Runcorn Memories: Any news of musician Harry Berrey?
HAS anyone out there ever heard of Harry Berrey?
I ask more in hope than expectation, because it was nearly a century ago - 1911 to be precise - when the old Drill Hall in Runcorn was the venue for a concert featuring well-known soloists, an orchestra and chorus and the Highfield Male Voice Choir.
The occasion was a memorial concert for the late Harry Berrey and artistes included the Excelsior Prize Quartet Party.
Soloists included Miss Eunice Grounds (contralto), Miss Sarah Silcock (soprano), John Hannan (of Warrington Male Voice Choir) and Robert Hamblett (of St Helens Operatic Society).
Programmes for the concert cost one penny and a copy of one of the originals came my way via a colleague who acquired it at a collectors' fair.
The orchestra and chorus for the concert were conducted by Horace W Handley and the accompanist was a Mr W Grounds.
Harry Berrey is mentioned on the front of the programme which tells us the chorus group consisted of members of the Runcorn and Widnes choirs, formerly conducted by the late Harry Berrey.
My feed
Harry Berrey was from St Helens not Runcorn. He was a tenor soloist of repute, a well-respected musician and the voice trainer of a number of local choirs. He was a strong proponent of choral competitions, which were becoming very popular by the turn of the twentieth century.
Harry Berrey was appointed Conductor of the Warrington Apollo Male Voice Choir in 1902 and led the choir to outstanding success in regional competitions. He died suddenly in the Summer of 1911. His untimely death led directly to the Warrington Apollo MVC amalgamating with local rivals, the Warrington Male Voice Choir in December 1911, creating the Warrington Male Choral Union. Only in 1981 did the choir re-adopt the former name, Warrington Male Voice Choir.
Thank you for this interesting information and it has been forwarded to Ray Miller for inclusion in the paper.
Hello,
thank you so much for posting this and a picture of him. Harry Berrey was my husbands great great grandfather, harry having herbert (my husnands great grandfather) who then in turn had John (Ken) (my husbands Grandfather), its funny we just found this page as we recently went to my husbands grandma's and she has given him all Harrys memorabilia including a photo of him, his wife and his sister alice and the choir
The music in the family didnt stop at Harry, John (Ken) was a fantastic pianist and performer, and also kens brother in autrailia is a brilliant pianist .... i wonder if me and my husband can continue it lol