Christmas Concert
Start the build up to Christmas with an evening of festive music and singing. We’re being joined by some wonderful young artists who always make the evening so memorable. Plenty of Carols for you to join in with.
Christmas Lights
Annual Concert
. Good job guys. Accompanist, Richard Davies was his usual brilliant self, and Alec Brooks, our MD has to be congratulated for getting us to performance level and guiding us on the night.
Below is the new 2023 choir photograph. Our brilliant photographer Richard decided to take the photograph with the iconic NCW building in the background. Despite the weather he’s done a wonderful job.
New ties for the choir.
The choir are extremely pleased to show off our new ties. Our wonderful ladies section and a grant from Broadband providers OGI, funded this addition to our uniform. Thanks to Richard White for the photography.
Annual Concert 2023.
Tickets are flying out of the door for our last concert at the Pavilion for 2 years. Ove 350 already sold. Don’t miss out on the great event.
Wedding of Ben and Vicky.
Fantastic day at the Vale hotel for the marriage of 2nd tenor Rob Cotters son Ben to Vicky.
Opening of the new Aldi.
The guys turned up really early to sing at the opening of Aldi. Well received by the very large crowds.
Images from Newton Fayre
Some fantastic images from Richard White @rjwhitephotography of the Newton Fayre. Boys look better in black and white!
Charity Concert for Latch.
We’re holding a charity concert with Onllwyn Male Choir in aid of the wonderful local charity Latch.
In addition to two great male choirs, we’ve again got some exciting young talent performing on the evening. Fantastic value at only £5.00
Tour of Llandudno
Two busloads of choristers, family and friends enjoyed a fantastic weekend in Llandudno in early June. Highlight of the tour was a charity concert with Colwyn Bay Male Choir in the St. John’s Methodist Church. The concert was well attended and well received with a total of £424 being raised for the local St. David’s Hospice.
Sponsors Day at Porthcawl Rugby Club
The choir were asked to perform at the Sponsors Day at Porthcawl RFC. Guest Speakers were Tom Pridie and Lee Byrne. Also in attendance was our Vice President and great supporter, AM Sarah Murphey. Despite the poor weather and a defeat to league leaders Builth Wells, a great day was had by all.
Recent Weddings
The choir performed at two weddings during April. On Good Friday we sang at the Vale Resort for the wedding of Second Tenors, Rob Cotters son, Ben and wife to be Vicky Toye. A fantastic wedding at a great venue with excellent weather and an appreciative audience.
On the 13th April we sang at the wedding of Natalie Benjafield and Lloyd Morris. The wedding took place at the historic Norman Church in Coity. The happy couple were were blessed with wonderful weather.
The Choir on the Silver Screen
The choir were invited to be part of a film being shot by local film maker Jamie Adams titled, ‘It’s Christmas, starring Simon Callow, Brittany Snow, Lucas Bravo and Mark Lewis Jones.
Simon Callow’s part cast him as a singer in a Welsh male choir. We rehearsed with Simon and the crew on Friday 31st March with the final filming at Porthcawl RFC on the following Tuesday. It was a wonderful experience for the choir and certainly pleased the film team. So much so, that Simon Callow agreed to become a Vice President of the Choir.
Look out for the film when it’s released later on in the year.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
You can get some of our video files and other useful information on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Check them out and leave a message or a like.
Presentation of a Defibrillator
A wonderful moment during Saturday’s concert was the presentation of a Defibrillator to the choir by Rupert and Sarah Thurston. Rupert took part in this years Cardiff marathon to raise funds and with a donation from local builder James Lott, provided this essential piece of equipment.
The choirs relationship with Rupert and Sarah goes back to when we were privileged to sing at their wedding,, some 10 years ago. They have remained loyal friends ever since. We cannot thank them and James for this wonderful gift.
Amici Cantate Concert.
Fantastic concert with our visiting choir from Bishop’s Stortford. Their blend of traditional and folk music and our Male Choir pieces made for a wonderfully rounded concert, which was enjoyed by a large and enthusiastic crowd. There were many highlights to the evening including Amici’s rendition of Ar Hyd Y Nos, our first public performance of Yma O Hyd and a joint rendition of Alec’s arrangement of Calon Lan. Check out our Facebook page for video’s of some of these pieces.
St. David’s Day at Porthcawl Primary.
