Magnificent Blokes

A very BIG THANK YOU to all who made our Magnificent Man-Sing for Men United such a special event yesterday.  

The large numbers who turned up for the workshop and the enthusiasm of the audience for a wide range of male vocal talent will be a treasured memory amongst so many.

Till the next time...!

TODAY is the Magnificent MASSIVE Man-sing

The time has finally come to celebrate singing in lower registers - there may well be some tickets still available at https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/ if you haven't got yours already for what should be a great day for all involved.

And for the final time, hear more about what is shaping up to be an awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Magnificent MASSIVE Man-Sing - 1 more sleep

Spookyness, Magnificents and so much more - our Magnificent MASSIVE Man-sing is going to be a real feast of singing in the lower registers and features such a fabulous array of vocal talent and is  only one sleep away now!

Looking forward to seeing all our friends, old and new, on the day.  Tickets still just about available from https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/ - but not for long!

Hear more about what is shaping up to be an utterly awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Magnificent Men United with added Spookyness

He is calling you to be at the Magnificent MASSIVE Man-sing... he is the prophet who sings with lower registers, he is Bah'ri Ghibb??  

Not quite...  For anyone who has been interested in Georgian-inspired polyphonic male harmony singing these past 10 or more years or festival goers around the country will instantly recognise this fellow - he is the SpookMeister himself, leader of The Spooky Men's Chorale, the granddaddy of BlokeSong, Mr Stephen Taberner - and he is rumoured to be appearing at our event this Saturday.

Tickets are still available from https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/ - but hurry, not long left now!

Hear more about what is shaping up to be an utterly awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Passing the baton

A somewhat nervous looking "Young Geoff" (but he's never good in photos...) receiving the baton from "Our Gar" as the "March 4 Marcher" hands over to the "March 2 Men United" walkers.  

The route looks something like this:

  

Thursday 4th Oct - Ashton Keynes, The White Hart Inn to Rattlebone Inn, Sherston - approx 17 miles
Setting off around 9am the planned route heads towards Crudwell to pick up the historic Fosse Way as early as possible finishing with a detour off that famous route to refill water bottles and finish the day at The Rattlebone Inn, Sherston

Friday 5th Oct - Rattlebone Inn, Sherston to Bristol & Bath Railway Path 
- approx 16 miles
Returning from their overnight recuperation the blokes intend to set off again to get a good full day's yomp to the outskirts of Bristol with an overnight stay with fellow choir members.

Saturday 6th Oct - Bristol & Bath Railway Path to St George's Hall
- approx 6 miles - starting 9am 
Walking along the impressively renovated route from the outskirts of Bristol to St George's Hall and fitting in a decent lunch to ensure they are able to fully enjoy the workshop and very special Gala Evening event.

Come and join us for the last leg from The Bridge Pub at 9am on Saturday 6th Oct - there is parking there but you will need to sort any logistics yourself.

Find out more and about how you can donate at https://themagnificentak47.blogspot.com/p/march-to-men-united.html

Bloke

Amongst many of the topics that get discussed by the members of The Magnificent AK47 is the eternal question "what does it mean to be a bloke in the 21st century?"  This is a broad and at times challenging topic area for all concerned, save to say that we value being a "good bloke" above many other aspects.

And, without spoiling the surprise too much, we have a new song specially commissioned and written for us by that highly talented Mr Roger Jackson that explores many of these topics with some fiendish precision.  Providing we have mastered the "intentionally tricky harmonies" it should receive its world premier at our Big Gig this weekend.  We hope you can be there to witness this landmark moment.

Hear more about what is shaping up to be an awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Make the Blokes' dreams come true...

The Magnificent VideoMeisters have been at it again with a full "Disney" Production to celebrate the Blokes' up-coming "Big Gig" - watch it in all its Technicolour glory.

And if you like videos, watch our promo about what is shaping up to be an awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Front page news!

It's not every day we have a "first time ever" moment, but to have two in one go is a little special, even for us...

Whilst it might not exactly be a top story outside of our spiritual home of Ashton Keynes, we are still none the less very chuffed to be one of the big stories on the front of this month's newly revamped, and highly revered Village Magazine, AND our flyer is also the very first insert they have ever done... just like being in the Sunday papers!

Thank you to all in the Editorial Team who indulged us with a two page spread and to everyone in the Distribution Team who kindly inserted the flyers to drop out into around 500 households in the area.

Still time to hear more about our big event for singing in lower registers via this helpful video.

Joining us for Men United are... The Raff Pack

The Raff Pack formed in 2016 as the blokey spin-off to Riff Raff, a Bristol-based pop and rock community choir. They sing in venues all over the city, and are easily spotted by their bright orange, red and pink shirts and miscellaneous hats. They mostly sing pop and rock music a capella, though have been known to do sea shanties and the occasional jazz crooner.

