The Fron in New York - Welsh Choir Survives Earthquake and Hurricane Irene to Give 9/11 Memorial Concert

Click above to visit the Fron Choir's New York visit photo album.

AmeriCymru spoke to David Thomas Jones , the Press and Publicity officer of the Fron Choir following their recent successful and dramatically eventful visit to New York.

AmeriCymru: The Fron just visited New York City, where did you perform and how were those shows?

David: The Fron and our soloist Irish soprano Margaret Keys officially had three engagements - two concerts and a performance at The British Garden at Hanover Square, in the heart of Lower Manhattan. The gardens were created as a memorial to the 67 British subjects who lost their lives in the tragic World Trade Centre attacks of September 11, 2001. The first concert was at St. Bartholomew’s Church 325 Park Avenue (at 51st Street) and the second at St. Patrick’s Cathedral 5th Avenue between 50th/51st Streets. Two Welsh TV stations accompanied us, and filmed both concerts. They wanted us to do some impromptu singing in the city so we sang on the steps of St Bart’s and later in Times Square. Times Square was quite amazing as the crowds stopped and listened and cheered loudly and applauded. When we sung the Star Spangled Banner Americans came forward and sang with us and some had tears running down their cheeks. We also sang on the Staten Island Ferry and received a super reception.

AmeriCymru: What did you perform in NY and does your list of songs to perform in NY vary from what you might perform at home? Is there a difference in how audiences in the two places react to the songs you choose?

David: No, we did not change our repertoire and the reaction of the audiences was brilliant. St Patrick wanted us to sing secular music or similar music. We had to submit our programme for approval. So we sang in the main Welsh and English hymns, a piece of Russian church music, Welsh Lullabies, Franz Schubert’s Sanctus, Panis Angelicus and You’ll Never Walk Alone. St Bart’s were more relaxed about our programme so we added the Rose, Gospel Train, Bring him Home, Speed Your Journey and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. We ended singing Amen (a negro spiritual) and the Welsh National Anthem as encores in both venues.

AmeriCymru: What do you think is the place of music in modern Welsh culture today?

David: I may not be the best person to answer this as I would say very important but then I have been a member of the Fron Choir for 26yrs and music is a very important part of my life. I’m a teacher and to be able to sing for four hours a week is a great stress buster. All you can think about is the music - it sort of revitalises you.

As for the place of music in Welsh culture, I would think that every town if not village has some sort of choir - be it male, female, mixed or children’s choir. The Rugby World Cup has just started and an official Rugby CD has been launched. Wales have five tracks on it and we are honoured to be singing two of them, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (the Welsh Anthem), and Men of Harlech. Bryn Terfel sings two and Katherine Jenkins the fifth.

Our CDs are still popular; we have sold well over one million. Our fifth CD will be released next month; it’s called Ultimate Collection and will be available from Amazon and available as a download from ITunes. However I must say that the majority of sales so I’m told do not come from Wales but from across the border in England. In fact our CDs are on sale in over 34 countries so we’re spreading Welsh culture world wide. Not bad for an amateur choir from North Wales whose members sing for the love of it! We would love to release our CDs in US but Decca US tell us that choirs have no appeal in the USA.

AmeriCymru: How do you think this kind of classic Welsh choral music is doing in the face of changes and trends in modern life?

David: There is talk about choirs struggling for members and that choirs are getting older and no young voices are coming in. We still have four members of the Fron singing today that were in the choir when it first formed 65 years ago, and at the other end of the spectrum, half a dozen between the ages of 15 and 21. I don’t think that many of today’s youngsters are likely to give that sort of commitment, but my advice is to make all ages welcome. With youngsters, one shouldn’t worry if their membership is initially short. The important thing is that they have broken the ice and are likely to return. We have a few good regular members who have returned after a break of 10 or 15 years.

I know today there are many more distractions with TV, films on demand, new technology, interactive games, social networks etc but there is nothing like being part a group who produce a brilliant sound and when the sound is appreciated by an audience it can’t be beaten. There is also a close comradeship and friendship between choristers and they support each other in difficulties. Choirs need to get that message across and they and every member has to work hard at recruitment.

AmeriCymru: How does the Fron balance sacred and secular, folk and classical and modern styles, Welsh and English and other languages?

David: A good song is a good song whatever style it is. We don’t separate songs into styles and we don’t really think about languages we just set out to entertain our audiences. The Fron was formed to compete at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, which is three or four miles away from Froncysyllte. Through the Eisteddfod we have made friends with choirs from all around the world and have exchanged music. Since I first joined the choir 26 years ago I have sung songs in around 18 different languages. One of the early choirs that visited Llangollen was the Modena choir from Italy. It was hosted by local families and the parents of Dennis Williams, one of our founder members still singing with the choir, put up the choir’s MD and one of the choristers, his son, was a 17 year old tenor by the name of Luciano Pavarotti.

AmeriCymru: How do your audiences receive the different types of music you perform-- is your audience graying and dwindling like classical and jazz audiences in the US or is there a younger generation embracing the music?

David: Since we released our first commercial CD under the Universal label five years ago, we have noticed our audiences getting younger. The audiences also want to hear the tracks that are on our CDs and that is something that took some getting used to as we thought an audience would want to hear new and different songs every time they heard us.

We have had a faithful following in pockets around the UK since the choir was first formed. One such pocket is the Potteries, the area of Staffordshire that was known world wide for its bone china and Wedgwood. There we have had a Christmas concert at its New Vic Theatre every December for the past 30 years and they have always been sold out; the theatre holds over 600. It’s a different concert for us as it’s a theatre in the round. We form up in two rows around the piano - the third row being the audience. We face choristers, which is again quite different for us and you notice that some pull some strange and funny faces when they sing.

Booking us around December is getting to be difficult as we now have additional regular concerts in Chester, Manchester, and Birmingham. These concerts are often booked two years in advance.

AmeriCymru: While you were in New York, there were a couple of surprise environmental events and your stay was unexpectedly extended, what happened there?

David: Yes. These events will certainly mean we have to rewrite our history. The first was at St Bart’s whilst we were closing the concert we felt the steps tremble. We thought that there must be a subway under the Church and it was not until we started to have Tweets from Britain asking about the earthquake that it dawned on us what had happened. The locals then confirmed to us that it was an earthquake.

On the Wednesday TV news reports started mentioning hurricane Irene. There were 6 different models but only two predicted it coming towards us. Then as the week progressed more and more models predicted New York being hit. Then New York’s Mayor Bloomberg announced that the subways would start shutting down from 12 on Friday and buses would stop on Saturday. Bridges in to the city were to be closed and evacuation centres were set up with capacity to house 800,000 people. Shops and Restaurants closed from noon on the Saturday and all flights in to New York were to be suspended for three days. We stocked up with supplies as our hotel did not have a dining area as guests eat in surrounding restaurants.

