The Millennium Centre on Saturday 6th March was the venue for the choirs latest concert. It was a lovely but cold day, the centre was full of local people and tourists out enjoying the sunshine.
It is quite an amazing place to sing, the audience tends to be transient, many stop and listen to a couple of songs, then go about their business; others take advantage of the seating area
or the cafe facility and stay to watch the whole performance.
Sales of the choirs latest CD always go well there. It is a great venue to 'Showcase' a product. The post concert 'Afterglow'
took place in the Eli Jenkins public house and a great time was had by the choristers who participated.
The photographs show the choir, conducted by Shelley Thomas-Brown in full flow, and our accompanist Sandra Williams waiting at the piano prior to the start of the performance.
Photographs were taken by Niki Wood. |
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It was with great sadness that the choir learnt this week of the death of Robin Jones (BBC Wales TV presenter).
Robin was a stalwart supporter of the choir; his daughter Iona Jones (Renowned Welsh Soprano) is the choir's Hon. President. We offer Iona and her family our deepest and heartfelt sympathy in their loss.
Robin was respected by every member of the choir for his professionalism and great sense of humour. He was the master of ceremonies at more than one of our concerts, it was a job he loved doing and audiences were quick to respond to his natural warmth and charm.
Robin will always be fondly remembered by everyone connected with Cowbridge Male Voice Choir. |
This year the choir opened the Cowbridge Christmas Tree Festival with a concert in Holy Cross Church on Friday 27th November. The church was completely full for the performance; it looked wonderful with a myriad of Christmas trees each with its own decorations and lights adorning the ancient walls. Each tree had been donated by a different organisation with links to Cowbridge and the church. The choir was supported by local Soprano Daisy Evans, Daisy gave a very polished performance and received the accolade that she deserved. She also sang 'Morte Cristi' with the choir, there is little doubt that Daisy will very successful in her chosen career.
The choir performed pieces from its very large repertoire and also helped the audience with carols. The evening was brought to a close with the choir's rendition of Handle's Hallelujah Chorus'; a very knowledgeable audience stood during the singing of this wonderful composition.
Cowbridge Male Voice Choir wishes everyone a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2010. |
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The choir performed a concert in aid of the British Parkinson's Disease Charity at Bethel Baptist Church in Pontyclun on Saturday 17th October.
The choir was supported by Menna Cazel Davies (Soprano), Menna has supported the choir before at Llantrisant Church; she gave a superb recital on this occasion. Support for the concert was excellent.
After the concert the choir retired to the Pontyclun RFC for rest and recuperation! |
St Mary's Church Wenvoe on Saturday 10th October was the venue for the marriage of Nicola Jane Smith and George Sebastian Oliver. Nicola is the well known and respected BBC Wales TV presenter. The couple had requested the choir to perform at their wedding.
Conducted by Shelley Thomas-Brown BA(Hons), the choir sang pieces from their very large and varied repertoire; they also augmented the congregation during the hymn singing. Nicola was a beautiful bride and George looked like the cat that got the cream!
The choir wish them both a very long, happy and successful married life together. |
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On Saturday 3rd October 2009 the choir performed a concert in aid of the restoration fund for the Bell Tower of Christ Church Radyr. Appearing with the choir was their President Iona Jones, L.R.A.M. (Renowned Welsh Soprano), Iona was instrumental in getting the choir to support the venture. The church was packed with parishoners who wanted to hear their church bells peal once again. It was a successful evening for everybody concerned and the choir was pleased to have been a part of it. |
St Albans again! It is hard to believe that two years have flown by since the choir last visited the city.
