Choristers up close - Leigh Tucker

Leigh Tucker - Former Chairman (2003 - 2015)
Section - Bass 2

How did you come to join Risca Male Choir?

I was a member of Newport Male Voice Choir at the tender age of 16. I gave up singing to join the Metropolitan Police when I was 18.

In December 1998 a former work colleague, David James, told me he had joined Risca Male Choir and mentioned the rehearsal days and times. I went home and told Val, my wife. On the following Thursday I was at home watching the clock and Val said “Why don’t you just go and see what it’s like” and so I did. Soon I was sitting next to Trevor Baker, my mentor, and have been there ever since.

How long have you been with our choir, and what are the things which have helped you stay?

I joined the choir on the 10 January 1999. I became Vice Chairman in 2001 until 2003 and then Chairman from 2003 until 2015.

I stay due to the pure pleasure and enjoyment I get from being a part of this great choir. I have made life friendships within the choir and can truly say that it is very important to me. It is nice to be with people who share the same interests as me, and who are, to a man, proud of being in the choir.

I was very proud to sing alongside my father for many years when he also joined RMC, and in many ways this brought us closer together.

What music do you particularly enjoy singing and why?

I love the vast repertoire that Risca Male Choir sings, the way we learn the music and how it stretches your own musical abilities. I also enjoy the different styles we are asked to take on as choristers.  Sometimes we are given pieces of music and you think “Oh no this is awful”. We have performed difficult pieces like Beowoulf and Grendel (Mervyn Burtch), but then much lighter music such as songs from Disney films. They all take time and hard work to learn. But when we get it right it is magical.

For personal reasons, my favourite piece of music is Close Thine Eyes.

The music by Ieuan Rees Davies is special to me for three reasons. When my mum was alive she used to come to our concerts, and when we sang that song she used to cry saying that we put so much into the meaning of the song making it the very best she has ever heard it sung. Bearing in mind my dad has sung in choirs for something like 65 years, so mum would have heard it many times! 

At my mum’s funeral, Risca Male Choir’s recording of Close Thine Eyes was played. And, of course, at my dad’s, the choir sang it live. In the annual concert after my dad’s death we sang it: I cried all the way through but managed to squeak a bit of it as well!

So that's the reason it is so very special to me.

Have you had any memorable musical moments that gave you pride and satisfaction?

For me, singing in the National Rugby Stadium was special as I am an ex-rugby player and now avid follower. We have sung in some of the best venues in Europe on our tours, and for me singing in Auschwitz holds a special place in my heart. I also sang at the 1000 voices in The Royal Albert Hall which was, for a young man of 18, a memorable experience.

Tell us briefly about your life outside of choir.

I am a family man, having been married to Val for 43 years. We have 3 children, who have all grown up, and individually made us very proud. I have 4 grandchildren who consume my time, but I love it!

I am a sales manager for the biggest independent oil company in the U.K. and have been doing my job for 35 years. I am a very keen Harley Davidson Owners Club member and Val and I love to ride the open road. I own a Heritage Softail Classic 1450cc. I love to spend time in West Wales where I am fortunate enough to own a cottage, and whilst there I love to sea fish and walk the coastal path.

A final thought, if you have one.

Like a lot of choristers, I wish I had joined the choir many years earlier. I am determined to be a part of this choir for a long time to come.

We are all living in testing and uncertain times due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. It is important we all do the right things, protect our families, and stay safe and healthy. We need to ensure we all come out of this stronger and healthier to continue to enjoy our lives the way we choose.

The friendships I have made in the choir are an important part of my life and I sincerely hope that it continues for many years to come.