The choir were due to fly out on the Sunday but could not so we had to book another night - maybe three. The hotel however was fully booked and they did not know who was likely to arrive. We had to pack our bags Sunday morning and wait in anticipation. Luckily most of the choir could stay at the Wolcott due to cancellations but 26 had to move 2 blocks down to the Gershwin Hotel. We were only allowed to book one night at a time so we were OK for the Sunday. American Airlines then offered to get us home in two flights one on the 5th and another on the 6th of September. This was going to cause massive problems to choristers as many had work, some had hospital appointments one was even due to have an operation on the Thursday and another – a policeman was due to give evidence in court on the Tuesday. Choristers were also concerned about running out of various medications. Our tour operator decided to get us home however and whenever possible.

We eventually flew from JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports in all sizes of groups on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The groups took various routes home with some flying to London then Manchester some had detours to Chicago and Dallas with one group taking 23hours to get to Manchester.

As for Irene its self we had seen what it had done to the Eastern Coast so we were quite apprehensive. I must say that New Yorkers take things in their stride and were quite calm and unconcerned about its arrival. Eventually when it came it caused flooding in Lower Manhattan especially the Battery area, but luckily mid Manhattan escaped very lightly when it was downgraded to a tropical storm. One comedian on Twitter posted “Hurricane Irene has been downgraded to a British Summer”.

As the storm hit the hotel with torrential rain on the Saturday the choir were gathered in the foyer with other guests and a blitz atmosphere prevailed. The choir started singing a song and a group of young ladies from Russia responded with their own song and so we passed the time.

Later it was reported that the Gershwin had a grand piano and a large foyer and as everything had been cancelled in New York we decided to give a concert. On the Sunday night we gave a third unplanned concert to around 50 stranded international visitors to the city.

AmeriCymru: You've got several shows coming up throughout September and October, where can people go to watch the choir perform?

David: We were delighted that we all made it home by the 3rd of September as we sang in a wedding in Llangollen. We have two more concerts in September - on the 24th in Yeadon Town Hall, Leeds, and the 29th in St Oswalds Church, Oswestry.

In October we have two concerts; the first on the 15th at De Montford Hall, Leicester whilst the second is part of a mini tour of 3 concerts with Irish soprano Margaret Keys who came with us to the US. On the 22nd we are at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton - tickets available from http://ow.ly/6qN9p

The two remaining concerts of the tour are in November. Theatre Hafren, Newtown on the 5th with tickets available from http://ow.ly/6qN5h and the third concert is on the 19th at the William Aston Hall, Wrexham with tickets available from http://ow.ly/6qNf3

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Fron is pronounced Vron.
There is no V in the Welsh language so f = v and ff = f

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Stifyn Parri competes for S4C's 2010 Codi Canu title with Rhos Choir

On Saturday the 27th of November newly formed Rhos Choir will be competing in a special concert at St David's Hall, Cardiff in the race for the 2010 Codi Canu title. The concert will be the highlight of the series, which for the last few months has followed four choirs on the journey to be crowned Wales' best community choir.

This year, the series has seen four of Wales' best known faces stepping up to the challenge of conducting these choirs, with advice from some of our leading conductors.

It was fantastic news for Rhos Choir when it was announced that it would be entrepreneur Stifyn Parri, one of their most successful local talents, that would be stepping into the conductor's shoes with the help and support of experienced conductor Geraint Roberts.

Born in Rhos, Stifyn was delighted to accept the challenge, venturing back to his hometown with hopes of conducting his own people to victory. Stifyn has over twenty five years of experience in the media industry. He has starred in West End hits such as Les Miserables, national TV series' such as Brookside, and numerous productions for S4C. These days, Stifyn runs his own creative company, Mr Producer, which has been instrumental in many large-scale events over the years, most recently the 'Welcome to Wales' Concert, welcoming the Ryder Cup. With all his experience, Stifyn was an obvious choice for the series, and everyone is confident that he has all the skill to succeed as a fantastic conductor. But Stifyn would be the first to admit that conducting is not as easy as it looks, even though he enjoys every minute:

"I was brought up in the village of Rhosllannerchrugog, famous for it's many choirs! It is the most surreal and pleasurable experience to be learning how to become a conductor with my very own and brand new choir that consists of old school friends, teachers, neighbours and even my own mother!!! I'm so proud of them, they've worked so hard and deserve to win, it would be an honour to lead my home village of Rhos to victory. Please vote for us and vote for the village known for it's musical talent. Come on Rhos!!"

The concert will be broadcast live on S4C on Saturday the 27th of November between 8.00-9.00 pm, and 9.30-10.15pm. The public will be asked to choose their favourite choir, so remember to pick up the phone and vote for Rhos choir, and their conductor, Stifyn Parri.

Tickets for the live final are FREE for adults, children and concessions. Call the Box Office on 02920 878 444 or book online www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

For more information on the Codi Canu series visit www.s4c.co.uk/codicanu

New Book Celebrating 50 Years of Pontarddulais Male Choir

Pontarddulais Male Choir’s first fifty years recalled in new book

2010 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of Pontarddulais Male Choir. Brothers, Sing On! is an account of the first fifty years of the choir and has been written by Eric Jones, the choir’s President to commemorate the event.

The author recalls the choir’s development; its Eisteddfod triumphs, overseas tours and televisual and recording highlights.

Eric Jones explained, “Firstly I wanted to write the book to celebrate the half centennial of the choir in 2010. But more than that, because there is so little written about choral tradition in Wales generally. There are hardly any books published which discuss one particular choir specifically. The consensus amongst music experts is that Pontarddulais Male Choir have managed to maintain extremely high standards for a number of years and that the choir, since it was established has been amongst the best in the field.”

Brothers, Sing On! is published by Y Lolfa in September 2010 and launched at Pontarddulais Rugby Club on Wednesday evening, 6^th of October.

Today at the North American Festival of Wales

It's the second day of the 2010 North American Festival of Wales and Ceri and I are sitting at the AmeriCymru table in the Welsh Marketplace.  They've set up a tea room with never-ending hot tea and bakestones or Welsh cakes and I've drafted my oldest son to help out there, working being good for the development of teen character.

Last night harpist Bronn Journey and soprano Katherine Journey gave a concert in the evening, following the opening ceremonies.   Today there are Welsh language seminars, film showings and other events - see the NAFOW calendar for their schedule.

