Hamilton Police Male Chorus
In November 1959, a group of police officers from the Hamilton Police Department first gathered to discuss the feasibility of forming a choral group. Seven decades later, the Hamilton Police Male Chorus is the oldest police choral group in North America, and they continue the tradition of enhancing the police image and bringing harmony to the communities they serve.
From their humble beginnings, the chorus of singing policemen, have performed at countless events and functions and have progressed to become a recognized Chorus at a local, National and International level. The Chorus continues to build upon its successes through hard work, dedication and the enthusiasm and support of the Hamilton Police Service and the community.
The idea of forming the Hamilton Police Male Chorus was conceived by Constable Aurel (Peter) Allard. In November 1959, he organized a meeting with some thirty-seven Hamilton police officers. (One article reported there were fifty-five applicants reduced to about 30 members.) Inspired by the interest shown by so many members of the Department, a committee was formed, and practices commenced. One of the courtrooms at Central Police Station was made available for practices one night each week.
The Chorus practiced under the direction of Mr. Fred Christmas, a young Hamilton lawyer, who served as their first Director. Mr. Christmas devoted many hours to develop the men, with no previous musical experience, into a talented and entertaining choral group. A barbershop quartet (The Metronomes) comprised of Bill Smith (tenor), Jim Marshall (lead), Jim Fox (baritone) as well as Fred Christmas (bass) helped to get the group started by training and coaching the men. Bill Smith would later serve as the Chorus’ Director.
By 1960, there were forty-three police officers who devoted their off-duty time to rehearse and perform with the Chorus. On May 7, 1960, with thirty-five members, they gave their first performance before a group of eighty-five police officers from various municipalities throughout Ontario who were attending a criminal investigation training seminar at McMaster University.
Inspired by the response they received from this group, they continued to practice faithfully.
Since their first appearance, the Chorus performed locally at various civic functions and events for a few years, then broadened out and made appearances in many Ontario cities.
Hamilton Police Male Chorus, First Appearance May 7, 1960, McMaster University
In front are the ‘Metronomes’ (four ‘barbershoppers’) from left to right: Bill Smith (tenor), Jim Marshall (lead), Jim Fox (baritone) and Fred Christmas (bass and the Chorus Director).
First Row – Left to right: Bill Winterbottom, Al Corbett, Tom Fitzgerald, Ron Coomber, Herb Allen, Roy Johnson, Basil Downey, Bill Wallace, Keith Farraway, Pete Allard (Founder, & President), Cliff Black
Second Row – Left to right: Paul Skinulis, Lou Kingerley, Jim Elliott, Darryl Buckle, Dunc Ghent, Vic Zwirewich, Bob Moses, Colin Millar, Ed Forteski, Alex Vance, Charlie Skeates
Third Row – Left to right – Bernie Mathews, Bob Arnott, John Grivich, Fred Mueller, Bill Lawrence, Walter Jewell, Kenny Lamb, Paul Gibson, Ted Brooks, Bob Nelson
City Hall 1960
First Row – Left to right: Len Carrington, Lloyd Larson, Vic Zwirewich, Herb Allen, Chief Len Lawrence, Wm. Smith, Alex Vance, Keith Farraway, Ken Lamb
Second Row – Left to right: Peter Bonje, Lou Kingerley, George Bassett, Brian Shennan, Fred Gauld, Wm. Brooks, Rudy Rhuhloff
Third Row – Left to right: Paul Skinulis, Bob Arnott, Clyde “Tiger” Groves, Tom Gent, Ed Forteski, Ralph Gibson, Mike Bidulka, Dieter Bauer, George Glegg
City Hall 1960
In July 1964, they made their first appearance outside the Province when they appeared at the famed Calgary Stampede. The Annual report of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Ltd. for the year ending 30th September 1964 reported:
“The famous Hamilton Police Male Chorus provided excellent entertainment early in the week and received rousing ovations at each performance.”
In 1966, they performed in a thirty-minute television program that was taped during a performance at Westdale Auditorium.
Then in 1966, they made their first of two trips to New York City to take part in the annual New York Police Department’s Church Parade, after which they sang in the grand ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to an audience of over 5,000 people. In a Hamilton Spectator article on January 7, 1967, by Hugh Whittington, entitled “Hamilton’s Singing Policemen”, the Chorus President, Keith Farraway, a detective said:
“After the parade, the group was invited to sing at the ultra-posh University Club, an honor in itself considering no one in uniform had been allowed inside the premises since 1912.” “I had to go in advance so they could inspect my uniform. It passed, except for the red hatband. It was too bright. So, we had to leave our hats outside.”
“The University Club engagement was the first time the chorus sang “The Star- Spangled Banner”, the U.S. national anthem. Their rendition of the anthem was preserved on tape and is now played to open every function at the elite club.”
