Musical director of award-winning Wirral Community Choir Graham Connolly hands over his baton to Stephen Mannings

Jan 9 2013 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

THE MUSICAL director and founder of the award-winning Wirral Community Choir has retired.

Graham Connolly led the choir from its beginnings in 2006 as a Develop Your Singing class with 15 members at Birkenhead Sixth Form College.

The choir now has 100 members and has presented concerts in venues across Merseyside, raising considerable funds for a variety of charities.

A charity Christmas concert in the Concert Room of St George’s Hall in Liverpool set the stage for Mr Connolly’s farewell.

It is hoped he will make guest appearances in the future.

Alan Derrick, the choir’s manager since 2007, praised Mr Connolly for his “sense of fun” and huge passion for music.

He said: “Graham’s great knowledge and wide repertoire has enabled us to tackle classical pieces, national songs, Broadway hits and countless other show songs.”

The choir’s new musical director is Stephen Mannings.