The Choir performed at Porthcawl Primary School to an excited group of Children, many in National costume. They loved our rendition of Yma O Hyd and drowned out the choir in the chorus. We had to sing the National Anthem twice such was the enthusiasm. The choir really enjoyed.
Concert with Amici Cantate
The choir is excited to be performing with visiting Amici Cantate. See below for more details of the choir.
Concert at Parkdean
Performance for Parkdean.
On Wednesday 8th February the choir were invited to sing at the Parkdean annual conference at Trecco Bay. Parkdean are the largest holiday camp operators in Europe and Trecco Bay their largest camp. This huge event with over 300 delegates was managed by a special events company ‘ Lucky Frog Productions. Senior Producer and events organiser Beki Gaskin sent us the following message after the event.
‘Please express my heartfelt thanks and admiration to all the members of the choir and musical team. What a truly fabulous sight and sound.
I have had so much positive feedback from the delegates at the celebration dinner, many saying it moved them to tears. I certainly have never witnessed such an inspiring start to an evening.
It was so lovely for so many members of the choir to make the effort to travel to the park on a February evening and it was hugely appreciated by us all.’
There will be lots of festive singing for the audience to help us with and few other surprises. Don’t miss out on this great evening that’s guaranteed to kick start your Christmas.
Christmas Concert
Following the hugely successful concert at All Saints church last Christmas, the choir are again holding an evening of Festive and Choral music. We’ve got some wonderful young guest artists and a few other surprises. This promises to be a fantastic evening but you will be expected to join in. More news to follow.
What a fantastic evening!
We would like to say a huge thank everyone who attended this years annual concert. The audience of almost 500, including several dignitaries and VIP’s, created a wonderful atmosphere and made the evening so successful. Some great audience participation, as well.
So many people helped make the evening special, including our Musical Director Alec Brooks, accompanist Richard and special guests Trovatori. Our two recipients of the Dilwyn Evans award, Samanth Wensley and Agnes Pottage were the stars of the evening and performed wonderfully. Paul Morgan, our late stand-in for MC was a revelation and his cheeky tales and anecdotes helped the evening flow so easily. We’ve even forgiven him for his renaming the of the choir ‘Only grandads allowed’.
We’d also like to thank all of the staff of the pavilion who provided all of the technical support. What a wonderful venue.
Finally, our brilliant ladies section, headed up by Marilyn Hill, did a fantastic job welcoming the audience and VIP’s, selling programs and raffle tickets, and generally organising all the front of house.
Breaking News. The Dilwyn Evans award winners to perform at this years annual concert.
Porthcawl Male Choir annually award a student who going on to study music or performing arts a bursary; The Dilwyn Evans Award. This year, as no award was made last year, we are pleased to announce that we will be making the award to two students. Agnes Pottage and Samantha Wensley are the well deserved recipients of this years award. Agnes, a very talented pianist, has assisted the choir as accompanist for a number of months and has demonstrated her unique talent. We will miss her when she leaves for University. Samantha was a wonderful addition to our Christmas concert. She is a wonderful singer and will no doubt go on to do great things. But of course the best news is that they are teaming up to perform on the evening of our concert. A wonderful addition to an already exciting evening.
Our first annual Concert for 3 years!
Yes! After such a long time we’re holding our Annual Concert. We’ve managed to find exceptional celebrity guests ‘Trovatori’ and a wonderful evening is guearanteed.
If anyone wants tickets please contact the Pavilion, one of the choir members or Marilyn Hill on 01656782740 or 077890373458
Welsh Language Week at Porthcawl Primary School.
The choir sang for the pupils of Porthcawl Primary School for their Welsh Language week.
We’re back on the road!
On April 1st, the choir wives and friends set out on their long-anticipated tour to Sandown, on the picturesque Isle of Wight. After a difficult two years of uncertainty for the choir, the excitement and anticipation of performing in public once again, was considerable.
The concert was held at the beautiful St. Johns church and was Conducted by our new Musical Director Alec Brooks with Mair Jones accompanying. The diverse choir repertoire was well received by an appreciative audience of over two hundred people. The Welsh hymn Gwahoddiad and Willy Russell’s Tell Me It’s Not True were particularly favoured and celebrated, with the marvellous church acoustics enhancing the quality of the singing. A sum of £575 was raised on the evening and donated to Cancer Research.