In the same Hamilton Spectator article on January 7, 1967, Fred Christmas who conducted the chorus since its beginning talked about the success of the Chorus saying: “They’re cops. It’s a gimmick. They would have been a reasonable success even if they couldn’t sing.” “Now after six years, they can sing. But if they were angels and not cops, not one would listen.”
Chorus accepted a return invitation to New York City in May of 1967 to perform at the ‘Canada Week’ celebrations. They gave several performances on Wall Street, at Americas Plaza of the Time-Life Building, in the Waldorf Astoria, and a return performance at the New York Police Academy for over 500 police recruits.
While visiting New York, the Chorus found time to continue their project of singing for high school students and performed at schools in the Bronx and in Harlem. In return they were honoured with awards and citations from the Police Department of the City of New York, New York Police Athletic League, Bronx Council of Arts, Bronx Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children as well as letters of appreciation from several schools.
During Centennial Year 1967, with a $5,000 provincial grant contributed jointly from the Departments of Education (Minister of Education W. Davis) and the Attorney General (A. Wishart), the Chorus travelled throughout Ontario singing in Secondary Schools in as many towns and cities as time and money permitted.
In September 1967, they performed at the Canadian and Ontario Pavilions, as well as the Steel Pavilion, at Expo ’67 in Montreal, singing before thousands of people attending the Exposition. While in Montreal, they gave a performance for the Montreal Police Department at a reception that was given in the Chorus’ honour. On the trip to Montreal and Expo ’67, the Chorus continued its school tours by singing at high schools in Kingston, Cornwall, and Ottawa.
On November 27, 1967, the Chorus performed in the council chambers at City Hall during the Official Visit of Governor General Roland Michener and Mrs. Michener.
Although the project of singing at high schools kept the Chorus busy in 1967, they continued to perform at several banquets and conventions throughout the Province, including the Ontario Chiefs Conference, Honey Harbour, International Secretaries Association, Toronto, and approximately thirty others.
Front Row:
Left to right: Wm. Brooks, Lloyd Larson, Herb Mills, Paul Skinulis, Bob Arnott, Ron Day, Harold Mendalker, Mike Ryan, Dunc Gent, Mike Bidulka, Peter Bonjte, Fred Christmas (Director), Ralph Gibson
On the Ramp:
Top to bottom: Vic Zwirewich, Keith Farraway, Len Carrington, Bill Wallace, Ken Lamb, Lou Kingerley, Ron Crooker, Roy Merritt, George Bassett, Alex Vance
For the trip to Hawaii, Chorus members wore Centennial Tartan sports jackets with a City of Hamilton crest on the breast pocket, tartan ties and grey trousers. The material for the jackets was donated by Harold Mandelker, of Toronto, a clothing manufacturer’s sales agent and honourary president of the Chorus. The fun began at the airport with a pre-flight cocktail party hosted by Canadian Pacific Airlines.
In October 1968, they travelled to Honolulu, Hawaii to perform at a dinner given in honour of Chief Leonard G. Lawrence, culminating his tenure as President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, during the Association’s 75th Annual Convention. They gave two performances at the convention, four high schools in Honolulu, a stage show at the Ala Moana shopping center (the largest in the world at that time), two at a United States Marine Corps base and one at a military hospital. During the six-day trip, they stayed at the Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe Bay.
Leading up to their trip to Hawaii the Chorus held a variety of fundraisers to help sponsor their trip, along with financial help from local businesses . One fundraising performance took place at the McMaster Gym complex, along with the Hamilton Police Pipes and Drums, the Hamilton Fire Fighters Band and the ‘Brothers-in-Law’. (The ‘Brothers-in-Law’ was a singing group established in 1963 by four police officers in Windsor, Ontario and was active in 1960s and 1970s. The group’s repertoire consisted mainly of musical satire.)
Chorus members now wear Hamilton Police Service number one dress uniforms with a high collar, red belt and lanyard and an enlarged red strip down the pant. Service and military medals may be worn on their tunics. Each maple leaf on the sleeve of the tunic denotes five years as a member of the Chorus. There is no rank on their uniform, as they all consider themselves equal in their main purpose of improving the police image to all persons in all walks of life, and to continue to be goodwill ambassadors for the Hamilton Police Service and the City of Hamilton.
Photo taken at Warplane Heritage Museum
Front Row – Ken Leenderste, Steve Becker, Bob Davies, Mike Cunliffe, Jack Connolly, Bob Blankstein, Fred Wegner, Peter Bailey, Dave Leclair, Glenn Fabe, Glenn Jarvie, Glenn De Caire
Back Row – Scott Collings, Rick Rozoski, Stan Larkin, Jeff Bird, Tom McKittrick, Carlo Cino, Dunc Gent, Marty Schaible, Pieter Ciere
Today, the Chorus appears under the direction of Mr. Conor Cooper. Most of the songs in the Chorus’ repertoire are performed in four-part harmony, a cappella, and include well-known rock & roll tunes and medleys from the 1950’s and 1960’s, old spirituals and hymns, and various folk songs, as well as the Canadian and American national anthems.
