The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in and around Alfreton went with a song as Alfreton Male Voice Choir entertained audiences.

The Choir sang at both the Beacon lighting in Alfreton Park last Thursday (June 2) and then at South Wingfield at the social club on Sunday (June 5) afternoon.

The Choir, led by Music director Terry Clay and accompanist Lisa Smith, started and ended with The National Anthem with a slightly different arrangement by Edmund Walters but still the audiences joined with gusto and flag waving.

The Choir’s version of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ with guys producing monkey and chimpanzee screeches and lion roars, all bringing laughter and a loud chorus of ‘wim-a-ways’.

Agricultural monologues by John including ‘The Muckspreader Song’ with audiences chorus of ‘fling it here, fling it there’ brought more laughter as did baritone Mick and his guitar song, ‘Johns Got a Mouth like Cole ‘Ole’.

The Choir sang a tribute to the area’s coal mining heritage with ‘Take Me Home’ a beautiful song of a man’s end of life reflections, of walking home as a small boy from the mine with his father having finished a shift underground saying, “It’s good to feel the sunshine”.

The Choir made everyone into French revolutionaries with songs from Les Miserables; ‘Bring Him Home,’ and ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’ whilst the air guitars came into play when singing the Queen number ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

Choir Chairman Mick Mullarkey said: “Her Majesty The Queen is a fantastic woman, so the aim of the Choir was to put on a fantastic show for Her and the audiences at Alfreton and South Wingfield. It’s a privilege.”

The Choir’s finale was ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ and the wonderful show and football anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, which had the audiences singing and flag waving, all a warm up for final song – The National Anthem, which must have been heard across Derbyshire.

God save and bless our Queen.

Written by John Stamp, of Alfreton Male Voice Choir