In memory of baritone Gordon Holley 1931 - 2018

The inspiration for this article has come from Gordon Holley’s daughter, Yvette, and grand-daughter, Kate. Yvette had been following the Choristers up close project on Risca Male Choir’s website. She thought that it would be good to compose something similar for Gordon. The reflection on Gordon’s life has been created by Martin Hodson from interviews with Yvette and contributions from Kate.

Through the sadness I always search for moments of comfort in order to bring his larger than life character alive again. For my mother, Yvette, it is writing his sayings in a status each day. We also talk about him as a family every moment that we can. However, I am desperate to find that closure - that personal comfort to bring me close to him again - he has left a huge hole.

When sorting through some of his things in his treasure trove of a wall-cupboard, a note fell from the top shelf and hit me on the head - as if something wanted me to read it. And of course it was a Risca Male Choir themed note - his biggest love. The note had beautiful lyrics of a song from the musical “Billy Elliot” - The Stars Look Down.

Through my tears and the smells of the cigarette stained coats in the cupboard, it brought him right into vision again for me, reading his writing, his engineer, bulky scrawl across the page.

Risca Male Choir first sang this song in an annual theme show, December 2012. The song is the opening number of “Billy Elliot” the show with music written by Elton John and words by Lee Hall. The story is set around the Miners’ Strike of 1984/85 in County Durham, and concerns a young lad who sets out to be a ballet dancer.

Gordon had a huge passion for the history of mining and it struck a chord with me for sure. "And the stars look down and see the struggle, And the stars look down and know the pain, And the stars will lead us back to where light shines again, Where we'll stand as one beneath the sun, One beneath the sun"

Kate Elizabeth Holley

ALL ABOUT GORDON

The Early Years

Gordon was born on December 29th 1931 in Tredegar. The family home was in Pembroke Street, Ashvale, where Gordon grew up with his grandmother Nanny Powell, Betty, his mother, and William, his father. Gordon was the oldest of the children; there was his younger brother, Bryn, his sister, Maureen, and the youngest of all, his brother Colin.

When he was just a lad, the family moved to Birmingham for work, staying there for two years. On returning to South Wales, they took up residence in Penywerlod Road, Markham. Gordon attended the local schools and left at the very young age of 14. One of his friends there was Flo Spencer. He was for ever teasing her and pulling her long plaits and dipping the ends into the inkwell! Later in life, Flo married a chorister from Risca Male Voice Choir (as it was then), second tenor, Gwilym Owen.

Gordon’s dad, William worked in Markham Colliery while Gordon, on leaving school, became an apprentice at Cribbs’ Garage in Pontllanfraith. He only stayed there for a year, as he could see his mates were earning a lot more money by working in the pit. There he became a maintenance engineer, a job that was to start a lifelong interest in all things mechanical. He later said that his time there was the happiest working years of his life. It was there that he forged friendships that shaped him into becoming a social animal, a characteristic of the man that remained all his life.

When he was a teenager, and about the time he was 18, he used to go swimming in the local outdoor swimming pool in Tredegar. The pool is still there. It was here that he met the girl that was to become his wife. Jeanette fancied this handsome young man, with his curly dark hair and fine physique! They started courting and used to meet by the famous town clock in Tredegar, usually to go walking as Jeanette was not a lover of pubs.

On a Saturday night they used to go dancing, Gordon in The Greyhound in Tredegar with the lads, and Jeanette would go dancing with her girlfriends in The Queen’s Dance Hall. Of course, Gordon eventually made his way there as the courting became more serious. The trouble was, that Gordon only found his way there with the help of friends that would guide him in his inebriated state!

Gordon used to call Jeanette his Grecian Goddess and after their evening out he would catch the last bus back to Markham, or maybe would walk the distance if he missed it!

They married in Siloh Baptist Church (now Siloh Uniting Church), Tredegar, on June 13, 1953 when Gordon was 22 and Jeanette 21.