Our table is across from the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project, in Wymore, Nebraska, which operates the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Centre, an interpretive center of the history of Welsh communities in the midwest with film room, exhibits, a Welsh garden and a complete collection of Y Drych, the American Welsh language newspaper published since the 1800s and is the oldest ethnic newspaper in the United States.  

In addition to memberships and translations of Y Drych, today they're selling copies of the second edition of Hanes Cymru America. The author, Rev. R. D. Thomas, visited and chronicled US Welsh communities in 1872, recording their locations, the names of their inhabitants, descriptions of their communities.  This edition was translated to English by Martha and Phillips Davies and is an amazing resource for anyone doing research on Welsh history in the USA.

Author Peter Griffiths brought copies of his novel, Tongue Tied,  and spent the day at his table meeting and talking to people in the market with his wife, Yvonne.

Peter's interview with AmeriCymru can be found here. 

Painter Gwenllian Baldock is exhibiting and selling absolutely gorgeous gutta paintings on silk and some smaller pieces on silk scarves and prints. 

Tonight is the Côr Godre'r Aran concert and more tomorrow.

Llangollen offers locals a chance to shine!

The formation of Llangollen Community Choir and its debut performance at Llangollen 2010

In preparation for this year's Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod the festival organisers have teamed up with local businesses to form a special Community Choir which is expected to forge a new and harmonious link between the festival and the surrounding communities. The Community Choir will make its inaugural appearance on Wednesday 7th July at the One World, One Stage Evening Concert and will play a major part in welcoming the world to Llangollen. In addition, local residents and businesses will be eligible for discounted ticket prices for this spectacular event.

Since its inauguration in 1947 the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has welcomed singers, musicians and dancers from all over the world and audiences in the North Wales town have been thrilled and exhilarated by their vibrant performances. The joys of experiencing what it must be like to sing on the famed Llangollen stage is a privilege extended to very few but, this year, the Llangollen Eisteddfod is offering local people and businesses the opportunity to taste a little of this magic for themselves with the creation of the Llangollen Community Choir.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people in Llangollen to be directly involved in welcoming the festival performers from all over the world and to have the chance (maybe of a lifetime!) to sing on the unique Llangollen stage” says Mervyn Cousins, Chief Executive of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod: “It is really important the Eisteddfod and the town work together, and this is a new and exciting venture. Singing in a choir is such good fun and brings people together too, and I am sure they will really enjoy this new experience. I am really looking forward to hearing the choir!”

The Llangollen Community Choir will be under the expert supervision of Tim Jones, Musical Director of Yale College Choir- and himself a veteran of the Llangollen stage. “Performing on that famed Llangollen stage is such a thrill”, he says, “and I want the local people of Llangollen to taste it for themselves. I am absolutely convinced that Llangollen has Talent and that we can create something truly special here- something magical and unforgettable. What we need now is for one hundred local voices to come forward and to make themselves heard!”

Places for the choir are allocated on a first come, first served basis and they are offered to people living or working in the Llangollen area or to people who are connected to the Eisteddfod. The hotline number for anyone interested in joining is 01978 862000 and rehearsals will begin on Tuesday 25th May at St. John’s Church, Abbey Road, Llangollen and will continue on Tuesday evenings throughout June. The Rev Andrew Sully, who presides over the church, will also be singing in the choir.

“It will be great for local people to sample the true magic of participating in the Llangollen Eisteddfod” says Rachel Jones, Director, Arts & Business Cymru. “It is also, of course, a very effective way for local businesses to get involved in what is, after all, a truly global cultural event and to highlight the fact that businesses in the Llangollen area are very supportive of this unique and historical festival”.

“The formation of a Llangollen Community Choir is such an excellent idea”, says Ian Williams, Director North Wales Enterprise & International Business Wales. “Every year, choirs travel from all over the world to visit Llangollen and to perform on its world-famous stage and this is a golden opportunity for local people- and local business people too of course- to match their enthusiasm and to express their support for the Eisteddfod through the medium of music by singing together in the Llangollen Community Choir!”

The choir will give its inaugural performance on the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod stage on Wednesday 7th July at the One World, One Stage evening concert. This event is a well-established favourite with Llangollen audiences and- in addition to the celebrated Welcome Ceremony and Procession of Performers through the Pavilion- it will be an unforgettable evening of truly global music and, with performances from countries such as Tibet, USA and Wales it offers a marvellous taster of the week to come. Ticket prices for the concert range from £14 to £18 but there will be special £3 discounted seats for local residents and local businesses, and support their friends and colleagues taking part in the Community Choir.

“I really hope the people of the Llangollen area will join me in this marvellous choir”, says Eisteddfod Treasurer Simon Orton-Jones who has signed up as a member of the choir. “We all know that the Welsh have great singing voices and this is a superb opportunity for Llangollen to prove that it is, probably, the most musical town in the whole of Wales. We really are going to make such a glorious sound on that stage and I am thrilled at the prospect of being a part of it. So come on, people of Llangollen, let’s get singing!”

An Interview With Eirian Owen of Cor Godre'r Aran

Côr Godre’r Aran is based in the village of Llanuwchllyn near Bala in North Wales. They will be appearing at next year's North American Festival of Wales in Portland Oregon. Americymru spoke to Eirian Owen, the choir's Musical Director about the choir and their forthcoming visit. More details about NAFOW 2010 can be found HERE.

Americymru: The Choir will be performing at the 2010 North American Festival of Wales in Portland, Oregon. Can you tell us how this came about? Have you ever been to Portland?

Eirian: I believe that the invitation to perform in the 2010 North American Festival of Wales came through a member of our choir who has contact with an official of the Festival. Côr Godre’r Aran previously visited Portland in 1971 and in 1974. I was, in 1971, newly married and the choir’s tour to USA and Canada was my honeymoon – shared with, of course, my husband - and 25 other men! A diary of that trip shows that we stayed overnight at the Royal Inn (is it still there?) , that the concert was held in a chapel and that we arranged an extra concert for the following afternoon because many people were unable to get tickets for the previous night. The chapel was full to capacity on both occasions. My 1974 diary tells that I was very impressed with the shops in the Lloyd Centre and that I decided not to go ice skating with some of our group for fear of breaking an arm and being unable to play the piano. I was at that time the choir’s accompanist and would have faced the death penalty – or worse – had I sabotaged the tour by breaking a finger or arm.

Americymru: When was the choir founded? Can you tell us something about its history?

