Dear All. The Irish Guards Singers have recently gone online via: www.irishguardssingers.org.uk The singers are dedicated fund raisers for all charites, including the ex-service charities like "Help For Heroes" "SOS" SSAFA etc.
We would be exremely grateful if you would give the singers any publicity which may help us in our work by inckuding us in any links page you may have access to. To find out more please visit our website; www.irishguardssingers.org.uk.
Kind Regards
John Hyland
Irish Guards Singers
A
page dedicated to the singers and their many good works.
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Irish
Guards Singers
Irish Guards Singers
Report for 2004
By John Hyland
The constant progress of the Irish Guards Singers continues at a pace which sometimes leaves us breathless. Over the last year we have given many concerts and sang at various church services too numerous to mention and, although at times tiring, the gratitude always shown to us makes it all worthwhile. It was a great privilege for the singers to have been asked to sing at the Memorial Service of Major Vivian (Tinker) Taylor MC, at the Guards Chapel during October and shows what an asset we are both to our Regiment and to all Mick families. Our visit to London at this time allowed us to fulfil a promise made sometime ago to sing at the Chelsea Hospital for the Chelsea Pensioners and their families. This was a fabulous night and the hospitality from Brigadier Kim Ross his staff and the pensioners themselves was overwhelming. We have promised them, and ourselves, a further visit in the future. We were extremely grateful at this time to Lt Colonel C Knaggs, RSM Kenny Fox and all ranks of the battalion who showed us the usual Mick hospitality for the four days of our stay in London. We must also mention the Garrison Sgt Major and his mess members for making us so welcome.
We have recently performed for the second consecutive year at the Manchester Military Tattoo and to all accounts we once again proved very popular with the 12.000 punters who attended the performances. The theme this year was to commemorate the 60th anniversary of “D Day” and operation “Market Garden” in which the Micks played a leading role. The script of the show included much about the Irish Guards and a great deal of the Regiments history. To set the scene for the battle for the bridges the choir sang “The Impossible Dream” which proved very moving and even more so for the four veterans of the battle who sang with us, namely Joe Brown, Gerry Cassidy, Dennis Dillon and George Owens. As the last note of the song died away the massed bands entered the arena playing the march “A Bridge Too Far” which set the emotions running even higher. A brilliant tattoo and thoroughly enjoyed by all of us.
For the future we are now focusing all our efforts on the invitation we received to sing in the Basilica at the Holy Shrine of Knock in Southern Ireland during September. During our stay we will also carry out some work for local charities and sing at a Sunday mass at Ballinrobe parish church. Any Micks in the area would be most welcome to join us for a pint or six.
Not all is as rosy as it looks though, we are still desperately short of former Irish Guardsmen to join our ranks. The original choir of twenty was made up almost entirely of Ex Micks, sadly out of the twenty-six members at present less than half are Micks. It is a situation which I fear we will not be able to sustain and the Singers could fold up. We are not looking for great singers, the only criteria being that you can sing in tune without making Nora Magee’s cat start barking, pass that test and you will fit in with the rest of the chancers.
The Irish Guards Singers are on a continual KAPE Tour. No other group does more within the community to keep the Micks in the public eye. I do not wish to sound boastful when I say we are held in great affection wherever we go, and that can only be good for the Regiment of today. It would be tragic if it all fell apart for want of support from former Irish Guardsmen.
So if any ex Mick fancies having a shot at it, please give me a ring on 0151.423.3004 or e-mail on johnhyland@varteconline.net You don’t need to read music, you don’t even have to be a budding Russell Watson, if you have a song in your heart and you can sing without sending the wife clawing up the hat rack you will go down a treat with the rest of the chancers
Finally just to remind you that we still have some CD’s and Tapes in stock. These are on sale at £5 per CD and £4 per tape + £1 postage. All our income including that from CD sales, weddings, funerals and concerts goes to both local and national charities. The photo’s below give some insight into our charity work but I assure you that the instances photographed are just the tip of the iceberg. Please remember the Irish Guards Singers are available to all families with Irish Guards connections, plus the general public, providing of course we have not already been engaged.
CD’s and tapes available from:
George Owens. 23Mount Park. Bebington, Wirral. CH63 5RD.
Cheques payable to Irish Guards Choir
Take care and best wishes to you and your families.
John
Hyland
Irish
Guards Singers
County
Mayo September 2004
Irish Guards Singers in Ireland
Tour of County Mayo. September 2004
The Irish Guards Singers have just returned from an exciting and very successful visit to the Republic of Ireland. We could not have wished for a more genuine reception than those we received in Ballinrobe, Westport and Knock. The people were so lovely and welcoming and their hospitality truly overwhelming.