And so a new phase began in the life of Gordon, one of a young married man. It was not long before the couple added a new life to the family in the shape of Philip, born on November 30, 1953. The family was now living with Jeanette’s mother, Lil, in The Circle in Tredegar where they would stay for the next two years.

Gordon was still working in Markham Pit and used to ride to work on his motorbike. The family now moved to their first own home which was a flat in Ashvale, Tredegar. It was one of those Cornish style buildings with a sloping roof. It was a ground floor flat with the added bonus of having a garden for young Philip to play in. And it was here that Yvette was born in 1960, completing the young Holley family. Jeanette was a stay at home mum, while Gordon continued to work at the pit. Yvette remembers the flat being near a farm, and pigs were frequently found in the garden from where they were rescued by the farmer.

The next move was to be an important one in Gordon’s life. At that time, his friend, David Jones (known fondly as Uncle Len) was working in the steel works in Ebbw Vale, and he made a transfer to the new factory at Llanwern, near Newport, then newly built.

The prospect of a new job offering more pay and opportunities appealed to Gordon, and so he applied for a new job at Llanwern. He went as an engineer, eventually working his way to being a chief engineer. He still had that motorbike and used to ride it down the valley from Tredegar to Newport.

In 1964, the young family now made the move from Tredegar to live in Risca. The work offered him accommodation in one of three places; Bettws (Newport), Underwood, (Newport) or Risca. And so the family moved to 12 Sycamore Crescent, Tŷ Sign, Risca, which remains the family home to this day.

Jeanette was not happy with the move, she was missing her friends and her mum in Tredegar. She had been instrumental in choosing to live in Risca because there was a good rail link to Tredegar from Risca Station, and so she was able to make the journey back to her old home quite frequently.

Meanwhile, Philip now heading to his teens, became a pupil at Pontymister Secondary School, now the site of Lidl’s car park, and Yvette eventually became a pupil at the newly built Tŷ Sign Primary School.

Yvette remembers Gordon’s donkey jacket, and his tin of sandwiches and recalls the time when the cat stole the beetroot out of Gordon’s lunch pack!! She says, he was always busy on different projects. He was the “go to man” when anyone needed something repaired, fixed or built, from a plumbing job to the car! To that end, he had a well-equipped workshop in the garden shed, complete with a lathe. And it was here that he spent most of his spare time. This hobby was to prove a great asset in later years with Risca Male Choir!

One of his good mates at Llanwern, was Doug Prout, a chorister with Risca Male (Voice) Choir. The choir was formed in 1970 under the leadership of local amateur musician, Les James. Gordon had no previous singing experience, but thought it sounded like a good new hobby and a chance to meet new friends. So it was that Gordon took a step that was to become a huge and significant part of his future life.

Risca Male Choir

The family settled into life in Sycamore Crescent Risca, quickly becoming part of the rapidly expanding community in the town. The male choir was still in its infancy when Gordon decided to join on February 1st, 1972. He immediately took to his new hobby, partly because he enjoyed the traditional material that the choir was singing in those day, but mostly because of the social life on offer. Each rehearsal, of course, was followed by a pint or two in the nearby Railway Tavern, where, later on, granddaughter Kate worked. The choir then comprised about 50 choristers evenly placed as far as voice parts were concerned. Not long after Gordon joined, the choir held its first big concert at the Risca Mineworkers’ Flower Show and was held in Crosskeys College Hall.

Yvette remembers the uniform that Gordon wore at concerts, it was a green blazer with the choir badge on the pocket. His wife Jeanette, was happy to see him involved with the group, a time which she could have to herself with her husband out of the way for a few hours. Gordon was very particular about his appearance and took care that whatever he wore on choir practice night was smart, clean and tidy, and that he himself was well turned out and smelling of Old Spice or Brut!! His enthusiasm for the choir was palpable, from the start to his final days as a chorister.

He rarely missed a rehearsal or a concert, and attended every tour during his long career as a chorister. In the early years, it was Germany on a few occasions. Later, other European countries were the destinations, France, Czech Republic, Ireland and Spain. Particularly, there were three amazing trips to California in 1987, 1990 and 1996. By this time the choir had established itself as a leading ensemble in the principality and had won competitions and become a choir of choice for special concerts, television appearances, work with the BBC and Welsh National Opera.

