After 30 years dedicated service it's with great pleasure that we welcome Mr. Kirk Lewis into the exclusive Life Member club. Kirk has been a stalwart member of the bottom Bass section and his solo performances are the stuff of legend. Congratulations Kirk and here's to the next 30. Kirk is pictured here on the left being presented his certificate by Section Leader Mr. Simon Davis.
Rob Davies - Chairman
Following our Annual General Meeting on Monday 11th March the choir is delighted to announce the team nominated and elected to serve through 2024.
Chairman - Mr Rob Davies (pictured)
Vice Chairman - Mr Denzil Boaler
Secretary - Mr Paul Hanbury
Financial Secretary - Mr Richard Rosser
Asst. Financial Secretary- Mr Neil Marshall
Registrar/Librarian - Mrs Starlene Marshall
SECTION LEADERS
Bass - Mr Simon Davis
2nd Tenor - Mr Andrew Mason
Baritone - Mr Jeff Polkinghorn
Tenor - Mr Gwyn Roberts
Cwmbach Male Choir is proud to present "A St. David's Day Celebration" concert at The Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. This will be a wonderful evening full of Welsh Hymns, folk tunes and modern contemporary pieces to lift the soul. Our Special Guests for the evening will be the fabulous children's choir from Aberdare Town Church Primary School. This is a concert not to be missed.
Tickets are £10/12 and available from the link below
https://rct-theatres.co.uk/event/annual-st-davids-day-concert
Last week Cwmbach Male Choir had a fantastic night at St David’s Hall Cardiff for the Welsh Proms. What a way to celebrate brass and choral singing with Pelenna, Cwmdare, Pontarddalais and Morlais male choirs and of course the brilliant Cory Brass Band.
The Welsh Proms Cymru is an annual week-long celebration of classical music held at St David's Hall, Cardiff. With a diverse range of performances from renowned orchestras, soloists, and choirs, the event showcases the richness of musical heritage and contemporary interpretations.
Beyond the concerts, it fosters emerging talent through workshops and educational initiatives, uniting audiences of all ages and backgrounds in a profound celebration of culture and creativity. The Welsh Proms Cymru leaves a lasting impression, reaffirming classical music's enduring power to inspire and unite people, making it an unforgettable experience for all.
Such an honour to sing at a venue with a long musical history like St Davids Hall and alongside such talented people and friends.
Well done all.
An amazing night indeed.
Another busy week last week.
First up was Choir in the Quad, an outdoor concert in aid of the Rotary Club Aberdare held at the Dare Valley Country Park.
Special guests were Aberdare Town Church Primary School who kicked off the proceedings with a bang. Each song they sang was beautifully performed with an enthusiasm that was infectious. We couldn’t have wished for a better start to the evening.
The outstanding weather stayed with us for the rest of the evening as we performed a selection of songs old and new to a very appreciative audience. We helped to raise funds for the rotary club of Aberdare, enabling them to carry on their vital and important work within the community.
Next up was the Centenary service for the Cenotaph in Aberdare.
This important landmark has stood for 100 years and it was a privilege to honour the centenary as well as those who lost their lives in conflicts around the world.
The procession formed at Aberdare library square and marched to the Cenotaph accompanied by Tylorstown Band.
The proceedings culminated in a concert back at library square comprising of ourselves, Dare to Sing and Cwmdare voices (who we also joined forces with to perform).
A fantastic day indeed.
The heritage of our town and valley is incredibly important to us and we are honoured to play a part in celebrating it.
Baritone Steve Marshall explains what being part of a choir means to him, why he does it? And what other benefits can be derived from being part of such a group?
“The singing is of course vitally important, to any choir and many choristers will tell you that it can take some time before the voice produces the sound that people love from a choir.”
So do you need to be able to sing before you join?
“No you don’t” replied Steve who added that Cwmbach Choir is now 101 years old and many of its members just came along to a practice session without any background in singing, that they were probably nervous to begin with but soon found the camaraderie something to enjoy.
He also explained that it is the comradeship that binds most members to the choir, many of the younger members enjoy the singing of course as do all the members, but it is also the companionship, the feeling of belonging to a larger group and it is a great leveller in that it doesn’t matter what you do or did for a living, all are equal and there really aren’t many groups that can offer you that.
So what awaits a new chorister?
“There are four parts to a choir, starting with the Basses, Baritones, Second Tenors and Top Tenors. Very few people know which section will suit their voice and what follows is a process that allows each chorister to feel first of all discover things that perhaps the didn’t know about their voice. Usually everyone starts off by just singing a tune or a melody line. What changes though is that every new chorister has a partner appointed to him who will help him reach the right note and pitch. It is this process that involves tuition, and listening to the group and finally the choir itself. Before long each chorister can sing well enough to join us in a concert depending on how quickly they can learn the words to songs.”
Is that the same for everyone?
“I don’t know why the voice takes so long to adjust” added Steve. “Everyone is different and yet everyone receives the same support, Many are ready after three months, at least that is my experience.”
So what other advantages are there for choristers?
“Well there’s the travel” confirmed Steve, “Obviously the recent covid pandemic put our travel plans on stop as we did intend to visit South Africa again to celebrate our centenary.”
Cwmbach has literally travelled the World in its history, with Canada, South Africa and most countries of Europe. Steve also explained that practicing once a week gives many members something to do during the dark winter months and the concert calendar also provides focus for everyone as most of them are booked by English audiences anxious to hear a real Welsh choir.
Anything else?
“It says a lot about the way our choir works in that both ukulele and Rock and Pop groups have been formed from the membership and our Uke group recently took part in the Brecon Jazz festival. Our pop group called the Remnants of Oz, also plays the clubs and pubs.
It is the Choir that is most important however and Cwmbach like many choirs is always keen to attract new members. Final words to Steve on this;
“You don’t have to be able to sing to join Cwmbach, we will teach you how to sing and we will work with you to find your place in our choir.
