Category: Community

It is time for Kath Ibbotson to finally hand over the baton after more than half a century teaching music.

She retires as Musical Director of Claritas, the East Cheshire Hospice Choir, with a musical coffee morning at the United Reformed Church on Saturday, March 23 (10-12).

Kath leaves after 12 memorable years volunteering with the choir which has raised more than £58,000 for the Hospice.

She said: “I’m ready to retire. In many ways I’m quite sad, but it was the right time for someone else to take over and continue the good work.”

The community choir are conducting interviews for her successor.

She said: “I’ve been teaching one way or another since I was 16. The choir raises money for a fantastic cause, but the role of Musical Director can be quite tying.

“I always need to be in Macclesfield on Mondays for rehearsals and there’s plenty of preparation.

“The choir can’t make progress unless the MD is available, so the buck stops with me. However, there is a full committee doing lots of other vital jobs.

“I want to thank Hilary Balsdon our accompanist, choir members and the public who’ve attended concerts for their support.

Kath Ibbotson, who has decided to retire as Musical Director of Claritas, the East Cheshire Hospice Choir.

“I’ll enjoy the freedom to travel, pursue other interests, and be more available for my family.”

Kath taught at Fallibroome Academy for 21 years before retiring in 2010, though she was involved for another six years.

After moving to Macclesfield in 1975, she taught music at Tytherington and Wilmslow High Schools.

Between 1983 and 2012, Kath became accompanist then a MD with Macclesfield Majestic Theatre Group.

Her Claritas highlights include the 2014 Fallibroome concert; the 2016 10^th anniversary concert and two recent Christmas concerts at the United Reformed Church, all raising large sums.

Kath said: “Sponsorship and donations offset costs so everything we raise goes to the Hospice. Our members have been touched by the Hospice in some way and fundraising is a way of giving back.

“We have three big fundraising concerts each year and perform at clubs, societies, nursing and residential homes.

“I also introduced Singalongs because while people like to listen, they also love to join in.”

Kath will continue to play her piano. “After teaching music for so long, I do appreciate peace and quiet. I’m looking forward to attending concerts and in 12 months’ time might even visit Claritas to see how they’re doing.”

* Visit www.claritaschoir.com

(Please note that the quiz is now sold out).

Get your thinking caps on for the next quiz in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

Test your general knowledge and enjoy a laugh at the same time at Marlborough Primary School from 6.45 pm on Friday, March 22.

Co-hosts Paul Morrissey and Mark Watson will again be setting the brain teasers to find the top masterminds in Macclesfield.

Quiz hosts Paul Morrissey (left) and Mark Watson.

Paul said: “Our target is always to try to get every team to get more than 50 per cent of the questions right. If we achieve that we think we’ve done pretty well.

“Mark and I are both intimately involved in the Macclesfield quiz league, so we have quite a back catalogue of questions.

“I’ve also got quite a few quiz books and obviously it’s easy to find questions online so we try to make them accessible for people.

“The aim is for teams to have a good time, enjoy themselves and raise money for the Hospice.

“The questions are mostly general knowledge and we don’t tend to go for specialists rounds.”

The quizzes are a long-standing tradition, raising more than £60,000 for the Hospice, including £10,500 from virtual quizzes during Covid.

Paul said: “I’ve been involved for more than 20 years. We used to hold them on a Friday night in a marquee set up in the field behind the Hospice for the summer fete.”

Past quiz host Dave Robinson helps with music rounds, with Alison Brammer another long-standing organiser.

Nik Kalka runs the bar and helps with technology, while community fundraiser Carley Macey co-ordinates for the Hospice. Neil Drummond runs the stand-up bingo.

Paul is a vice president of the Hospice where he was a trustee for seven years. He worked for AstraZeneca for more than 30 years before retiring.

He is a member of the Nags Head B quiz team with Mark who runs Macclesfield Quiz League. Mark, a retired Police Inspector, co-ordinates the Cheshire Crimebeat charity and was awarded the MBE for services to community policing.

Paul said: “We’d encourage people to sign up as soon as possible. Teams are usually a minimum of four, though we aim for eight. If two people want to form their own team that’s fine, though we give them the option of joining another team.”

The quiz support group host three quizzes each year.

* Entry is £10 per head and to sign up visit eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/events/quiz-night/

Two charities close to the heart of Macclesfield Mayor Cllr Chris Wilcock will benefit from a special night in his honour.

The last few tickets are still available for a charity dinner and auction at Macclesfield Town Hall on Saturday, March 16.

A drinks reception at 7 pm is followed by a three-course meal (7.3o pm) before entertainment by live band Outer Limits.

