New Mill Male Voice Choir has a constitution and a mission statement.
The object of the choir shall be the study and practice of choral music, in order to foster public knowledge and appreciation of such music by means of public performance and to assist and support such charitable institutions or purposes as the Committee shall from time to time determine.There is a small group who sell merchandise – pens, notebooks, choir anniversary book, CDs. The members also try and sell the choir, especially to the local community. It is New Mill’s choir, something that local people can be proud of. The group also helps to promote concerts.
With these objectives in mind, we arranged to set up a stall in the Holmfirth Saturday Craft Market. We were upstairs, so not massive footfall. But you get on with what you’ve got. Steve Flyn, our webmaster, came up with a load of drip mats with the choir logo – £1 for ten.
We were quiet, apart from one master salesman who stood defiant on the pavement and would not let passers-by pass. His speciality was the drip mat. His first victim a ruddy-faced stout party. “Good day sir, you look like a man who could use a drip mat.”
“Oh, do I? I don’t drink, but I’ll buy them for your bare-faced cheek.”
His last and by no means least sale was made to a man who was making his third pass, or trying to. On his first two he had politely declined the fantastic opportunity to be the proud owner of ten beer mats with the NMMVC logo. Third time lucky, “Oh go on then, I’ll buy them to stop you from accosting me,” said with a smile I hasten to add.
And who was the salesman? None other than the choir’s Musical Director, Alan Brierley.
This was first published on Holmfirthweb