Our first engagement was to sing at the 7-30 Saturday night mass at St Anne’s in Ballinrobe. The Parish Priest Monsignor Tom Shannon was so enthusiastic about the visit he asked if we would wait outside the church while he introduced us. Then he had us parade in through a side entrance, up the centre isle, the congregation gave us a huge welcome as we made our way to the choir loft. It was unbelievable, but nothing to match the greetings we received outside the church after mass. It seemed as if the whole congregation stayed behind to say their thanks and enquire when we were coming back again. Fr Shannon (what a character !!) then escorted us to the local pub were it was free ale and food all night. The craic was brilliant, the singing of Irish songs, old and new, warmed our hearts, with father himself giving the funniest rendition of Delaney’s Donkey I have yet to hear. We left for our hotel in Westport just after 1-20 am with Fr Shannon and what looked like the whole of Ballinrobe waving us off. It was, again, unbelievable, but nothing to compare to that which was awaiting us when we would eventually reach Knock on Wednesday.
Our next job, if singing can be called a job, was to give a charity concert in the Old CustomHouse, down on the beautiful quay in Westport on Monday 6th. Once again the response to our singing was unbelievable. The lads have never sung better. It was as if the Mother of God herself, whose birthday we had come to celebrate at Knock on Wednesday, was giving us that extra boost. The hall we were singing in was on the small side, it was a lovely warm evening, the doors were open, so people were crowding on the pavements outside, and sitting on the harbour wall listening to us. During the concert I had noticed a smart grey haired old gentleman in the audience sporting a Brigade tie. I could not resist asking him in what Regiment he served “the Micks what else” was his booming reply, so I invited him up front so I could give him a big hug. He told me he lived in Westport and had read about our visit from the local press. His name was O'Byrne, 2725308 Sgt Michael O'Byrne, and he stayed with us for the rest the night in the Helm pub next door remembering old times. He left for home with his wife about midnight. Next in our sights was the vast Basilica at Knock.
We arrived at Knock about 12-30pm and in time for one hour of rehearsals. Before the mass started we had time for a quick pint of the blackstuff and to meet up with Colonel Paul Cummins from the British Embassy in Dublin. Colonel Paul had been kept well informed of our schedule and had himself travelled to Knock for the occasion. He was not disappointed and neither were the singers. The public’s response and welcome had us pinching ourselves just in case it was only a dream. Once again the lads rose to the occasion and sang beautifully and the idea of bringing in a Piper and Trumpeter for the Magnificat worked brilliantly. We sang all our old favourites and our final hymn “Our Lady of Knock” brought the roof in. I could not believe my eyes when I turned round and found hundreds of people crowding around the choir stalls waiting to greet us, express their thanks and asking when we were coming back. I told one lovely old lady we hoped to be asked back again next September “Jesus, Mary and Joseph I could be kicking up the daises by then ! please come back for Christmas” she replied. The bodyguard keeping tabs on Colonel Cummins remarked he had seen nothing like it, as usually the congregation left immediately after mass but to see them massing around the singers was really unusual. Was it our singing ? or was it simply the homeliness and the passion of the Micks that won them over ?? Who knows !!
But what ever it was neither I nor the rest of the Irish Guards Singers will ever forget the experience we had in a lovely part of Ireland, among the kindliest, friendliest and most generous of people.
God bless Ireland, God bless Mayo, and to be sure 26 Irish Guards Singers will be rooting for Mayo in the All Ireland final. Up Mayo & Up the Micks
John Hyland
The type of charity work we cover spans
the generations as you can see from the photo's below:
The
young lady is just four years old with cerebral palsey,
and the Mick we
gave an electric buggy to is: 2725525 George Hynds from Liverpool.
We
also, last September, donated a waterbed to a Cancer Hospice. Over the last 18
months we have also helped raise over £15000 for Cancer Research, the Poppy
Appeal and various other charities.
Any help to continue this good work
would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for including this message
on your brilliant website.
Regards from John Hyland
"Well
done John, the Choir, and all those who have bought CD's and
Tapes."
This unique recording is for everyone who enjoys Songs of Love and Sentiment and really touches the heartstrings, but, may I add a personal word of warning to anyone over 50 . . .
Have
a box of tissues handy when you listen to "A Century of Micks"
Here
are the pictures : CLICK on one to see it
enlarged
George
Hynds Ilona