News 2004
CWMBRÂN MALE CHOIR - NEWS 2004
Cwmbrân Male Choir - Newsletters
News of 2004 by Month
January
The New Year meant new music, and new challenges, and in it's 40th Anniversary Year, the choir under the direction of Paul Cook as Musical Director, David Davies, Deputy Musical Director and with Heather Wyatt as accompanist, started learning new songs, and reviving some old favourites ready to sing throughout the year. The choir's first concert of the New Year was a return visit to sing for the pensioners at Panteg Village hall, New Inn, on a bitterly cold night on Thursday 19th January. One of the new arrangements by Paul Cook, "A World War Two Medley" was sang for the first time by the choir, and featured baritone John Probert taking on the role of Sergeant Major, in the first of the songs "The Quartermaster's Store". The other songs in the medley are "Bless Them All", and to finish this group "We'll Met Again". This medley prompted a repeat, with the full audience participation, and as always at this concert, the welcome was very warm, and the choir has already confirmed a return visit in 2005.
February
The Congress Theatre in Cwmbrân was the next venue for the choir, on Saturday 28th February when it joined other local choirs and musical groups, including a presentation of the Blodeugerdd, which is a flower basket from the land of soil of Wales, and will be performed at National Eisteddfod of Wales at Newport in August 2004. Torfaen County Borough Council arranged the concert, and Siân Lloyd from the BBC acted as compere, and the choir provided a number of tradition songs in both Welsh and English, but all with a Welsh theme. This was followed on St. David's Day itself, Torfaen County Borough Council, decided to mark the occasion by having groups perform in Gwent Square, with Heather at the electric piano, and with David Davies conducting, the choir sang another group of traditional Welsh songs, and even involved some locals, who joined in the traditional hymns and songs.
March
It was the turn of Croesyceiliog and Llanyrafon Community Council to act as hosts for the next concert on Thursday 11th March, and despite the blizzard conditions outside, the audience braved the atrocious weather to see a showcase of talent from the Cwmbrân area.
It was across the border for the first time this year to Leominster for the choir's next engagement on Saturday 20th March 2004. The concert was held at the Lion Ballroom in the centre of the town, and proved to be a wonderful setting for a concert. Unfortunately Paul Cook was unable to be with us that day, so David Davies in his dual role of Deputy Musical Director and Compere took charge of the choir. The choir opened the concert with a rousing chorus of Mansel Thomas' arrangement of "Men of Harlech". The Eager Divas, a trio of ladies from the Hereford area, joined the choir in the concert, and it marked a reunion for the choir as we had sung together on a number of occasions both in Hereford, and also in Cwmbrân. The group consists of two ladies, who perform various solos and duets, complete with the appropriate costumes from operas, operettas, and musicals. The other member of the group is their accompanist, and she together with Cwmbrân Male Choir's accompanist were thrilled with high quality grand piano which was used that night.
April
Another wedding was the choir's next function on Saturday 3rd April 2004, at St. Gabriel's Church in Old Cwmbran when the choir sang both before and during the wedding. This prompted the groom Brian Hanlon, when visiting the choir recently to comment on how much the congregation enjoyed coming into church, and hearing the choir singing lighter songs such as "My Heart Will Go On", "The Rose", and "Let It Be Me". These songs he felt set the mood for the day, which he and his new wife Siân both thoroughly enjoyed.
May
Norhern Ireland Tour
June
July
Following the successful visit by Cwmbrân Male Choir to Northern Ireland at the beginning of June 2004. The choir's concert programme was clear until a wedding on July 31st at Treowen Manor near Dingestow Monmouth. David Davies the choir's Deputy Musical Director conducted this engagement, as Paul Cook the Musical Director had been involved in an accident which led to him suffering a broken elbow. At the wedding the choir sang a number of songs appropriate for the occasion including the "The Rose", from the Film "Beaches", and made famous by Bette Midler,and the chart topping "My Heart Will Go On", from the more recent movie blockbuster "Titanic".
August
The choir's latest concert on Saturday 21st August 2004, took place in front of a packed audience at the beautiful All Saints Church in Leek, