm for free.