The Chorus is comprised of seventeen active and retired members of the Hamilton Police Service. Most of the active members are patrol officers and detectives; however, since the 1990s civilian members have also formed part of the Chorus. The Chorus President is an active member of the Hamilton Police Service.
Since the Chorus’ inception, they have appeared with the permission and support of Hamilton’s Chief of Police beginning with Chief Gordon V. Torrance. Today the Chorus forms part of the Chief’s Ceremonial Unit.
In the early years, Chorus members volunteered their own time for practices and performances. Today, active members are eligible to claim four hours of time when an appearance takes place on their day off; with an annual limit of six hundred hours for the entire Chorus.
Over the years the Chorus has proudly represented the City and Police Service of Hamilton at various public and private functions, both in Canada and Internationally. They have travelled from Switzerland to Honolulu, from Moosonee to Monaco, from London to New York. They have marched in parades and appeared with Bob Hope and Helen Hayes. They have sung for two U.S. presidents, the Premier of Ontario, and for the Honourable Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, who in 1999, became Hamilton’s Honourary Chief of Police.
Hammer Cruisers – 2011
First Row – Scot Collings, Marty Schaible
Second Row – Phill Poirier, Jeff Bird, Dave Leclair, Fred Wegner, Robert Lejeune, Jack Langhorn
Third Row – Jack Connolly, Pieter Ciere, Bob Moeller, Stan Larkin
Fourth Row – Rick Rozoski, Bob Davies, Mike Cunliffe, Blake Easto, Peter Bailey, Bill Cumber
Fifth Row– Bob Blankstein, Glenn Fabe, Steve Becker, Glenn Jarvie, Perry Mason
In March 2011 Members of the Hamilton Police Male Chorus competed in a nationally televised show called ‘Canada Sings’ competing against ‘glee clubs’ from other workplace organizations and businesses. The Male Chorus competed as the Hammer Cruisers and they sang and danced their way to win the ‘Canada Sings’ competition. They pledged the $10,000 winnings to Project Concern, a Hamilton Police Service in-house charity, so that the money can be directed to local charities. The police community is proud of these big-hearted singers and their commitment to local causes.
Clyde Grove, one of the original members of the Chorus, was a long serving member and an informal leader and mentor. In his honour, the Clyde “Tiger” Grove Award was established to recognize Chorus members for their outstanding commitment to the Chorus.
Retired Staff Sergeant Pieter Ciere received the Clyde Grove Award in 2009. He joined the Chorus in 1981 and he is currently the longest serving member with 40 years service.
The Chorus has participated with fundraising for Zachary’s Paws for Healing which offers companion visits to hospital patients and offers a pet fostering program for patients who need care for their animals while in medical care and the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of the Special Olympics.
At Gage Park
Front Row – Robert Lejeune, Pieter Ciere, Frank Bogdan, Bob Moeller, Conor Cooper, Jack Langhorn, Steve Becker
Back Row – Perry Mason, Phil Poirier, Andrew Gordon, Dave LeClair
Chorus members with Mayor Eisenberger at the 2019 Levee
Bob Moeller, Frank Bogdan, Robert Lejeune, Mayor Fred Eisenberger, Steve Becker, Peter Bailey, Dave Leclair, Pieter Ciere, Phil Poirier, and Conor Cooper.
The Chorus has been appearing at roughly thirty events every year since the early 1980s and they continue to receive requests to appear at various public and private functions, both in Canada and Internationally. Locally they perform for Seniors Centers, Care Facilities, Churches, Schools, Charitable Organizations, Professional Sporting Events and Corporate Functions.
As the oldest police choral group in North America, the Hamilton Police Male Chorus continues the tradition providing a unique form of entertainment to enhance the police image and to foster goodwill and mutual respect between the police and members of the community.
Photographs courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator
Annual Report Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Ltd, (1964, Year end 30th September)
Annual Report Hamilton Police Department, (1960), page 53
Centennial Project, Hamilton Police Male Chorus 1967, (1968) Constable Herbert Allen
Lifestyle News, Erin Rankin, (2004, May 28) Canada’s first police chorus still going strong
The Hamilton Spectator, Hugh Whittington, (1967, January 7) Hamilton’s Singing Police
The Hamilton Spectator, Paul Murphy (1967, May 4) Singing for Canada
The Hamilton Spectator, (1968, October 4) Police Chorus to Hawaii, Warming Up
The Hamilton Spectator, (1979) Songsters who put Hamilton on the map of the world
The Police Association of Hamilton, History and Benefits, page 16
Hamilton Police Historical Society and Museum April 19, 2021
Hamilton Police Historical Society & Museum, 314 Wilson Street East, Ancaster, Ontario, L9G 2B9
905-648-6404 ~ hpshistorian@gmail.com
Mailing Address: 155 King William Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8R 1A7