Tickets priced £30 are available by emailing civic@macclesfield-tc.gov.uk

Proceeds will be donated to East Cheshire Hospice, where Cllr Wilcock’s late mum Lesley was an outpatient, and East Cheshire Eye Society, his other chosen charity.

The group helps people with sight loss, including Lesley who was partially sighted and died of cancer in 2015, aged 59.

Macclesfield Mayor Cllr Chris Wilcock.

Auctioneer and TV personality Adam Partridge will conduct the auction with guests promised a surprise on the night.

Cllr Wilcock said: “It should be a fantastic night of dining and entertainment for two great causes.

“I’m thoroughly enjoying my year of office. It’s everything I expected and more and it’s been wonderful to see different community groups and what they do.

“It’s given me an insight into how Macclesfield ticks basically. Wearing the chain of office and being recognised as mayor has been quite humbling.”

Cllr Wilcock joined volunteers for last month’s Hospice Christmas tree collection which raised more than £152,000.

He said: “It was an exhausting but highly rewarding day and next year we’re hoping to expand councillors’ involvement in this terrific long-standing fundraising scheme.”

Losing his mum and pet cat has persuaded songwriter Lee Wadsworth to make a charity single.

His haunting melody The Price of Love is now raising funds for East Cheshire Hospice, a cause close to his heart.

Lee, a nurse practitioner, suffered grief late last year when his 90-year-old mum Mary died, followed shortly afterwards by his oldest cat Redster.

Lee, whose singing name is Mister Lee, said: “I wrote the song while going through two grief reactions. It made me think about grief and how we and other people attempt to measure it.

“People try to quantify others’ grief saying it’s only a dog, or a cat, or an old lady but the message of the song is to let people have their own grief and simply try to help them.

Songwriter Lee Wadsworth and artist Ginny McDermott with the charity single artwork.

“I dedicate this song to both them and what they meant to me. It doesn’t matter what or who you have lost, it’s what they meant to you.”

Lee, from Macclesfield, has performed before to raise money for the Hospice. He also wrote a song called Sunshine in memory of a friend tragically killed in an accident.

He said: “I’m a hobby musician and have co-written three albums, though I haven’t composed any songs for a while and tend to need something in my mind to write about.

“The process of writing this song has certainly helped me to heal from my grief. It’s been therapy, helping me express my emotions.

“I want to support the Hospice as my mum would have benefitted from hospice care during her illness. Unfortunately, where she lived in Hyde she wasn’t able to access such services soon enough.

“The hospice movement provides great care and expertise helping people and their loved ones to have more dignified and comfortable passing.

“I know hospices rely heavily on charitable donations and East Cheshire Hospice needs £7,500 a day to survive. Hopefully, my single will raise awareness of the care they provide.”

The front cover of the single is a beautiful drawing by local landscape artist Ginny McDermott, a Hospice shop volunteer and supporter. It depicts Lee walking with his mum and cat, with his guitar on his back.

Lee said: “Ginny’s wonderful image can be interpreted as walking on life’s journey together, or perhaps to the gates of heaven.”

* To download Lee’s song and donate to his fundraising visit justgiving.com/page/lee-wadsworth-1696689319579.

Claritas, The East Cheshire Hospice Choir, hopes to give Musical Director Kath Ibbotson a rousing farewell at their Christmas concert.

Kath retires at Easter to spend more time with her family after leading the choir for almost 12 years.

Kath Ibbotson, who is retiring as Musical Director of Claritas Choir. 

As the search begins for her replacement, the choir will perform at the United Reformed Church, Park Green, on Thursday, December 14, from 7.30 pm.

The programme features carols and Christmas songs old and new.  Tickets (£8 adults, £5 under 18s) are available from the Tourist Information Centre, choir members, or on the door with refreshments available.

Claritas Choir which is preparing for its Christmas concert.

Committee member Marian Mackay said: “Kath is a hard act to follow, but we’re hoping there’s someone out there who’d like to lead Claritas forward in 2024.

“Claritas would like to record our thanks to Kath for her hard work and unstinting dedication to the choir. She has built the choir up from a small group singing a cappella, to a membership of around 50 singing in three/four-part harmony, accompanied by pianist Hilary Balsdon.

“Our repertoire has increased significantly during Kath’s musical directorship, allowing us to perform more challenging music and increase the number of fundraising concerts. In recent years the choir has donated more than £45,000 to the Hospice.”

“Although Claritas will never be the same without Kath, our loyalty to the Hospice means we’re determined to continue singing.” New members are welcome with rehearsals weekly during term time. Visit www.claritaschoir.com for more details.

Anyone interested in replacing Kath should email claritassecretary@gmail.com