Eirian: The choir was formed in 1949, primarily to compete at the National Eisteddfod which was, that year, held in Dolgellau. It was at that time a “penillion singing/ cerdd dant” group of about 20 young men from the village of Llanuwchllyn. The conductor was Tom Jones and the choir soon gained a strong reputation as one of the chief exponents of this traditional Welsh genre. Tom Jones retired in 1975 and I was chosen as the new conductor/ music director. I had recently graduated in music and had taken up a teaching post at a local high school. I continued along the same path that Tom Jones had established but, I soon began to feel that “penillion singing” lacked the opportunity for musical and vocal development and that the choir had the potential to succeed in other genres. Therefore, a gradual change of direction took place as I included more and more “male choir” repertoire in our programmes. Nowadays, Côr Godre’r Aran concentrates entirely on the male choir repertoire.

Americymru: What is your repertorie? Is there a particular piece that you all enjoy performing more than others? Do you have a signature piece or one that's more often requested by audiences?

Eirian: We sing a varied repertoire, from opera to musicals, part-songs, motets, popular music, hymn tunes. One of the favourites in Wales at the moment is Eric Jones’ “Y Tangnefeddwyr” . Audiences in the UK nowadays seem to appreciate a variety of male choir repertoire although, old favourites, such as “Myfanwy” are probably not performed as often.

Americymru: You have toured all over the world ( Scotland, Ireland , Portugal , Canada / U.S.A., Australia , New Zealand, Tasmania, Hong Kong , Singapore and Patagonia ) What are your most memorable experiences whilst on tour? Is there any one performance that you are particularly proud of?

Eirian: Every tour has its special memories. Singing to the inmates in a prison in New Zealand was an emotionally charged occasion; singing as we marched down a street during a St Patrick’s day parade in Ireland was fun. Performing in Patagonia felt like singing in rural Wales as there were so many members of the audiences who spoke Welsh and the warmth of their welcome was unforgettable. Australia and New Zealand provided us with our biggest audiences – we regularly performed to 2000 people. I remember being overwhelmed by the emotion of one of those concerts and coming off the platform crying! Whilst we were in Portugal, the whole choir was invited to the British Ambassador’s residence for drinks and canapés one Sunday; his staff were rushed off their feet carrying food and drink , as the vultures from Wales gobbled everything down as soon as it appeared. We did sing for our food , though......! We have not visited the USA and Canada since the early 70’s. We were then totally inexperienced, naive and very wet behind the ears. The food was different, cars were as big as buses and drove on the wrong side of the road, the buildings touched the clouds, rivers were as wide as lakes , we jay-walked without a care and gazed in awe at all those magnificent sights.

Americymru: The choir has won prizes at the National and Llangollen Eisteddfoddau. Care to tell us a little about that?

Eirian: Winning at these Eisteddfodau is always a thrill. Choirs come to Llangollen from all over the world and we never know who the opposition might be until just before the Eisteddfod. There is a feeling of camaraderie between choirs at Llangollen – each one is supportive of the other. I believe that competition brings out the best in a choir.

Americymru: The choir won the BBC Radio Cymru competition for Male Voice Choirs. Can you tell us something about the competition and your experience of it?

Eirian: This competition ran over several months . There were several rounds , each recorded before hand and one choir would be eliminated every week. Three choirs reached the final round which was a live performance before an audience.

Americymru: The choir is based in Llanuwchlyn near Bala. Can you tell a little about the area?

Eirian: Llanuwchllyn is a village of about 700 inhabitants , almost all of them Welsh speakers. Many of the families have lived in the area for generations. There are, amongst the members of Côr Godre’r Aran, sets of brothers, fathers and sons, cousins, uncles and nephews. The son, grandson and great-grandson of the founder, Tom Jones, are present members of the choir. Llanuwchllyn and the surrounding area (Penllyn) is rich in heritage and culture and is a stronghold of the Welsh language. The area is rural and is favoured by tourists who come to enjoy the beauty of Bala Lake and the peace of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Americymru: How does someone join the choir, what is your selection process? What kind of commitment do your choir members make, what's expected of them?

Eirian: Membership is by invitation and all prospective members go through a very informal audition . Quality of voice is the only criteria – the ability to read music is a bonus, not a necessity. Members are then expected to attend weekly rehearsals and concerts regularly. There is an average of 2 concerts a month. There is, generally, no problem with commitment , although I occasionally have to remind individuals of their obligation to the choir!

Americymru: Where can people purchase your music?

Eirian: Our CD’s are available online through Sain. Our latest CD, “Cofio” is available through the choir’s website www.corgodreraran.og.uk

Americymru: Do you have any final comments for the readers and members of Americymru?

Eirian: We look forward to meeting you all. Our members range in age from 26-70 ; we’re all young at heart and love going places and meeting people.

Ten Questions With Caroline Roper-Deyo of The Cor Cymraeg de California

Americymru: When was the choir founded and how would you describe its mission? Caroline: The Welsh Choir of Southern California ( Cor Cymraeg De Califfornia), was founded in the Fall of 1997 by Michael J. Lewis, who was it’s first music conductor and director. The mission of the Welsh Choir of Southern California (Cor Cymraeg De Califfornia) is to bring the glories of Welsh music and culture to audiences worldwide through performance and recordings. Americymru: How many members do you have and how often do you all get together for rehearsals? Caroline: Currently there are about 30 members in the mixed-voice choir. We generally rehearse weekly on Sunday afternoons in West Los Angeles near LAX. Americymru: What is your typical repertoire? Do you perform in both Welsh and English? Caroline: We sing in both Welsh and English and our typical repertoire includes new music featuring contemporary Welsh poets and composers, as well as traditional hymns and folk songs. Our performances often include the contributions of of distinguished local musicians as well as guest artists from Wales. Americymru: What are the minimum qualifications for persons wishing to join the choir? Caroline: The minimum qualification for any person wishing to sing with the Welsh Choir of Southern California (Cor Cymraeg De Califfornia) is that they must love to sing.Loving Welsh music is also a plus. Knowing Welsh is not a requirement as language coaching is provided. Americymru: Would you say that the choral singing tradition is alive and vibrant in the U.S.A. today? Caroline: Yes the choral singing tradition is not only alive and well it is growing. As evidenced by the development of choirs and festivals and competitions. Americymru: Is there anywhere online where people can go to hear the choir? Do you have any CD’s available or planned? Caroline: I’m not certain if there are places on-line where you can currently hear us sing. It is my understanding that a couple of our performances have been put on YouTube but I haven’t checked recently. Also the performance at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C was archived but I don’t know if it is still accessible. We have one CD that we released in 2002: Hearts Afire * Calonnau ar Dan We are currently working on a second CD. Grants for funding will be greatly appreciated. Americymru: What would you say was your most notable performance or experience with the choir? Caroline: It is very difficult to say which would be our most notable performance.I suspect every person in the choir would choose different ones for different reasons: Singing at the National Cathedral, May 2007 for California Day (we were chosen from over 60 choirs in the state who were considered). Singing at Saint James Episcopal Church, March 2004 where the lines were so long we were almost an hour late starting and people had to be seated in the chapel; or, Singing at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, Wales, July 3rd, 2003 for a packed crowded including rows of dignitaries and church officials. Americymru: Do you have any plans to perform outside California in the near future? Caroline: Yes we hope to return to Wales to tour – possibly in 2011.In the summer of 2008 we sang in Vancouver and Victoria and have been invited to return. All possibilities. Americymru: Can you tell us anything about your recent concert with Julia Bentham? Caroline: Unfortunately Julia Bentham was not able to sing with us.She became ill the day before our concert and spent the week in a hotel room in Santa Monica. It was a great disappointment but we were gratified that she was able to return to London with her daughter and is now doing well. Americymru: Any other message for the members and readers of AmerCymru? Caroline: We would like to encourage you to experience the joys of Welsh music whether you participate by singing, playing or listening. Once you do you will never again know depression without hope, darkness without light, and you will understand why Welsh music is and has been the hallmark of Wales for 100’s of years. Pob Bendith. Cariad Caroline, Chorister and Publicist