Gordon relished these tours and was an enthusiastic worker helping raise the necessary funds to make sure that all who wanted to travel, could do so. But just before the last Californian tour in 1996, Gordon had taken a fall and injured his back. He was desperate to get himself fit enough to travel. The determination he showed then to do just that, was so typical of him as a character. And so he went, and with the aid of a walking stick managed his condition in as good a fashion as he could to enjoy the experience. Those three tours were not easy, each with 6 concerts in different parts of California and a lot of travelling in between. But they were massive highlights in the history of the choir, and Gordon was one of many that found plenty of boasting rights and stories to tell.

As good a chorister as Gordon was, with his enviable attendance record, he was not someone you would pick out as having a superb voice, and he would never have claimed such in any case. It proves that being a good, devoted chorister is more than having a particularly good voice, and Gordon epitomised that premise.

On the other hand, he was a great engineer and had the physical and mental know how as to tackling jobs that needed doing around our rehearsal space. From March 1st 1988, the choir took over the old Council Offices on St Mary Street, and it was from that time that Gordon really came into his own. The attractive building had opened originally in 1907 and had an ideal position right on the main road running through Risca. There were many jobs that needed doing around the building which was absolutely perfect for our headquarters with a large space for rehearsals and lots of rooms upstairs and downstairs to act as libraries, wardrobes, extra rehearsal spaces etc.

The old building had a clock on the front face overlooking the main road, and Gordon, along with fellow baritone, Gerry Pritchard, set to repairing it so that it worked again telling the time and chiming the hours away!

There were many other jobs that Gordon was instrumental in carrying out over the years. He enlisted many helpers to work alongside him. Our HQ needed a new boiler and Gordon built a boiler house and installed new boilers keeping us warm to this day. He demolished walls and redundant buildings, extended others to house our staging, relocated stairs and proudly added the name RISCA MALE CHOIR in gold lettering to the front of the building.

That work continues to the present with a marvellous team of skilled men, and I’m sure those hard working choristers, come builders, can feel his presence, making sure all is done to his high standard.

Then there were the many stage sets that were built under his leadership. Risca Male Choir’s unique theme shows, produced every Christmas, became a big feature in the life of the choir and Gordon was enthusiastic about making sure the theatrical presentations were just that. Amongst the sets was a New York side walk café, a spectacular Mississippi Paddle Steamer, and an impressive Disney Fairy Castle. He once devised a machine installed into the roof of the stage where we were singing to produce a snowfall at the appropriate moment, and most shows had the theme in large colourful letters across the front of the proscenium. There was little that couldn’t be achieved to make whatever was deemed necessary to enhance the work of the choir.

In 2008, Gordon also became something of a film star. The choir had been chosen to take part in a project that had been commissioned by the Welsh National Opera. The composer, Errollyn Wallen and librettist John Binias had visited our HQ and were impressed by the sound of the choir. These writers were working on a large choral piece about the history of coal in the South Wales valleys. It was aptly named Carbon 12.

The choir was duly engaged to take part, and during rehearsals at the WNO base in Cardiff’s Millennium Centre, it became known that Gordon had been a miner with first-hand experience of working underground, part of the story that was being portrayed in the music. It was decided that a short film would be made featuring Gordon talking of his experience as a miner, and actually taking the film crew to where his workplace once was. Such was the state of the area where the mine buildings once stood, Gordon found it difficult to locate where they all originally were!

We mustn’t forget that Gordon was also a marvellous chef at the summer social gathering and BBQ! Both Yvette and Kate said that he would always be on the lookout at home to take anything that might be useful at the feast. They remember some Chinese lanterns that disappeared one time!

Gordon had been a keen and sometimes difficult committee member, and at one point, as chairman. His passion for the wellbeing of the choir in all its aspects was something that occupied his thoughts very often. Sometimes that passion ran over and caused him to act hastily without due thought and reason! Yvette remembers typing out a number of letters of resignation: but he never did resign!

