Ailsa's Blog: Meet Our Members: Mary Mercer
Born and raised in a musical Methodist family in the 1950's in Slaithwaite (Slathwaite NOT Slawit, Steve) near Huddersfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Chapel twice every Sunday, my brother John being a fine church organist, mum and dad in the choir all singing good old Wesleyan hymns which have become fixed in my memory to this day. And, of course, oratorios and choir concerts were regular features. And this was every village in the area. Whit Monday 'Walking Out' with Slaithwaite Silver Prize Band, wonderful memories - and I still love to go to Black Dyke Band concerts whenever we can - one of the finest sounds ever.
Then high school and school choirs performing concert version of Carmen and Gilbert andSullivan. Beatlemania, the birth of Radio One, working in my summer holidays to buy a Dansette record player and The Beach Boys Greatest Hits and Sgt.Pepper LPs. And buying my late beloved dad The Dream of Gerontius LPs sung by the Huddersfield Choral with Sir Malcolm Sargent. In my teens, singing lessons with eminent local musician who further instilled in me a love of classical solo and choral singing.
Nursing career in Leeds ensued and took over my life, then marriage and children. However in my mid twenties I auditioned and was privileged to be accepted into the Huddersfield Choral Society, known locally as The Choral, which was a hugely challenging and enjoyable experience. Concert masters were Owain Arwell Hughes, Sir John Pritchard to name but acouple and of course two performances of the Messiah with soloists every year, like Janet Baker and Benjamin Luxon, to packed houses in Huddersfield Town Hall. We sang at large venues across the north and in 1976 performed Rachmaninov 'The Bells' at a Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall.
They are still world renowned but life took me in a different direction, heading north to Inverness and singing with Inverness Choral Society, a very happy time in my life. A poignant moment upthere was one lunchtime when I heard the distant skirl of the pipes as the Cameron Highlanders regimental band marched through the town in full regalia. What a wonderful sight and sound! And then, years later, after further life events, I land at the other end of the country in Seaford with Seaford Choral Society. There were a 100+ singers when I joined in 2008 with Sion Parry as the new MD and I can say that the choir now is a different animal to what it was then, much more inclusive and friendly. But for the lovely John Hamilton, who made me so welcome, I might now be singing in Eastbourne! A true gentleman. First concert I sang in, I was at the back of the choir in front of the altar rail in St Leonard's, there were so many of us. Couldn't see a thing!
How times have changed. We may be small but we sing with a mighty heart!