A highlight of the evening was the wonderful contribution of young soloist Bronwen Jones. Bronwen is the granddaughter of our former Musical Director Mair Jones and chorister John Jones. It was an exquisite, mature and professional performance well beyond her years.
The tour was a huge success. It was the first opportunity for choristers old and new to socialise freely and an occasion to galvanise the friendly family spirit that is so prevalent within the choir.
Eleri and Rob’s wedding.
In Mid November the choir was invited to sing at the wedding of Eleri and Rob Harper at the All Hallows Catholic Church in Miskin. It was a wonderful day and we had wonderful feedback from the Bride and Groom and their parents. Many of the guest had come from over the bridge and never experienced a Male Choir performing. We we treated to some lovely Welsh Cakes baked by the Mother of the Bride. We wish them all the success for the future. For more photo’s go to the Photo Gallery
Mair Jones Retirement.
It is with great sadness that our Musical Director of 36 years has decided to retire. Mair has been a much loved and respected MD and has taken us on a great journey. A presentation was held at the High Tide with the choir performing a few numbers in her honour. Whilst she will be greatly missed we are fortunate to have Alec Brooks following in her footsteps. Alec who was previously assistant MD is well known to us all and we look forward to working with him. We wish Mair a happy retirement.
We’re’ Back.
After almost 15 months we’re back practicing. Our first get together was in Porthcawl Rugby Club on the 4th June.
A great evening was had by all and considering the time apart, didn’t sound too bad. You can check it out on our Facebook Page or on our YouTube channel.
Many thanks to the rugby club for providing the facility.
We’re looking forward to the day we can perform to an audience. Watch this space for any updates.
Sights and Sounds of Porthcawl.
We have recently created a short tribute video to the town of Porthcawl. You can find it on our Facebook page or use the link below to watch. This has been very well received.
Grant from Cerdd
The choir has recently been given a grant of £500.00 from Ty Cerdd. Ty Cerdd is a charity which promotes and celebrates the development of Welsh Music around the world. We would like to thank Ty Cerdd for this kind donation.
A Star in the Making.
The star performance of our Christmas Concert back in 2019 was 9 year old Emilie De Burgh, who performed a hilarious monologue ‘Birthday Hijack’. At the time we predicted a star in the making. She was due to take a drama examination soon after the concert but of course we all know what stopped that! COVID may have prevented her taking her exams then, but in February of this year she was able to take a performance examination with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). No surprises but in March she attained a distinction. Well done Emily. She’s now working hard to her next exam. I hope she remembers her favourite choir when she’s famous?
A year since we last met.
The good news form the terrible year since we were last able to practice or perform, is that all our members are fighting fit. Statistically, that’s a bit of a miracle in its own right. So crossing fingers, touching wood etc. we hope it stays that way. We believe we are creeping slowly towards a time when we can all meet up again to practice, and I’m sure after a year off we all will need it. Thoughts go out to Mair on that front.
Demand for the choir is still strong and unfortunately we’ve had to cancel one wedding due to the crisis. he committee is thinking of all ways to enable the choir to try and fulfil some of its commitments. Be sure we’ll be back as soon as it it safe to do so.
The audio file below is Bronwyn Jones, Granddaughter of Mair and Daughter of Dan who was a member of the choir many years ago.
Bronwen is 13 years old and is singing ‘Mary of York’ with a backing choir. It was used as an advert for One Big Voice Australia. Unfortunately, due to COVID this didn’t take place. 3000 children from the Perth area took part in the previous event. Bronwen sang the National Anthem at the start and a number of solos, including ‘A Million Dreams’. Clearly the talent runs through the family!
November is when we would have been performed at the Remembrance Day service at All Saints Church. One of our favourite dates and with its wonderful acoustics, where we sound at our best. Not only does the choir get to pay its respects to all those who lost their lives during various conflicts, but it also signals the start of our Christmas calendar of concerts.
Whilst we were unable to perform at the Remembrance Day service, we maintained our tradition of laying a wreath on behalf of the choir at the cenotaph. Baritone John Pearman who was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Kings Own Regiment was privileged to carry out this duty. 2nd tenor Ray Street performed his regular duty of standard bearer for the ceremony.
We will be fondly thinking of all our friends we normally see at our festive concerts and whilst unable to perform wish them and all our dedicated followers and supporters a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
With the recent exciting news that a vaccine may be on its way to combat this wretched virus the choir will be busy planning how and when we may perform again. Look forward to seeing you all soon.
