August is the only month of the year that the Gloucestershire Police Male Voice Choir don’t rehearse or perform in, so the members of the lauded choir are counting down the days until their first weekly rehearsal session of the autumn term.

2018 has been another busy year for the Gloucestershire choir, who have performed at some of the leading music venues in the country. Jeff Johns, Chairman of the Gloucestershire Police Male Voice Choir who are based in Gloucester, is looking forward to starting another term alongside his fellow 60 members. He said: “Everyone has enjoyed a few weeks off to give our vocal chords a much-needed rest. So far 2018 has been another fantastic year for the choir and we’re all relishing the opportunity to get together for another term. Our weekly rehearsal sessions are always a highlight, we have a good laugh as well as working towards any upcoming performances. Everyone in the choir looks out for each other, at times it feels more like a family. I’ve been singing with the guys for 15 years now, it’s a real privilege to share the stage with such a talented group.”

Anyone looking to join the choir is welcome to attend a weekly rehearsal session, even if they’re not employed by the police force. Jeff continued: “My neighbours were both policemen, they took me along to a concert as a guest. I joined in singing a few songs and from there they asked me if I’d like to join. That was 15 years ago. There’s no limit on membership and we’re always keen to welcome new faces to the choir. You don’t need to have any association to the police, if you’re keen to sing we’d love to hear from you.”

The undoubted highlight of the year for the choir comes in the shape of their annual tour, which took them to north Wales and Liverpool this year. Jeff continued: “Every year we go away for three or four days and squeeze in as many performances as we can. In April this year we stayed in Llandudno and sang at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral which was just a spectacular setting. The building itself was incredible, it’s not a traditional cathedral, in fact it was built in the 20th century. After our performance at Liverpool we sang at Chester Cathedral on our way back to Gloucestershire, that was another memorable performance. We sing a broad range of songs, from classic choir music to songs from films and even modern pop music.”

2020 will be a very special year for the vocal group, who will be celebrating a significant anniversary. Jeff added: “For our 50th anniversary what we’re planning to do is arrange four of five concerts in our home county. We’re going to be singing at venues in the Forest of Dean, Cheltenham, Gloucester and maybe Cirencester and Stroud as well. 50 years is a major anniversary, we’re all looking ahead to 2020 with real excitement.”