THESE were the choristers who led the singing at the City Church of St Michael at the Northgate in Oxford.
The picture comes from Richard Coughlan, who spent five years in the choir at the church in Cornmarket Street with his brother, Mark, until their voices broke.
It was taken outside the new wing of the church in 1974 when Richard was seven and Mark was 10.
Richard, of Beech Close, Wootton, near Abingdon, writes: “Mark is in the middle with the medal round his neck – he was head choirboy.
“I am in the front row, third from the left, with the cassock that is too short. It is funny looking back, as the first boy in the front row has a cassock which is too long!
“It was a wonderful period of our lives. Choirmaster John Roberts, standing next to the vicar, the Rev Norwyn Macdonald Ramm, took us to compete in some fantastic choir competitions. I have a vague recollection of him owning a pink Jaguar.
“The choir sang each year on the eve of St Giles Fair around the Galloping Horses. Every year, on Ascension day, we would take part in the tradition of ‘Beating the Bounds’, where we would hit the parish boundary stones with canes and shout ‘Mark, mark, mark!’ “One of these old stones is in Marks & Spencer.
“We would then go to Brasenose College to scramble for ‘hot’ coins thrown from the roof, before having lunch in the grand dining room.
“The highlight for us was the Christmas services, where we would sing solo. Mark was always note perfect singing Once in Royal David’s City and I would sing the first verse of Silent Night.
“I still remember the pride I felt when Mark sang solo. What a beautiful voice.
“We visited St Michael’s at Christmas a couple of years ago and were delighted to find Bob Earl, who remembered us, still there. He is in the back row, on the right, with the very 1970s’ haircut and moustache.”
Others Richard recognises include Paul and Andrew Tomkins, of Glebe Street, St Clement’s, and Ian Brooks, whose father owned Elizabeth’s sweet shop in Cowley Road –“a great friend to have for obvious reasons!”
Can anyone name any more?
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