A choir leader who ran a Spalding singing group for almost 20 years has been awarded a British Empire Medal.
Robin Carter led the South Holland Singers for 19 years and has been awarded the BEM for services to choral music.
Mr Carter (77) said he feels the medal belongs to the whole choir. “I was just a figurehead,” he said.
“I made some wonderful friends and we made some wonderful music together,” he added of his time with the group.
“It felt very strange to be awarded for doing something I enjoyed and loved.”
Mr Carter learned of his medal in November when he received a letter of notification. “It struck fear into my heart when I saw such an official letter,” he joked.
“It’s something I never dreamed would have happened to me, I’m totally overwhelmed.”
As well as performing stand-out concerts in and around Spalding, Mr Carter led the group abroad to Spalding’s Twin Town, Speyer, in Germany.
“I made many friends there and my wife and I still regularly keep in contact.”
Mr Carter made four or five trips to Germany and for his first show, he hosted his German counterparts for a Mozart concert.
Describing himself as a “fun-loving character”, Mr Carter said he added an arrangement of When The Saints Go Marching In.
“During rehearsal, the German choir were amazed as they’d never sing anything so friviolous. They asked if they could join in and we all sang it together at the end.
“It was a great first show.”
Mr Carter has retired from music-making, which he said he has done all his life.
He has decided to spend more time being able to see his daughter, who lives in America, and he remains active, playing squash twice a week.
