A SINGER, who has sung in the same choir for 64 years, has decided to pack away her music books.
Maud Hughes, who turned 90 this summer, sang in the first concert of the Chester and District Music Society (now the Chester Music Society) at the City Grammar School in 1946.
She performed in her last concert with the society about 10 years ago but continued to go to rehearsals at The Queen’s School every Thursday evening.
“It isn’t the singing that is stopping me,” said Maud. “My voice hasn’t really changed and I don’t have that ‘old lady wobble’! I have wet macular degeneration and I just find it so difficult to hold the music and a magnifying glass.
“A friend told me to leave the party while you are still enjoying it.”
As a youngster Maud had often been asked to sing contralto because she could read music but was pleased to be offered a soprano part with the society.
“I sang Flocks in Pastures Green for my audition and when John Ramsden said: ‘soprano’, I was delighted.”
Maud, née Randles, moved to Chester when she was almost 10 years old. She attended Love St School and The City Grammar School for Girls (now Queen’s Park High School) before training to be a teacher in Crewe, where she specialised in music.
An obviously natural and well-loved teacher, she first taught at Lache Primary School, where she met her husband Harold Hughes. He retired from Lache in 1979.
She also taught part-time at Handbridge St Mary’s School, on Overleigh Road, when her daughter Rosalyn was a pupil and later at Highfield Junior School in Blacon, as a specialist music teacher.
When she retired, she was asked if she might take on Saltney Ladies’ Choir.
“I decided to give it a go and we carried on for about 20 years,” she said.
Maud’s memories of her time with Chester Music Society are many and varied but one highlight stands out.
“I am an Elgar fan and we gave one performance of The Kingdom, under the direction of Roger Fisher.
“It was the most magical, wonderful performance.
“Years later, I heard Roger play piano at Chester Town Hall. I went up to him afterwards and reminded him of the Elgar piece and he admitted that he hadn’t slept the night after the performance as he was so moved.”
