South Woodham Ferrers Male Voice Choir

Our CDs are available at any of the choir's concerts or, for our latest CDs, here online by credit/debit card
or PayPal

John is active in a wide variety of musical areas. He has written the music for a number of shows, two of which have been published and are now performed around the world; 'All 4 One', which tells the story of The Man in the Iron Mask, received its US Premiere in May 2008, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame which is currently being rewritten as a standard musical (as opposed to a sung through piece). This reworked musical will receive is first performance in this new form in June 2010.

He is also involved with writing and producing music for HellSing a new musical by Colin Charles. The Great Sleigh Robbery, a piece written especially for Brentwood Theatre, is also in further development for future productions.

Many of John's choral arrangements are sung by the choir, which have helped to expand audiences and encourage new members into the mystic world of Male Voice Choirs. The choir’s new CD, Could It Be Magic, features many of these arrangements. Other choirs across the UK are now showing considerable interest in using these songs to help develop and sustain their choirs in a similar way. The most notable is the famous Phoenix Choir which have just added John's arrangement of Angels to their concert repertoire.

Rule the World featured as the finale for Brentwood Council’s 2008 Alchemy project, where John’s arrangement was performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and 350 singers.

In addition to being the Director of Music for The South Woodham Ferrers Male Voice Choir, he is the resident Musical Director for Brentwood Theatre. In this capacity he has created music and orchestrations for their last 8 Christmas shows. For James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox and The Twits he composed new scores which are available to hire.

John is in considerable demand as a sound engineer for many shows and concerts. This extends to recordings for choirs, orchestras and solo singers. He recently worked on CD recordings of The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, won the prize for Best Sound for his sound design and mixing of We Will Rock You at the 2007 Waterford Festival of Light Opera, Ireland

Through his own business, TS3, John is in high demand as a sales and marketing consultant working to develop a number of clients' businesses. Why not check out John's activities at www.ts3.uk.com or www.johntrentwallace.com

Music

Our music repetoire is regularly updated by the introduction of new pieces, new arrangements, and by revival of pieces from our back-repertoire.

African Prayer

An American Trilogy

Angels

Anthem
(from 'Chess')

Caravan

Could It Be Magic

Don't let the sun go
down on me

Electricity
(from 'Billy Elliott')

Gospel Train

Lily of the Valley

Love of My Life

More Than Words

My Lord what a Morning

My Way

New York, New York

Rule the World

River of Dreams

The Lord's Prayer

Soldier's Farewell

Tydi a Roddiast

What would I do
without my Music

Wind beneath my wings

Enoch Sontonga
Arrangement by Eric Jones

Traditional
Arranged by Mickey Newbury
Adapted by Alwyn Humphreys

Robert Williams & Guy Chambers
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Words by Tim Rice, Music by Benny Anderson & Bjorn Ulvaeus,
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Mike Batt
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Barry Manilow & Adrienne Anderson
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Elton John & Lee Hall
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Traditional Spiritual
Arranged by Gwyn Arch

Traditional American Spiritual
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Freddie Mercury
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Nuno Bettencourt & Gary Cherone
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Traditional African/American Spiritual

Claude Francois & Jacques Revaux
Arranged by Howard H Wallace

John Kander & Fred Ebb
Arrangement by Howard W Wallace

Mark Owen, Gary Barlow, Jason Orange & Howard Donald
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Billy Joel
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Albert Hay Malotte
Arranged by Carl Deis

Arrangement by Ozzie Arnold

T Rowland Hughes
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Middlebrook & Belland
Arranged by Alwyn Humphries

Larry Henley & Jeff Silber
Arranged by John Trent Wallace

Listen here:-

John Trent Wallace
Musical Director

Clare studied music at Royal Holloway University, but it was a number of years before she became involved with the world of amateur dramatics.

This has led to her undertaking the role of musical director for a number of local societies. These include Thurrock Thameside Musical Society, Two Faced Productions, Arts Factory, Benfleet Operatic Society and BLED Productions.

Her favourite shows as MD include Copacabana, West Side Story, Honk, A Slice of Saturday Night, Summer Holiday and Fame. She is currently working with TTMS on their next production, 'Guys & Dolls' due to be performed in July.

Clare Penfold
Accompanist

Clare is an accomplished pianist, rehearsing with and accompanying groups such as Basildon Operatic Society, CDOT, Thurrock Male Voice Choir and Pure Entertainment.

This involves numerous concerts, shows and charity events. At Adagio School of Dance in Hutton, Clare plays for ballet, tap classes and ISTD exams. If this didn't keep her busy enough, she also offers private piano tuition.

Clare joined as accompanist to the choir in May 2009 and is looking forward to busy 2010.

Our current repertoire

At the age of 11 Jason won a music scholarship to Brentwood School in Essex, and attained grade 8 distinctions on Piano, French Horn, and Violin. He subsequently studied Music Technology at Huddersfield University.

Jason has played regularly in the Chelmsford Festival and Ongar Children's concerts.

His first association with the South Woodham Ferrers Male Voice Choir was as piano soloist at the age of 9 at a Choir concert in Blackmore, where he gave an impressive performance. Later he became the choir's concert accompanist until work committments intervened, but is now back with the choir regularly providing piano accompaniment at rehearsals.

Jason Rose
Rehearsal Accompanist

John has been associated with the choir from the very beginning some 30 years ago. He was one of the original members of the Baritone section. He has sung in choirs all his life, having started as a lad in his father’s church choir in the Midlands.

His interest in Male Voice Choirs began in Secondary School and has continued ever since. In his first teaching job in Kent he formed and conducted a Male Voice Group from the boys and staff.

He has deputised for each of the Conductors of the SWFMVC since it was formed. The only time the choir won its own SWF Male Voice Choir Festival in 1991, it was John who conducted them.

After a break of some five years or so John rejoined the choir in September 2008 and is now thoroughly enjoying the current repertoire, especially the arrangements of pop classics that John Trent Wallace has introduced with backing tracks.

John Davies
Deputy Musical Director