MEMBERS of Warrington Male Voice Choir recently held a concert at Padgate Methodist Church ‘Music to Remember Joyce Noon’, on the second anniversary of her funeral.
Joyce was known to many in Warrington as a High School Teacher, but to the choir, back in the day, she was one of their accompanists, a massive supporter of the choir and above all else, a great friend.
Joyce would stand in as an accompanist at rehearsals as needed from around 1988, and sometimes as organist for some of our Church concerts. When the Male Voice Choir formed the Warrington Boys’ Choir in 1991, she was the obvious choice of Accompanist and played for the Boys’ Choir until it was reluctantly wound up in 1997.
Joyce came on many tours with the choir and when they organised their very first choir tour to Hilden / Dusseldorf, West Germany, then Chairman, Barrie Johnson, tapped into Joyce’s knowledge and contacts as she was already active in the Warrington-Hilden exchanges. Her knowledge of Hilden was a vital ingredient in the success of their first visit in 1986 and on their second visit in 1987. Then in 1991 she was with the choir again when they visited Holland and Germany. In fact, wherever they went, if Joyce was available, she came along. You couldn’t ask for a better supporter of the choir.
Joyce and her late husband Bill were both very charitable people and supported several local good causes. It was therefore agreed that in Joyce’s memory, the choir too wanted to support one of the good causes close to Joyce’s heart, so they very pleased to confirm that all proceeds from the concert have been donated to St Rocco’s Hospice in Joyce’s memory – an amazing £1,353.32.
Karen Rutherford, Corporate & Community Fundraiser from St Rocco’s Hospice said: “My colleague Lisa and I both enjoyed the evening and it was lovely to get a real understanding of what a difference Joyce had made to her community. This is reflected in the turnout and the collection on the evening of £1,353.22 in memory of Joyce.
“Thank you to our MD Russell Paterson for not only conducting the choir, but for sharing some wonderful memories of Joyce.” She went on to say, “meeting the choir is an experience where you just keep enjoying it for days afterwards.”
Amanda Davies, Secretary of the Male Voice Choir said: “A massive THANK YOU to everyone who came and packed out Padgate Methodist Church in support of St Rocco’s Hospice. If you came along, we hope you enjoyed the evening and we hope we did Joyce proud.”
Pictured top L-R: Sheila Parker (Joyce’s sister), Karen Rutherford (St Rocco’s Hospice), Warren Davies (1st Tenor – Warrington Male Voice Choir), Amanda Davies (Secretary – Warrington Male Voice Choir) and Lisa Cook (St Rocco’s Hospice).