‘Total Eclipse Of The Chart’

Singing sensations Only Men Aloud have hit the top note in the classical charts today reaching Number One with their new album ‘Band of Brothers’. Today’s chart announcement also sees Welsh rock legend Bonnie Tyler receive her first ever classical Number One, following her collaboration on an arrangement of her 80’s hit anthem ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ which features on the second album from the Nation’s favourite choir. The release of Only Men Aloud’s second album ‘Band of Brothers’ comes a year on from signing their multi-million pound record deal with Universal/Decca following their victory on BBC’s Last Choir Standing last summer. Tim Rhys-Evans, Musical Director of OMA, expressed his delight at the announcement of the album’s number one spot “This news makes me extremely proud, the boys have worked really hard and they deserve this success. When I was a child I used to wonder how ABBA felt being number one, but now I know how it feels!”. Tim added, “The public’s continued support has been truly outstanding, thank you – diolch”. In their new album Only Men Aloud go back to their Welsh roots, with traditional anthems such as ‘Land of Our Fathers’ and ‘Blaenwern’. The choir also present interpretations of modern classics such as ‘Somebody to Love’, performed with Kerry Ellis who hails from the Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’ and has performed as the lead in ‘Wicked’ in both the West End and Broadway. Demonstrating the choir’s eclectic background and tastes, from opera through to rock songs, they are all truly great tunes despite being from varied sources. Tim Rhys-Evans explained “From the beginning I wanted this album to represent our wide ranging repertoire. The arrangements have a filmic feel and Only Men Aloud are very proud of ‘Band of Brothers’.” Also proud of the album’s success is legendary Welsh rock icon Bonnie Tyler who, following a performance with the choir at their concert tour in Cardiff International Arena earlier in the year, stepped into the studio with OMA to re-record a new arrangement of her award-winning song ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. Bonnie Tyler said “I am absolutely delighted that the album is Number One in the classical charts, this is a first for me! It just goes to show the strength of Jim Steinman’s wonderful song, which can appeal across all genres of music”.

ONE MAN ALOUD! – Only Men Aloud Search For A New Star To Join Their World Famous Choir

On Saturday the 10th October 2009 Only Men Aloud, the winners of BBC One’s ‘Last Choir Standing’, will stage their own auditions in search of one lucky boy to become the newest member of the prestigious Welsh choir. They are hoping to find an incredible talent and the lucky winner will have the chance to join them on their hugely anticipated Christmas 2009 tour as well as any TV and Radio appearances promoting their new album ‘Band of Brothers’ which is released on October 12th. Tim Rhys-Evans, MD of OMA, said of the search, “We’re looking for someone with much more than just an incredible voice - someone who is passionate about singing and wants to have fun while doing it. We’ve had the most incredible year already, but the person who fits the bill will be able to come on the rest of the journey with us.” The elected singer will be part of the choir as they continue to go from strength to strength and embark on the next stage of the remarkable adventure which has seen their meteoric rise to success since winning the BBC1 prime-time Saturday night show last year. Highlights for the choir have included TV shows, two US tours and meeting a host of celebrities - if the last year is anything to go by, a host of incredible, life changing experiences await the newest member of Only Men Aloud! Auditions will be held at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on Saturday 10th October. For more details and to book an audition and be in with a chance, please email admin@onlymenaloud.com

Only Men Aloud announce a UK-wide Christmas Tour 2009

After a critically acclaimed sell out tour in April and May 2009, Only Men Aloud are back with a very special Christmas themed tour. The show will be a selection of festive Christmas repertoire plus a mixture of songs from the first and second albums (the second being called ‘Band of Brothers’ and released on the 12th October) plus a few firm favourites. Only Men Aloud was formed in 2000 by Tim Rhys-Evans and in 2008, entered what was to be the UK’s biggest choir competition to date, with choirs battling to become voted the best choir in the UK on BBC One’s hit Saturday night show Last Choir Standing. After battling through the rounds, OMA gave some incredible performances and after an all Welsh Final, were crowned the winners and the nation’s favourite choir. After winning Last Choir Standing, Only Men Aloud signed a five album, multi-million pound record deal with Universal Classics and Jazz, and joined Merlin Elite's management roster. The choir's top-twenty debut album was recorded over five days at AIR studios in London, and achieved gold status within the first week of sales and went on to sell over a quarter million albums within the UK. Tim’s primary aim was to encourage younger men to get involved with one of Wales’ oldest and best loved traditions, male voice singing. The group are unafraid to tackle music not normally associated with male voice choirs; their repertoire ranges from the 17th Century to the present day, and has included several world premieres in this time. This tour follows on from the hugely successful sold out debut tour for which they received standing ovations at every single show. The varied collection of repertoire plus the unique choreography lends to what is an extremely enjoyable night of entertainment. The choir appears regularly on network radio and television. Notable broadcasts include the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium, Radio Three Choir of the Year from The Royal Festival Hall, and a performance on HMS Belfast for the BBC One New Years Eve broadcast. This year has seen two successful trips to the United States completed and a private performance for Prince Charles, Camilla and their guests at Buckingham Palace. Tickets are £29.50 / £26.00 / £20.00 Regional and £35.00 / £27.50 / £22.50 London Tickets go on general sale Friday 4th September @ 10:00am Available at www.gigsandtours.com 24 hr cc hotline 0871 2200 260 TOUR DATES December 1, 2009 - Glasgow December 3, 2009 - Lladudno December 5, 2009 - Cardiff December 6, 2009 - Norwich December 7, 2009 - Ipswich December 8, 2009 - Birmingham December 9, 2009 - Liverpool December 11, 2009 - Brighton December 14, 2009 - Manchester December 16, 2009 - Portsmouth December 17, 2009 - Bristol December 18, 2009 - Nottingham December 20, 2009 - London

