“Up there on stage, you WERE Paul Robeson... We were unanimous that you are the most fitting person to be our next president.”

With those flattering words, I was invited to be the 5th President of the Birmingham Clarion Singers, after many of them travelled to Coventry to see me perform at the Belgrade Theatre there in March. Their second president, from 1959 and his death in 1976 was none other than Paul Robeson himself! I was therefore humbled and proud to accept their generous invitation, and to add the clause "President of the Birmingham Clarion Singers" to my biography. I encourage friends in and near Birmingham to seek them out and join them too – there are few pastimes more meaningful, uplifting and rewarding than “... spreading the message of peace, justice and equality” through song.

Recent Touring/Performance News:

The last performance referred to in my last newsletter was the sell-out night at the Old Fire Station in Oxford, and in my programme notes I referred to the death of Hugo Chavez, the late socialist President of Venezuela. A lot has happened since then, including the passing of Margaret Thatcher. In my adopted home city of Liverpool, many people, er, shall I say “celebrated enthusiastically,” and would you know it – my next performance was due to be held in her birthplace of Grantham! The programme note for that performance dwelt as much on Mrs. Paul Robeson as it did on the Iron Lady, and takes its rightful chronological place in the following list::
Coventry; Hexham; South Shields; Alnwick; Berwick-upon-Tweed;
Henley on Thames; Bolton; Grantham; Stafford; Ilkley
Excellent houses (some sell-outs) and great enthusiasm for Paul Robeson throughout, I am pleased to report.