The Teesside Apollo Male Voice Choir will get back to doing what it does best – entertaining with its singing and raising charitable funds – in a special Concert for Ukraine at St Mary’s Cathedral.

Like many choirs, the Apollo has been enduring an enforced rest period during the pandemic. Now the choir is back in full voice and looking for audiences to entertain while raising funds for charitable causes.

The Apollo was founded in 1887 and is now in its 135th year. It was established to raise funds to support a bereaved Welsh family whose father was tragically killed in an accident at the ironworks in Middlesbrough. 

My own grandfather, Thomas McTiernan, was a labourer in a Middlesbrough ironworks who also tragically died at the age of 35 in 1937, 20 years before I was born.

Throughout its illustrious history, the Apollo has exited to raise funds for charitable causes and the current crisis in Ukraine has inspired the choir to hold a concert at the cathedral to help raise much-needed funds for aid.

The choir continued through the thick and thin of two World Wars with an unbroken record until Covid made it impossible and too dangerous to perform. Hopefully, Covid is now less of a threat and once more we can tread the boards and entertain.

More details will follow in June’s Voice. It is hoped to have appearances from guest choirs and soloists including younger generations who also wish to have their voices heard in support of Ukraine. Please mark the date on your calendar so you can be there have a great evening and help the cause.

The Concert for Ukraine takes place at St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday June 17.

Peter McTiernan