A Year On From Winning ‘Last Choir Standing’ Only Men Aloud Release Their Second Album ‘Band Of Brothers’

What a difference a year makes! Only Men Aloud, the Welsh choir who won last summer’s BBC1 TV show Last Choir Standing, return this autumn with their second album. Band of Brothers will be released a year after the win, which gained them the title of “The Nation’s Favourite Choir” and launched them into a new realm.   The choir, made up of 20 young men from South Wales, have experienced a rollercoaster ride since winning the BBC1 prime time Saturday night show. Within hours of winning and following a vicious bidding war between major record labels, Only Men Aloud signed a multi-million pound, five-album deal with Universal Music. The record deal, the largest ever for a choir by quite some margin, was signed at Wales’ iconic Millennium Stadium exactly a year to the week before their second album launch. Their first album achieved gold status within a week and went on to sell over a quarter of a million copies. In addition to their recording deal, Only Men Aloud signed to a world class management team who boast a roster including Denise Van Outen, Jodie Kidd, Jay Kay, Vanessa-Mae and Louise Redknapp. Their next step was to take on the US, and they were immediately snapped up by CAA (Creative Artists Agency), the agency behind David Beckham. They have now performed at several huge venues across the US on two separate tours and are scheduled to be back in the USA in early 2010 for a lengthy tour.  Back in Britain, the choir completed a critically acclaimed and sold out UK tour including their hometown Cardiff Arena, and also had a personal invitation from Prince Charles to perform for Camilla, Prince Charles and their guests at a private function in Buckingham Palace. The choir have attracted a number of high-profile and varied collaborations such as Josh Groban and Russell Watson plus home-grown Welsh talents Bonnie Tyler, Rhydian Roberts, Bryn Terfel, Aled Jones and Katherine Jenkins. OMA now return with their second album Band of Brothers, in which they present interpretations of modern classics such as ‘Somebody to Love’, performed with Kerry Ellis who hails from the Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’. The choir also go back to their Welsh roots, with traditional anthems such as ‘Land of Our Fathers’ and ‘Blaenwern’. Demonstrating the choir’s eclectic background and tastes, from opera through to rock songs, they are all truly great tunes despite being from varied sources. Tim Rhys-Evans, MD of OMA, said of the new album, “From the beginning I wanted this to represent the wide range of repertoire. The arrangements have a filmic feel. I wanted it to be the kind of album that, if you were driving through a huge, open landscape, you would play on your car stereo. It’s fab and dandy – go buy a copy”. Only Men Aloud Biography Only Men Aloud were formed in January 2000 by Choir Master and Music Director Tim Rhys-Evans to inject some new blood into the Male Welsh Choir tradition. The choir have had regular slots on BBC Radio 4 and also Songs of Praise and in 2003 won the male choir category in the inaugural year of S4Cs Côr Cymru. Following on from this, the choir were chosen to perform on three separate occasions during the opening of the Wales Millennium Centre. They performed in the Opening Ceremony, Royal Gala, and also sang in the pre opening banquet honouring various eminent Welsh figures including Bryn Terfel, Sian Phillips and Shirley Bassey. In 2008 Only Men Aloud entered what was to be the UK’s biggest choir competition to date, with UK choirs battling to become voted the best choir in the UK on BBC1’s hit Saturday night show ‘Last Choir Standing’. After battling through the rounds, OMA gave some incredible performances and after an all Welsh Final, were crowned the winners and the Nations favourite choir. The choir signed a multi-album record deal with Universal Music and their debut album was released in November 2008, which has sold over a quarter of a million records. OMA have had an extremely busy year with international releases of their debut album plus a full UK sell-out tour, including Cardiff International Arena. This year also sees the choir record and release their second album with Universal Music. Only Men Aloud have also just returned from their second trip to the USA. Earlier this year the choir were personally invited by the Welsh Assembly to perform as part of Wales Week USA. The choir were invited to perform in front of the First Minister of Wales and the British Ambassador at the British Embassy in Washington DC. The event promoted Wales as the featured Country in this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which has seen Only Men Aloud return to the States in June and July of this year. Their time in the States has also included performances in New York as well as several TV and Radio appearances, including major American television channel CBS. For more information visit www.onlymenaloud.com

