History
A group of men first met to discuss forming a male voice choir in Brixham on 4 November 1953 in the Church House, Bolton Street. At this inaugural meeting it was agreed the choir should have the title Brixham Orpheus Male Voice Choir and this title has remained since then. On Wednesday 6 October 1954 the choir presented the first Annual Concert at Brixham Theatre.
Throughout its 70 year history there have only been eight Musical Directors. Among the earliest was William Trant who led the second annual concert in 1955 and subsequently in 1956 as the article below, from the Torbay Express in November of that year, describes.
Mr Trant was also at the podium when the choir made its first recording for BBC Radio in May 1957. The choir made its first TV appearance on Westward TV in February 1964 for Westward Diary. These and further recordings over the years on Radio and TV have done much to spread our name and music throughout the West Country.
The last two Musical Directors are probably the longest serving: Eddie Phillips, our current President, was in post for 25 years; and Ron Burrington who began as a chorister for almost 20 years. Other MD’s have included Len Pitman, Fred Duerden, Douglas Hutchings, Stella Hemmings, and Cyril Burrow. Previous accompanists include Margaret Pitman, Hetty Smith, Leonora Douglas, Cyril Burrow and Henri Von Zutphen. The choir is currently led by our Assistant Musical Director, Paul Stanton.
From its inception the Orpheus Choir has supported very many local and national charities and appeals and is proud to have helped raise many thousands of pounds. Over the years the Orpheus has sung with many other choirs. In Devon these include Barnstaple, Budleigh Salterton and Exeter Male Voice Choirs. Our connection with Cornwall has resulted in 11 exchange arrangements with many well-known Cornish choirs including Mevagissey, Nankersey, Wadebridge, Mousehole and Polperro Fisherman’s Male Voice Choirs. There have also been concerts held with other choirs beyond the West Country. The choir has been to North and South Wales, Bristol, Dorchester, Dursley, Dudley, Yorkshire and Birmingham.
In 1974 the Orpheus Choir began a close link with a male choir in Torbay’s twin town of Hamelin in Germany, the Liedertafel Hameln von 1837. No less than five visits in both directions were arranged over the years. The Orpheus joined in the 700 Year civic celebrations of Hamelin in June 1984 and had the pleasure of sharing the concert platform with the Liedertafel Hameln von 1837 in October 1987, during their celebration of 150 years unbroken history. This was repeated 20 years later in 2007 for their 170th anniversary. Sadly, that long history was broken and the choir no longer exists.
In 1987 the Orpheus Choir joined a concert programme in Eindhoven, with the Eindhoven Royal Male Voice Choir and the mixed choir Berk en Brem from Zutedaal, Belgium. The Eindhoven Choir visited Brixham in the following year for concerts with the Orpheus Choir held in Brixham and Torquay. The Choir has shared concerts with the California Girls Choir, and the Riviera Singers, a ladies choir based in Brixham.
The choir has joined with several bands including Brixham’s Town Band, the Royal Marines Bands from Dartmouth and Lympstone, Bodmin Town Band, Bedworth Brass and more unusually the Central Band of the White Russian Army during their UK tour in 1998.