The concert on Saturday 26th September was in aid of Christian Relief Uganda. Our organisation has been involved with the Uganda charity for over six years; the association has been a great success and has realised thousands of pounds for a very worthy cause. The boiler house of this charity in St Albans is a very sprightly 85 years young Jim Tryon. Jim does just about everything, apart from sing, and it wouldn't be a surprise to the choir if he had a go at that! The sort of organisation required to stage a large concert doesn't just happen, people like Jim make it happen. The choir is very proud to be associated with him and wish him many more years at the helm in St Albans. The old boy even brought along two daughters and a granddaughter to present the flower bouquet's at the end of the evening to our Musical Director, Accompanist and the wife of the Mayor of St Albans.
It was unfortunate that he couldn't conjure up another soprano soloist to perform on the night; Lina Saavedra (Soprano) had to cancel at short notice due to illness; however, her very capable piano accompanist Judith King stepped in and gave two splendid recitals which filled the gap admirably.
The concert was a resounding success; It is certain that the choir will return to St Columbus College, St Albans, many times in the future. |
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The choir sang at the wedding of Rhys Williams at Holy Cross church in Cowbridge on Saturday 25th July.
Rhys has over 40 International Rugby Union Caps for Wales. Guests at the wedding were from the current elite of Welsh Rugby; others were Welsh Rugby legends from the past, namely Gareth Edwards and Robert Norster.
Tom Shanklin, Paul Tito and a contingent from the Cardiff Blues supported Rhys and his lovely bride Elisabeth.
The church was packed with guests and well wishers. The choir performed hymns and songs from their repertoire which Rhys and Elisabeth had especially chosen with the help of Musical Director Shelley Thomas-Brown, BA (hons).
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Saturday 27th June was a good day for the parishioner's of the Bethany Baptist Church in Rhiwbina, they experienced what is termed a bogof in the retail trade; they got to see and hear two choirs for the price of one. Joining Cowbridge MVC as its guest choir was the Dursley MVC from Gloucestershire. The concert was in aid of Leukaemia Research and the people of the area did not disappoint the organisers - the church was full.
The concert was shared equally by the choirs and their respective Musical Directors had consulted and agreed a very varied programme. At the end of the evening both choirs totalling 109 members sang 'Gwahoddiad & Morte Cristi' together; it almost raised the roof!
One of the most enjoyable pieces sung by Dursley MVC was Puccini's 'Nessum Dorma' from Turrandot, it was a very creditable performance.
After the concert the choir's went to the Deri Arms, Rhiwbina to quench a considerable thirst; they then treated the locals to an impromptu singsong.
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The two photographs show the Church during the early evening and choristers enjoying a banter with the Very Reverand Wurzel!
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The choir travelled to Clanfield, Oxfordshire on Saturday 20th June to give a concert in aid of St Stephen's church funds and to help the villagers celebrate with a mid summer festival.
St Stephen's is a beautiful old church; small and bijou would be an apt description of its interior. Choristers got to know the meaning of "Nearer to Thee" because it was no mean feat to get a 50 plus choir into the narrow space available. We managed somehow; the church was filled to capacity with some of the audience sitting on window ledges; we sang to a very appreciative crowd who seemed to enjoy our performance. Sally Middleton (Soprano) soloist also performed at the event. She is well known in the area because she comes from Fairford village a few miles from Clanfield.
Sally gave a polished performance of pieces from La Boheme, The Mikado and Porgy and Bess.
Part of the village summer festival is a Scarecrow competition; all around the village there were Scarecrows in different guises, some were extremely well done. |
The choir's annual concert took place at Cowbridge Leisure centre on Saturday 16th May.
The concert was a tremendous success and the hall was filled almost to its capacity; it seems that the good people of Cowbridge and its surrounding districts ignored the doom and gloom of the credit crunch and turned out to support their choir.
CMVC prevailed upon "Noterworthy" a mixed choir from Maesteg to be its guest choir; under the direction of Ryan Wood (Musical Director) and accompanied on piano by Rhian Yamin Ali "Noteworthy" gave a splendid recital, the were tremendous.
CMVC gave its own very varied performance which was appreciated by the audience.