Gordon retired from the choir on September 30, 2017, due to his ill health: he had terminal lung cancer! He had been awarded a Life Membership for his contribution to Risca Male Choir, not merely because he was a long serving member (45 years), but for work over and above that length of service. He died on June 23, 2018 and his funeral took place in Moriah Church, Risca on July 11th.

The Funeral

Befitting a character such as Gordon, the funeral was an amazing event with a splendid turn out of friends and work colleagues coming to show their respects. Knowing that he was to die, Gordon was able to plan his funeral, and amongst his last wishes was to have certain items of music. He very much liked the tune and the words of Time to say goodbye which had been popularised by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Martin set to work arranging it for the choir to sing. On the day, it could not have been a better way to say goodbye, even though it proved difficult to sing given the emotion we felt at that moment. The other song was a choir favourite, Where shall I be? in the arrangement by Bryan Davies. Gordon had wanted Martin to play the organ for his funeral and also to deliver a tribute that had already been read to him before his passing. It’s not everybody gets to hear such a thing before their own funeral. Here is an extract from that tribute.

Of late, I’ve been referring to Gordon as the choir Patriarch: a father figure who is a person we look up to, who we respect, admire and trust. Gordon had these attributes and many more besides, qualities that have developed over the years and qualities that go along with longevity and the gathering of wisdom: oh yes, Gordon was a very wise man………..

Gordon was a great character, and one we all loved. He enjoyed all that we as a choir did, whether it was performing the most demanding of repertoire, lightening the mood with our theme shows or enjoying an after concert sing-along in a local hostelry. He loved our foreign tours, and as far as I know, was part of them all. Especially dear to him were the three trips to California…………

I owe much to the understanding and empathy shown to me by Gordon and his colleagues, in particular Trevor Everson and Gerry Pritchard, when feeling a little stressed: such was the caring nature and special friendship that Gordon and the others showed. But it may not have turned out that way as I remember vividly on our first visit to California in 1987 that we made a visit to Disneyland, Los Angeles. I was boasting, having been there previously, and suggested to the guys that “It’s a Small World” was a lovely ride worth visiting. Wikipedia describes it thus: “The ride features over 300 audio-animatronic children in traditional costumes from cultures around the world, frolicking in a spirit of international unity, and singing the attraction's title song”. And so Gordon and some other choristers joining us, climbed into the small boats that were to carry us on this attractive adventure, and the song started….”It’s a world of laughter…..” (Choir sings)

Indeed, it’s a cute song, but by the time you’ve heard it sung repeatedly by 300 of these automatic dolls, you may imagine what a not very happy Gordon greeted me when we eventually got off that ride, and indeed, as I said, it could have been the end of a beautiful friendship. But Gordon forgave me, I think, and that song became a point of fun forever after.

Above all, I know that Gordon loved and cared about this choir and over the years fought passionately for its progress, its overall wellbeing and its high standards of singing and general presentation. He was always straightforward with his views and wasn’t afraid to express them when needed. Sometimes he would take things to heart and could get very worried and concerned about situations. Before his passing, he told me he was happy to now see a promising future for this rather special group of singers, especially with our talented, young recently appointed Music Director, Tomos Gwyn, working alongside our still quite new accompanist, Alison Thomas who has a strong Risca connection working as a teacher at Risca Primary School.

Now, Gordon’s song has come to its conclusion, the final few bars have been sung and the score has been closed and put back into its folder. But you know, even though the song is over, the music goes on, and surely will go on for as long as we are here to recall it. And when we remember its melodies and harmonies, its words and its emotions, may we always recall with fondness and pleasure, that we were able to share that song with Gordon. And I can tell you that I’m always going to think of Gordon every time I hear that clock chiming back at the choir headquarters!

