Chairman: Richard Ironmonger

Richard joined the choir around March 2017. He is a career police officer having joined Hertfordshire Police as a cadet in 1966.

After 4 years as a Police Constable he left to join the Bermuda Police where he remained for 7 years before returning to join Hampshire Police in 1980. On promotion to Sergeant he spent 2 years at the District Police Training Centre at Ashford in Kent as a Police Instructor. He has served at various locations in Hampshire including Control Rooms until he retired from Havant in 2006 at the rank of Inspector. He then took a second job as Deputy Head of Security for the University of Southampton for a further 7 years before final retirement. More…

His love of music started at school, being a member of 3 school choirs and playing Bassoon and Tuba for the school orchestra. Sadly, on leaving school, none of these attributes were followed up until a chance meeting with Ian Readhead (Deputy Chief Constable) and Colin Swettenham (previous Chairman of HPMVC) at a police dinner where he was 'persuaded' to join the choir.

Married to Maureen, he has two adult married sons and lives in Bishop’s Waltham.

Vice Chairman: Nigel Cooper

I joined the choir in 2016 when I was persuaded by the then M.D. (Terri Freeman) to come along and give it a go! She heard me singing with a Ukulele group which I was a member of and collared me after the session. I have always enjoyed singing and was brought up in Wales where I attended a Welsh Baptist Chapel. We only had four tenors in the congregation which encouraged us to "sing out". I enjoy playing the guitar and singing alongside and also still play occasionally with my Ukulele group. I love dogs and keep myself fit by walking our Saluki Greyhound (Coco) and playing a lot of Golf! I am married to a lovely Welsh girl called Nerris who sadly does not share my enthusiasm for singing.

Secretary: Roger Rixon

Musical Director: Geoffrey Porter, B.Ed (Hons)

During the Advanced Music Course at Portsmouth College of Education, Geoff studied with the tenor, Gerald English in London and became a Lay Clerk in Portsmouth Cathedral Choir. He was soloist with many local choral societies.

He has been Director of Music at Portsmouth Grammar School, Lower School and St. Alban’s School, Havant, as well as MD for Opera South and operatic societies in Chichester and Littlehampton. He co-founded Havant Light Opera and The Bognor Regis Music Club Singers.

Geoff runs his own vocal quintet, ‘Los Ladrones’ and was Assistant MD to The Solent Male Voice Choir, becoming MD in 2016.

In 2020, he was appointed Musical Director of The Hampshire Police Male Voice Choir, after the retirement of Terri Freeman.