The concert was attended by Jane HUTT, AM and the Mayor and Mayoress of Cowbridge.
The evening ended on a high note when both choirs joined to sing the rousing Welsh hymn - Tydi A Rhoddaist |
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On Saturday 18th April the choir travelled to Thame in Oxfordshire to perform a concert
in aid of St Mary's Church fund. The organiser had been extremely busy for months preparing for the concert.
Their hard work was rewarded by the number of people who attended the concert.
There are many beautiful Church locations in England's green and pleasant land; St Mary's must be near the top of the list, nestled as it is in the lovely Thames Valley.
When we arrived the Church was bathed in evening sunlight; it was a picture to behold. |
CMVC have for the very first time produced an annual report covering the organizations activities for the 2008/09 Concert season.
A copy of the report has been lodged at local libraries in Cowbridge, Pontyclun and Llantwit Major.
The report gives details of the choirs administration set up, its financial state as at 31/12/08 and the major events of the season.
Anyone interested in joining the choir can visit the home of cmvc - Holy Cross Church, Cowbridge on a Wednesday evening between
7.30pm - 9.30pm. Singers are needed, especially first tenors and bottom basses, other singing ranges are also welcome. |
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Musical Director
Shelley Thomas-Brown BA(Hons)
celebrates her 50th Birthday
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On 27th Dec 2008 the choir helped its Musical Director Shelley Thomas-Brown BA(Hons) celebrate her 50th birthday. Some eighty choristers and guests attended the function which was held in the Pontyclun Athletic club (Often used as a venue for filming the TV series Compassionate). A brilliant evening was had by all, Shelley was accompanied by her very proud parents and some personal friends. The photograph shows Shelley enjoying the occasion.
The choir held its first concert of 2009 at the Old School Hall in Sulley. The performance was in aid of the Halls funds. Some 150+ people attended the concert and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. A substantial raffle was organised by the Hall committee which no doubt further filled their coffers.
During January and February under the guidance of its Musical Director the choir has been learning new songs to add to its repertoire some of which it hopes to include in its Annual Concert programme for 2009. The concert is scheduled for the 16th May at the Leisure Centre in Cowbridge. Come and Support us.
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Change of rehearsal venue
For the last 5 years the choir's rehearsal venue has been the Jane Hodge Hotel Resort at Trerhyngyll, which sadly has now been closed. We wish to thank the staff and management of the hotel for their cheerful hospitality and co-operation during this time and wish them well for the future.
From January 2009 the new venue is Holy Cross Church in Cowbridge. We are grateful to the Rev Canon Derek Belcher and the Church Wardens for permission to use this beautiful historic building which is located in the centre of Town just off the main street. |
Photograph by M. Wilcock
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The choir was invited to perform at The Welsh Guards Band concert held at the Leisure Centre in Cowbridge on Wednesday 17 September 2008.
The concert was a sell out. Shelley Thomas-Brown the choirs musical director took the opportunity to conduct the Band, the choir and Iona Jones, soprano (Hon. President of CMVC) in a rousing performance of 'Morte Cristi'.
The concert was held to raise funds for Cowbridge Grammar & Comprehensive schools and to celebrate 400 years of Cowbridge Grammar School - 1608-2008. |
On Friday 12th September at All Hallows RC Church in Miskin' Cowbridge MVC hosted the 'Liedertafel Choir' from Gouda in Holland. The concert was in aid of the Ed Evan's Trust and Tenovus.
A total of £750 was raised and shared between the charities.
The Dutch choir sang a range of classical pieces; and, as a mark of respect for Wales sang Myfanwy in Welsh and did a good job of it too. A photograph of the Liebertafel choir in full voice was taken by Niki Wood who is also the choir's CD sales excecutive.
Cowbridge MVC took the opportunity during the concert to release for sale their latest double CD
'Voices from the Vale'
'Lleisiau o'r Fro'.