The Fron Male Voice Choir - An Interview With David Thomas Jones

Americymru is proud to present an interview with David Thomas Jones. David sings 2nd Bass with the Fron Male Voice Choir. He is a Welsh speaker and a secondary school teacher in Rhosllannerchrugog. The Choir is named for its home village Froncysyllte, a small village at the eastern entrance to the Vale of Llangollen, also home to Thomas Telford's Llangollen Canal Aqueduct across the River Dee.. Americymru: What inspired your recent version of 'America the Brave'? David: Sorry about this “America the Brave” is not my work I came across this on You Tube. I find it amazing that people use our tracks to create such wonderful work. Americymru: Can you tell us a little about the history of the choir? David: The choir was formed in 1947 primarily to compete at the newly formed Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the choir has a history to be proud of. Throughout its sixty two years of existence “The Fron” has achieved regular competition success both in Britain and abroad. Success on the competition stage include wins at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, BBC choir of the Year to name but a few, and the choir have gained international wins at festivals in Germany, Athens and Malta. Americymru: What is the Choir's relationship with the Llangollen International Eisteddfod? David: We have probably competed at the eisteddfod more than any other choir plus we are often involved in evening concerts. This year we participated in the opening gala concert along with Cor Godre Aran, the Colin Jones Singers, Mark Evans, tenor Alexei Kalvecs and Faryl Smith. As for competing we have been fortunate to have won the Male Voice Choir competition on three occasions 1977, 1984 and in 1994 we have come in the top three on numerous occasions. Each year the choir donates the trophy for the Male Voice Choir Competition in memory of our first Musical Director, Lloyd Edwards. Americymru: How do members join the choir? Is there an audition process? David: Many of our present members have been recruited by existing members. Once in however the choir gets a hold on you, I’ve been a member for the past 24 years. We still have six of the founder members who attend practice regularly and are hardly missing from concerts. Not bad after 60 years. After our first CD was released a number of perspective choristers joined but left when they realised the commitment and work necessary. Now we ask prospective members to sit and observe for a couple of weeks before having a voice test. This gives the chorister time to consider if its what he wants and the voice test is mereley for Ann to decide which is the correct section of the choir for the chorister. They then serve a three month probationary period before singing again for Ann who then decides if they are ready to become a full member. Americymru: How often do you rehearse? Could you describe a typical rehearsal session for our readers? David: We rehearse on Mondays and Thursdays at Acrefair school (between Ruabon and Llangollen) from 7pm until 9pm no practice is the same. Being close to Llangollen we often have international visitors at our practices. Its an open practice and everyone is made welcome. If we need to learn things quickly we split into bass and tenors and Ann Atikinson our MD and Owen Roberts our Deputy MD goes through the note bashing, we then come together to put the finer touches to pieces. Other times we are preparing pieces for concerts for the following weekend. Americymru: What is a typical year's tour schedule for your choir? What kind of events do you typically perform at? David: We have always taken on all kinds of engagements and still do. In 2005 however we were singing at a wedding and one of the guests was Daniel Glatman the manager of the boy band Blue. He approached the choir and said he had been blown away by our performance and offered to be our manager. The choir was very sceptical and despite agreeing to him acting on our behalf we did not expect to hear from him again. However the next time he approached us he told us he had been very busy and had managed to get UCJ (Universal Classic and Jazz) interested in the choir. He arranged for three representatives of UCJ to come to the choir .They came to a practice and that was it, we were offered a three record deal with UCJ. Due to Daniels involvement the press nicknamed us the Oldest Boy Band in the World. Americymru: How did the sale of that first CD go? David: On November the 20th 2006 the choir released its first commercial recording under contract to Universal and it became an instant hit. Under the baton of Ann Atkinson, who also features as a soloist on the CD, “Voices of the Valley” soon became the fastest selling classical CD in history selling in excess of 160,000 copies in 3 days. In the UK it has been awarded a Gold and Platinum disc; it held the number 1 position for 14 weeks and spent another 15 weeks in the top 10 it can still be found in the top 30 of the Classic FM charts over three years after its release. The success of the album has not been limited to the Classic charts; it has been in the top 40 of the ‘pop’ charts for 8 weeks reaching 9th at its peak. On the 20th of September 2007 the album was released in Australia and it jumped to the top of the Australian classical charts and again the Fron has been awarded a Gold disc for its Australian sales. Americymru: How did the subsequent CD’s sell? David: The following two album "Voices of the Valley - Encore" and voices of the Valley Home followed in the same footsteps as its predecessor. They have been awarded a gold and platinum disk and both were named classical album of the year. Encore for 2008 and home for 2009. To date the combined sales of all three albums have exceeded 1 million. All three albums were nominated for classical Brit Awards the winner were decided by an Internet vote and we were beaten by a Sir Paul MaCartney in 2007, by Blake in 2008, and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 2009. We had the honour of opening the Award ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall where we were joined by Katherine Jenkins for World in Union. Americymru: What knock on effect did the release of the albums have? David: The success of the first album resulted in appearances on TV programmes in 2007 such as the Paul O'Grady Show; This Morning (twice); Country File; Parkinson Christmas Show; the Rugby World Cup Songs of Praise; and a documentary screened on BBC2 called "Strictly Male Voice." Strictly Male Voice was also screened in October 2008 on Network TV in Canada and the choir again appeared on ITV's "This Morning" show. 2008 also saw Rolf Harris and the choir collaborating on the single "Two Little Boys" which was re-released as a single along with the choir's new album "Voices of the Valley Home". The filming of Rolf and the choir recording the single in Owestry also featured on a BBC documentary called 'Family at War'. On November 12th 2008 the choir was honoured to have participated in ITV's live Celebrations of Prince Charles' 60th birthday, On this show they joined the Royal Ballet and Eric Idle in singing "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life". In 2007 we were asked to take part in BBC 2’s Busking Challenge, a competition where artists take to the streets to perform and the winner is the act that can raise the most money in 15min. We raised over £240 on the streets of Chester and won the competition. Our sum remained unbeaten until this year when another Welshman beat us, Tom Jones who sang outside London’s Festival Hall. Americymru: What is a typical year's tour schedule for your choir? What kind of events do you typically perform at? David: Since the CDs the choir have had two successful UK tours. The choir found the tours enjoyable but hard work and at one point they had four concerts in seven days. However what an opportunity it gave us, singing at such venues as London's Festival Hall; Glasgow's Regent Theatre; Manchester's Bridgewater Hall; Birmingham's Symphony Hall; Newcastle's Sage Theatre; and Ipswich's Theatre Royal; and of course not forgetting the two nominations for Classical Brit Awards and the honour of opening the Award ceremony in 2007 at the Royal Albert Hall. This year we were engaged to perform at the Profesional Football Association Awards Evening in London when Ryan Giggs won player of the season. We’ve also had concert tours in Canada, USA, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Ireland and Cyprus, next month we are in Poland. Americymru: Have you worked with any well known artists? David: During the first tour we were supported by Alfie Boe and in the second we were supported by the up and coming twenty three year old Kiwi, Will Martin. Will also joined us on our third album singing 'Home' - a song made famous by Westlife and Michael Bublé. On our second album JPR Williams the legendary Welsh rugby full back joined Ann in a duet of How Great Thou Art. On the second album Michael Ball joined us for Rhythm of Life and on the third we were joined by Cerys Matthews for Calon Lan and of course Rolf Harris for Two Little Boys. We’ve also sung with Lesley Garrett on songs of Praise and we are joining up with her again in September at London’s Tower Festival which takes place at the Tower of London. We are also singing with Hayley Westenra in November at London's Festival of Remembrance which is being broadcast on National TV. We've also sung with Bryn Terfyl, Shan Cothi and Rebecca Evans to name but a few. Americymru: Does the choir have standards or pieces that it's known for or gets asked to perform specifically? David: We try to entertain our audiences with a varied programme of traditional welsh pieces, songs from the shows and classical opera choruses but since the success of our CDs our audience have become younger and songs from the CDs are always a hit. Particularly Dychefir Fi (You raise me Up in Welsh) and our collaboration with Ann of “World in Union”. Americymru: Now you've released three CDs are things coming to an end? David: No, UCJ have offered us a fourth album which we are in the middle of recording, it has to be finished by the end of July. Its to be called Voices of the Valley Down Memory Lane. There is also a film in the offering as Lionsgate Studios bought the option to screen the choir's story and they are currently developing a script for it. Americymru: Where can people obtain recordings of your performances? David: All three CDs are available from iTunes and Amazon we also have a DVD of us Live in Concert recorded in the St Jude’s Festival in London this is also available from Amazon. Our Fourth album will be available in November 2009 Americymru: Any plans to visit the USA? David: Who knows, we have been to the USA on a number of occasions and it was one of the options for this year, but we put alternatives to the choir and they voted on Poland as it was a new place to tour. I think many of our older members are finding insurance to the USA expensive. Americymru: Any final message for the members and readers of Americymru? David: Yes, if you are ever in North Wales you will always find a welcome at our practice room. Contact the choir if it is during the summer months as we normally have a break but not this year. We will be in Poland the last 10 days of August. You can follow the choir on twitter http://twitter.com/FronMVC and on MySpace www.myspace.com/fronmvc. We also have our own web site at www.fronchoir.com

