The Sheffield Orpheus Male Voice Choir comprised amateur singers drawn from a range of occupations including cutlers, grinders, miners and steelworkers. The choir was conducted (in the 1920s) by Mr Thomas Henry Ratcliffe (1880-1957) who features in the above photograph (standing on the far right) and who worked as a telephonist for the General Post Office in Sheffield. Mr Ratcliffe gained his experience under the celebrated conductor Sir Henry Coward (1849 - 1944) with whom he performed with the Sheffield Musical Union Choir on their World Tour in 1911.

The Sheffield Orpheus Male Voice Choir achieved considerable success in the 1920s and were habitual prize winners at the annual Blackpool Musical Festival and regular performers at the 'Not Forgotten' Association annual garden party at Buckingham Palace, where they sang in front of the King and Queen.

Also featuring in the photograph (sitting front row far left) is Mr George Horne North (1897-1930) of 155 Burngreave Road, Sheffield, a well-known member of the prize-winning Sheffield Orpheus Male Voice Quartet and Choir, who was employed as an electrician by Messrs John Brown and Company. He was tragically killed on 31st October 1930, following an accidental fall from a crane at the firm's Atlas Works. At the time of his death, Mr North was engaged to be married to the leading Sheffield contralto singer Miss Margaret Watson (1907-1953) and this photograph was found in a scrapbook kept by Miss Watson which is now held at Sheffield City Archives (ref. X1046/1).