Reminiscences

Yvette Holley – Daughter

My Dad

What a wonderful dad he was. Always ready to help and give advice. There are so many memories and I miss him so much. He loved his family and was so proud of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He will live on in our memories and we will always think of him. He was funny, inappropriate at times but that was him. He had a brilliant turn of phrase and could make his feelings known. All in all what a man, what a dad!

Here are some of his sayings:

Don't talk so bloody round shouldered.
Supercilious bastard.
He used to say that curry was the “essence of hen shit”.
LMF dear boy, LMF. (Lacking in moral fibre)
Gin and tonic, no ice no lemon: add those, and it becomes a whore’s drink! And many, many more!

Kate Elizabeth Holley – Grand-daughter

Grancher

It is truly beyond words to know how lucky I was to have this man as a Grancher. He was a father to me throughout my whole childhood. I wish I could say he wasn’t strict, but we would all know that would be a lie! One thing I could always depend on him for was wise words of advice, or just to say “Kate, you’re making a mountain out of a bloody mole hill!”

Sitting in the conservatory listening to him spin a tale of either his coal mining days or jolly boys’ outings with the choir, he could always depend on me to laugh at his, not always appropriate jokes, when the rest of the family would just roll their eyes. Looking back to early childhood where he would sit all the grandchildren on his knee and sing “Mud, mud, glorious mud” or “Barnacle Bill the sailor”, he would make us squeal with laughter and awe for him then, and that has never disappeared.

In the last few years of his life, we grew very close and shared both laughter and tears. I was very lucky to have a conversation with him a few days before he died where he told me that he just wanted me to find my own kind of happy. Well, I have, and it’s all thanks to the wonderful upbringing from that man. My Grancher, one hell of a man.

Chris Davies - Tenor 2

Gordon was instrumental in my joining the choir. I first met him when he attended my mother’s funeral in January 1985. From that day on, Gordon and I became good friends. We spent lots of time together, not just in choir practice, but in the many hours that we spent designing and building stage sets for the many themed concerts that the choir performed. Gordon’s practical skills and great sense of engineering were legend, and could be seen in those stage sets, and even more so in the long list of building works that he and I carried out, already mentioned in the main part of this blog.

Gordon was a guy who was completely trustworthy and honest and could be depended upon to do whatever he committed to do. He did not suffer fools gladly and was very supportive of those who required assistance with anything. Gordon also spent many mornings with me having breakfasts at the Cwmcarn Scenic Drive or in the local café in Risca. He was a very good friend of mine for over 33 years and I can honestly say that he was my best mate in the choir. I miss him very much with his good-natured banter and loyal friendship. R.I.P. Gordon.

Trevor Everson – retired Baritone

My friend, Tony Dent (retired Tenor 1) and I, worked together for many years, and we both loved to sing. We decided that we would join Risca Male Voice Choir. I was told that I was a baritone and for the greater part of the many years with the choir, I was fortunate enough to end up sitting by Gordon Holley, also singing baritone. Consequently, we became best mates, and I cannot speak highly enough of the man!

The fun and laughter we shared while I was a member will live in my memory forever: we would do anything for each other. After practice we would go with a few of our friends for a beer and a sing-along. Gordon was such good fun and the best company to be with, and we all had so much respect for him.

After singing with Risca Male Choir for many years, I retired some time ago now, but those memories will live forever, I’m pleased to say.

Gordon had such a wonderful sense of humour, and I will treasure his memory forever. I understand the loss to his family, but I will always say how lucky I was to share so much of my life with that wonderful person.

Martin Hodson – Music Director Emeritus

Gordon had already been a member of RMC for seven years when I was appointed MD in 1979. And so we served together until his death in 2018. To me he was the ideal chorister having so many qualities beside an ability to hold a tune. The latter I know he did, as when I became a chorister myself in 2016, I sat in front of him in the baritone section. Gordon was a physically strong man enabling him to carry out all the strenuous and physically demanding jobs he undertook with regard to building and construction work, whether to our HQ or to the many stage sets he built.