Due to the current advice practice is suspended until further notice. if any of the choristers require any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. In the first instance contact me on 07927219544 or 01656771701. Stay safe everyone.
Another successful evening at Cardiff City Hall performing for the Cardiff University Business school on the 2nd March. One of the best venues and clients together with an appreciative audience makes the evening an absolute pleasure. Being the day after St. David’s Day we were joined by Delyth the Dragon who was really hot!
Our 40th Anniversary Dinner was an amazing success. Over 100 members and guests enjoyed a fantastic evening of entertainment at the Hi Tide on the 28th Feb.
Opening the evening David Newton Williams told of the part the choir plays in the community and entertained with some great anecdotes.
Our special guest for the evening, Mike Doyle, was absolutely fabulous. He had the audience in stitches with stories of his life, interspersed with some great gags. What made it so special was his knowledge of the choir and his ability to paint pictures or Welshness in all its inimitable humour. His singing voice was stunning and he may well pass the choir audition!
The evening concluded with some shocking dad dancing from the usual suspects.
Special thanks to Stuart Phillips for organising the super event, Robbie for orchestrating the evening and the Hi Tide for great food.
The ladies section once again surpassed themselves and manage to extract the maximum from the audience, as usual.
2019 ended really well with our normal festive concerts plus carol services at the St. David’s Hotel, and Porthcawl’s new medical centre. The Arlington Road Christmas Carol Service was an amazing success with standing room only. Not only was the audience treated to a rousing evening of carols but a performance by 9 year old Emilie de Burgh had the audience in stiches. Her wonderful monologue ‘Birthday Hijack’, on having her Birthday on Christmas day, was the highlight of a wonderful evening; a star in the making. The ladies section surpassed themselves with excellent refreshments. Thanks to you all. The choir also had the pleasure of singing at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, a wonderful venue on the edge of the Cotswolds. The evening was truly magical and the enthusiastic guests were provided with a mixture of Christmas Carols, traditional male voice pieces and anecdotes from our evenings musical director Alex. 2020 has started well with number of interesting bookings are in the calendar. The choir is looking forward to singing at venues such as Cardiff City Hall and Castle. In February, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary and a Dinner at the High Tide is under planning. More on that to follow next month……
With the Christmas program well underway our first two carol services were well received. Despite terrible storms, our service at the Masonic Home brought lots of festive cheer to the residents and guests alike. The Stroke Club Carol Service at the Grove Golf Club was once again a great success. As well as a great start to the seasons celebrations, the event was a good fund raising opportunity for the Club. A surprise performance for Aston Martin at the St. David’s hotel to celebrate the opening of their new plant took place early in December. It was a great honour for the choir to sing at such an iconic venue in front of such an illustrious audience. The choir enjoyed an evening of comedy and music at the Green Acres in North Cornelly. The packed audience were in stiches at the barrage of gags from the ever young Colin Price and were thoroughly entertained by the wonderful voice of singer Eve Sherratt, who performed some amazing numbers for us. Many thanks to Ray Hooton for arranging this great evening.
We have recently published our Summer Newsletter. If you’d like a copy please leave let us know contact@porthcawlchoir.co.uk
Check out our Facebook page for regular news and updates and our new YouTube Channel for our latest performances.
Mair has added some fantastic new numbers to our repertoire and some numbers where audience participation will be requires. Promises to be a special evening.
The choir have been very busy recently practicing for the upcoming tour to Cornwell on the 26th April. The highlight of the tour will be a joint concert with the famous Polperro Fishermen’s Choir at the Looe Lifeboat Station on the 27th April.
28 Choir members, together with 64 family and friends, safely returned from the tour of Newquay and Looe Cornwall. Storm Hanna made them all feel well at home with bracing winds blowing off the sea. The joint concert with the Polperro choir, held in the unique venue of the RNLI station at Looe, was well received by a large audience and culminated in a joint rendition of Gwahoddiad in both Welsh and English. This brought about a standing ovation from crowd who had experienced the rich blend of Cornish and traditional male choir arrangements. All proceeds from the concert were donated to the RNLI, a worthy organisation dear to the hearts of both host and visitors alike. Special mentions to Musical Director Mair Jones and pianist Sian Davies who guided the choir throughout the evening. The weekend was described as ‘magical’ from beginning to end and many thanks go to Mike Williams who organised the highly successful tour.