The CD contains 18 songs including:-Welsh Hymns, The Beatles, Negro Spirituals, Kings of Swing, Modern Pop, Le Miserables' and others. The CD is priced at £12.
As a special offer the choir is selling its new CD together with its previous best selling CD 'In Lighter Vein' for £15. This is excellent value. All the revenue from the sale of the CDs will go directly to assist the choir with its work for charity. |
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The Choir recorded a new Compact Disc last week. The recording took place at All Saints Church in Porthcawl. The CD will contain traditional Welsh Hymns/songs; it will also have a selection of songs from west end shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables and two Ivor Novello pieces. The CD will be available for sale in August 2008. For advanced orders please contact either the Concert Secretary or Choir Secretary at the email addresses listed in the contact page. |
| Choristers find it hard to imagine that they have completed thirty-five years of annual concerts in Cowbridge; the 35th concert took place in the towns leisure centre on Saturday 17th May and it was a sell out. Our guest soloists for the evening were Iona Jones (Soprano) and Simon Mullins (Baritone). Iona is also the Hon. President of the choir and strongly supports its charitable aims. Simon won the 2008 Bridgend singer of the year award, he is a pupil at Maesteg Comprehensive school. The choir gives young people like Simon the opportunity to perform and showcase their talent. |
The photograph shows our Musical Director Shelley Thomas-Brown with Sandra Williams (Accompanist) and Iona Jones at the afterglow reception in the Cowbridge RUFC.
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The Millennium Centre is a great place to show case your product; the choir took full advantage of this fact by performing a free concert at the centre on Saturday 10th May between 1-00pm and 2-30pm.
The concert took place within the foyer area of the centre on the Tesco Stage. The photograph was taken outside the centre in front of the impressive glass water tower. |
| On Saturday 19th April at the request of the Rolls Royce enthusiasts (South Wales Branch) the choir gave a 45 minute pre dinner concert at the plush Vale of Glamorgan Hotel in Hensol. The revenue from the concert went into choir coffers for use in support of the choir's 2008/09 charitable commitments. There were a large number of valuable Rolls Royce cars in the hotel car park; some were old and some were very new, but each one had the timeless class and the spirit of elegance that only a Rolls Royce can exude. One of our choristers took a shine to one of the cars but alas could only just afford to look at it! |
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Cmvc traveled to Northampton on Saturday 12th April to perform a concert in aid of the HOPE Charity. A party of 50 choristers attended St Giles Church, which is situated in the centre of the town and gave a two hour concert. HOPE is charitable organisation which has its finger in many pots and does a tremendous amount of work supporting charities. The concert realised £1,300.00 for the charity. The photograph shows the choir singing at the church with Shelley Thomas-Brown (MD) conducting and Sandra Williams playing the piano. |
| The choir traveled to Llantilio Crossenny on Saturday 1st March, a village on the outskirts of Abergavenny, to perform a St David's day concert in aid of St Teilo's Church restoration fund. The church and the surrounding area is extremely picturesque but very remote. The coach driver found the very narrow roads during the latter part of the journey very challenging. Some 200 local inhabitants turned up to support the church and to listen to the choir. The choir was treated to a large buffet supper in a local pub called The DOG! Needless to say we had to sing for it. |
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The choir sang at the 'Love at the Opera' Gala performance in the Cowbridge Leisure Centre on the evening of Thursday 14th February 2008 which featured Sian Cothi (Soprano) Wyn Evans (Tenor) and Mark Evans (Baritone) and the Welsh Sinfonia Orchestra.
The concert was well attended and a great evening was experienced by one and all |
Tour Of Cyprus
CMVC supported British Forces Heroes charity by performing a concert in the Sovereign Base of Dhekilia - St Barnabas Church.
Approximately 300 ex pats and service personnel attended, over £1,000 donated to the charity.
Superb hospitality received from our Army hosts at their Officers mess, where the choir held its post concert afterglow. |
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