But he was also an imposing man in character, strong, direct, unafraid to have opinions, helpful, kind, supportive and understanding. I was able to benefit from those particular qualities during our three tours of California. For me, conducting 6 concerts in different parts of the state in 2 weeks, with all the travelling between venues, was a strain. Gordon, and I must also pay tribute to his close friends, the late Gerry Pritchard and Trevor Everson, were my saviours, always with words of comfort and encouragement making things so much easier than they might have been otherwise. We have had, and still have many splendid choristers, some with magnificent voices, some who have practical skills that they give of freely, some who have larger than life characters, all who contribute to the artistic and social life of the choir, but Gordon stands head and shoulders above all. He was a one off and was loved and admired by all. It has been a pleasure for me to help Yvette and Kate write this tribute to Gordon. Now, it will always be a part of our website for future choristers and friends of RMC to read and appreciate. Cliff James – Tenor 2 Gordon was a talented, precise and clever man who could turn his hand to almost anything. No matter what the problem or issue, whether it was electrical, mechanical, or even where he had to use his woodworking skills, he managed and coped to achieve success in these fields.

As an individual, he could be outspoken and would call a 'spade a spade'; he would not suffer fools gladly. However, if you had Gordon as a friend, then he was your friend for life. He would always be there to advise, help and support.

With his passing, the choir sadly lost a unique and dedicated chorister.

Lyndon Price – Bass

My first memory of Gordon was the welcoming handshake and beaming smile of welcome as I came to my first visit at RMC's practice rooms. Gordon would constantly talk of the value of togetherness which kept us striving forward as a choir. He was also asking about my lifetime before joining the choir, and how my family were, all in all a caring man. His commitment to RMC was absolutely amazing, not just his singing, but the building work he was doing. He was truly wonderful example for all choristers to follow.

Mike Sullivan – Baritone

I first met Gordon 30 years ago and we got on very well. Eventually, I joined RMC when Gordon was responsible for the maintenance of the building. One evening he approached me and asked if could help out with the maintenance which I duly did, and we worked together until his health forced him to step down.

During our many hours together he told me stories about the choir. One such story is this. When working underground, he was called out to a break down. He had to replace a bearing and large bush in the machinery. He and his oppo started the repair. He reluctantly held a bar while his mate swung a sledge hammer to knock out the bush. His mate swung the hammer and it slipped off the edge of the bar catching Gordon on the head knocking him out cold. He was rushed to hospital with a nasty wound and blood everywhere. Later he was told he could go home and he set out in a taxi.

When he arrived home his wife took a look at the bandaged MUMMY in front of her and passed out.

Gordon was a good friend, a very talented and respected engineer, and also a dedicated and passionate chorister. He is missed greatly but not forgotten.

God bless Gordon.

Leigh Tucker – Vice Chairman & Bass

Gordon Holley, international man of mystery!

Gordon was a mischievous character who loved Risca Male Choir with a deep passion. He would get very cross with people who did not take the choir seriously, and with bad attendees in particular.

When we were on tour he was fond of arranging after hours drinks and laughs in his room until the wee hours! They were such fun. He was always up for a giggle, but do not, in his presence, bring the choir into disrepute unless you wanted his wrath.

He always had such stories to tell of dances in Merthyr when he was a young man, and the lovely girls he danced with. His friends within the choir, most of whom have passed now, were the backbone of his circle of close friends, and if you were his friend, he would support and look after you until the end.

As a young Chairman, Gordon would often advise me in his special way, and after giving his advice would say "Now of course, it's up to you if you take my advice or not!"

Here’s something I have never told anyone apart from my wife, Val. Before he passed, Gordon as he would, summoned me to his house. He sat me down and told me I had to swear to him that I would not let RMC fade to nothing, and that I would do everything I could to keep the choir going. Of course, I agreed, with a sense of awe at his concerns before he passed, and realised that, after his family, the choir was everything to him. Gordon epitomised the saying "Work hard play hard!" He really was, in the true sense of the word a legend, and will by many people be remembered with such love.

Dedicated to the memory of Gordon Holley, simply an exceptional human being.

“AND THE STARS LOOK DOWN”