Cor Meibion Morlais - The Choir With A Sense of Humour

Cor Meibion Morlais performing for the Chris Corcoran Committee Meeting (comedy show) at the Muni, Pontypridd. Please see the choir's website for more details: www.cor-meibion-morlais.org.uk. Full size the video screen for full comedic effect. Americymru: The Choir is based in Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley. How strong is the choral tradition in the Rhondda in the 21st century? The Rhondda still boasts 5 Male Choirs with around a membership of 340 voices. Americymru: Can you tell us a little about the history of the choir? Cor Meibion Morlais was formed in 1928 as a chapel guild choir, in order to entertain the chapel members through the winter months. It soon developed into a capable singing ensemble , entering and winning many eisteddfodau and giving concerts throughout South Wales. The choir has an unbroken 81 year history and has only had 5 conductors throughout its existance.The choir has travelled extensively throughout the U.K together with an impressive 19 overseas tours, visiting Germany twice, Holland twice,France five times, Belgium, Spain, Ireland,Hungary, Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia,Canada twice, and the U.S.A. The choir has just secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to research and write a book on the choir's history. The funding also allows for the production of a DVD about the choir , together with the preperation of an archive / museum exhibition. This funding has been complimented by funding from The Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Partnership which will enable the choir to convert its own rehearsal facility, the Morlais Hall , into a Visitor / Cultural Centre . The choir's website carries press releases on this subject in more detail Americymru: Were there strong connections in the past between the choir and the mining industry in the Rhondda Valleys? At the time of the choir's formation and up until the 1950's the mining industry provided the majority of choir members. Americymru: How large is your choir, who are your members and what are their positions in the choir? Currently, the choir has 44 members, ranging in age from 19 to 75. We currently have three 19 year old members, all studying at University. Their subjects at University are Music , Law and Radiology. Conductor, John Asquith is a freelance linguist and also works with the Welsh National Opera Company as Vocal Coach in foreign languages. Accompanist, Rosalie Evans is a freelance accompanist, piano teacher and she also works for the Welsh National Opera Max as a Repetiteur. Chairman, Nigel Morgan is a Business Executive with British Gas , one of the U.K.'s largest energy suppliers. Vice Chairman, John Nash is a Director of a Training Services provider. Treasurer , Huw Jones is an Accountant. Secretary, Byron Young is retired and was formerly a Senior Manager in the manufacturing industry. Americymru: How does someone join the choir, what is your selection process? The selection process by which the choir selects new members is not too complicated. New members are usually introduced into the choir by a friend or work colleague,or sometimes they just turn up at one of our rehearsals and ask to join. Our Conductor will allow him to sit in on the first night wherever he may feel comfortable but and the end of the rehearsal ,the conductor will invite him to sing a couple of scales for him. The new member will then be told by the conductor in which section of the choir he will be singing in. The new member serves a 3 month probation , during which he will be expected to attend as many rehearsals as is possible. This also allows the choir to, learn a little more about him . At the end of the 3 months the choir's committee and conductor will review his application to join the choir and make a decision, as to whether he becomes a full member of the choir. Americymru: What kind of committment do your choir members make, what's expected of them? The choir rehearses each Tuesday and Friday from 7.30pm until 9pm. Extra rehearsals may be called whenever the demand on the choir becomes too much for the normal 2 rehearsals each week. Concert engagements vary each year but the past 2 years we have performed at 30 engagements, each year and 2009 appears to be heading the same way. Choir members are expected to attend a minimum of 50% of rehearsals but the choir accepts that family and work has to take priority over the choir. Cor Meibion Morlais performing for the Chris Corcoran Committee Meeting (comedy show) at the Muni, Pontypridd. Please see the choir's website for more details: www.cor-meibion-morlais.org.uk. Full size the video screen for full comedic effect. Americymru: What kind of events do you typically perform at? Our full concerts will last for around 2 hours but we also perform at Pre Dinner or After Dinner engagements for usually 45 minutes. Singing at Weddings are another demand on the choir. In 2006 we performed at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, in Halifax, Canada, singing at 10 performances for audiences of around 7,000 people. Being adaptable and willing to try new things are vitally important in order to change with the times. Americymru: Do you have a season or perform year round? How many performances in a year? We perform all year round and end up having to turn down engagements simply because we are an amateur choir , whose members work for a living. 2009, we're on track for 30 engagements this year. Americymru: Does the choir have standards or pieces that it's known for or gets asked to perform specifically? We are very often asked to perform items that people have heard us sing on our CDs. For special occasions we have learnt pieces of music outside our normal repertoire, The Beatles " All you need is love", Ting Tings " That's not my name", Pulp's " Common People", John Denver's " Annie's Song", to name just a few. Americymru: In 2008 you toured Finland and Estonia. Can you describe that experience for us? Our 2008 tour to Finland and Estonia was a wonderfull experience for our choristers and their wives who made the tour. The highlight was probably singing " Finlandia" in Welsh and Finnish to the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament in the Parliament Building. Americymru: Where can people obtain recordings of your performances? Our website gives details on how to purchase our recordings. Americymru: Any plans to visit the USA? We have no plans at present to re-visit the U.S.A.unless one of your readers wishes to open up discussions with us on such a proposal. Americymru: Any final message for the members and readers of Americymru? Our tour to the U.S.A. and Canada in 1996 was an unforgettable experience for those choir members and their wives who were able to make the tour. The warmth of the welcome and the hospitality we received at all of our concerts was remarkable and we were overwhelmed to find Welsh exiles and decendents having travelled hundreds of miles to be with us. Modern technology has made keeping in touch so much easier but it would be an exciting prospect to think that one day we could tour the U.S.A. for a second time.