Beckenham Junior Choir - giving children in Beckenham, Bromley and Southeast London a place to sing!

Over the years we have come together with local historian Cliff Watkins to celebrate the lives and the music of Beckenham's Famous. In 2002 we sang our first concert on this theme at St. George’s church, Joining the Crystal Palace Brass Band and many others we sang songs written by Carey Blyton.

The Second Beckenham's Famous Concert

In November 2008 we were joined once again by the Crystal Palace Brass Band in our second concert to celebrate Beckenham's Famous. We  performed our tributes to Johnnie Craddock, Elmer Cossey, Peter Ayerst, Rev Guy King, Sydney Wooderson, Sheila Hodgson, and Julie Andrews singing and playing music by David Bowie, Ewan MacColl, Beckenham Salon members Carey Blyton, Mollie Russell-Smith and Geoffry Russell-Smith.

We also sang songs of the home front - In July 1944 two V1’s devastated the area of central Beckenham now known as Beckenham Green another V1 severely damaged Christ Church killing 13 people in Lea, Fairfield and Burnhill Roads - our tribute to all those in Beckenham during the war.

Carey Blyton 1932 - 2002

The nephew of Enid Blyton, Carey lived in Beckenham and composed many popular songs...

Carey was educated at Bromley Road Infants, The Grange Prep school in Wickham Road (shortly after Bob Monkhouse) and at the Beckenham County Grammar School for Boys (BCGS).

Carey wrote music for films, TV (including Dr Who series) and radio and advertising commercials. He worked with and wrote music for schools and gave private tuition as well as acting as a music editor, most notably for Benjamin Britten. He wrote a number of short stories. Friends and colleagues recall his charisma which reflected his love of the natural world and a whacky but infectious humour - involving puns, pseudonyms, limericks, and nonsense verse.

One piece of nonsense versus was concocted on a long car journey as a soporific for his first son, Matthew. This was Bananas in Pyjamas (BIP) which his wife, Mary, urged him to write down the words and music which in a collection of his nonsense songs and poems were published in 1972 by Faber . Ten years later, BIP videos were produced by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Since then, ABC have issued licences world-wide for over 1000 items of BIP merchandise: books, toys, toothpaste, toothbrushes, clothing etc

You can read more here www.careyblyton.co.uk