They are lead by Doug V. Watt, a conductor, singer and arranger from Bristol.  He is Co-Founder of the Bristol Show Choir, Musical Director for the Posset Singers of Portishead, Conductor for Blackbird Early Years Music Choir, and runs Penny Brohn Community Choir.  As well as conducting, he can be seen as one of the Roaring Trowmen, a Bristol-based Sea Shanty group, and as a Tenor in barbershop quartet ‘Frumenti’.

Doug was also made a great impression at his debut appearance at BlokeFest 2018 where he lead one of the workshops and walked away as the very deserved winner of the "Tonsorial Titan Challenge" (o.k.a the Best Beard competition).

In case you haven't alreadly, hear more about what is shaping up to be an awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

BBC Music Day - Get Singing!

A great idea from the BBC to celebrate the power of music and the amazing role it plays in our lives, BBC Music Day.

Lots to look at and be inspired, talking of which, why not be inspired to come to our Workshop on Saturday 6th as part of our Magnificent MASSIVE Man-Sing for Men United to raise a voice and awareness for Prostate Cancer UK at St George's Hall in Bristol.  Get your tickets here.  It's open to ALL singers of ALL types who enjoy singing in lower registers.

Hear more about what is shaping up to be an awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Joining us for Men United are... The Gasmen Collective

Formed from a bunch of guys involved with Bristol's highly influential Gasworks Choir, the Gasmen Collective have only been in existence for just around a year now but have already built up a strong reputation for the quality of their singing and depth of their repertoire.

But how did they come about.....?

One evening in 2017, Jess Broderick, top graduate from Sir Paul McCartney’s ‘Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts’ LIPA, co-founder and director of Bristol Show Choir and Gasworks Choir and all round musical star, was getting a lift home after a practice with a couple of Gasworks Choir singers.  The guys popped a question that had been kicking around for a while, would Jess take on the job of Musical Director for a new, larger version of a Bristol men’s group that had been singing for some years but had recently called it a day: The Gasmen?  Stunned briefly, Jess chewed it over for a day or two then, happily for all concerned, said: ‘Yes!’ 

Talks about talks were convened. Songs performed in living rooms. Ideas explored. And after a recruitment drive, the newly enlarged Gasmen Collective finally came together at the start of 2018. Its mission: to have fun performing an eclectic acappella mix at gigs of all shapes and sizes. Jess sources as well as arranges material – and somehow manages to keep this very chatty bunch of middle-aged men in order… 

Follow them at: Facebook.com/TheGasmenCollectiveBristol

And we are delighted to have them on board for our Men United event this coming Saturday 6th October in St George's Hall - tickets still available for both the Workshop and the Gala Concert but starting to disappear from https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/.

Hear more about what is shaping up to be an awesome event of singing in lower registers in this helpful video.

Joining us for Men United are... Bristol's very own Kettle of Fish

We are very excited to let it be known that we are really looking forward to meeting with the chaps from Kettle of Fish, because of their obvious singing prowess and also because they have such fabulous shirts!  Now, we are not saying we don't like performing in our uniform black T-shirts emblazoned with our hearfelt logo on the front and directions for returning any "lost boy" written on the back, but once in a while we like to unleash our "inner fashionista" with a fab-u-lous shirt.

But clearly there is much more to this group than a great line in shirtery, they can also sing rather well and have been very active in the local scene in various guises for quite some time now with numerous escapades including singing in the Corinium Museum in our local town of Cirencester - which has given us an idea for some more Magnificentness...

Find out more about this wonderfully talented group, and see if you can spot one or two connections with The Magnificent AK47 over the years via their very colourful website at https://www.kettle-of-fish.net and hear them in action on their SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/bristolfish.

And you too could be part of what should be an amazing event combining the talents of Kettle of Fish and many others, visit https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/ to get your tickets, or have a quick watch of our promo video, then head to https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/ (hard sell, but we don't want people to miss out!).

Promo video for Men United

We have a nifty little video to help let people know about our Big Gig celebrating 10 years of Magnificentness and raising awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK at St George's Hall in Bristol on Saturday 6th October.

 

We hope you like it and just to emphasise the Workshop AND Show are open to ALL singers & audience of ALL types who enjoy singing in the lower registers.

For more details at http://themagnificentak47.com/ or go straight to https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/.

Magnificent Men United

It’s hard to believe, but The Magnificent AK47, the singing blokes from Ashton Keynes and surrounding area, have been together for over a decade...

And now they would like to invite you to join them on Magnificent Mystery Tour to help them celebrate their (first) ten years with a MASSIVE workshop and Gala performance at the beautiful St George’s Hall, just off Park Street in Bristol.

The aim is to get as many singers together for a huge workshop in the afternoon where some of the most respected singing leaders in the West will be teaching songs to the assembled throng.

This will be followed by a Gala concert in the evening to include appearances by some leading choirs in Bristol and culminate in a performance by The Magnificent AK47 themselves, topped off by the workshop attendees singing the songs they learnt earlier in the day. You and your friends could be there in the audience or even one of the singers taking part on stage! 

More info on our main website at http://themagnificentak47.com/ or get your ticket now from the St George's Hall Box office at https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/event/men-united/.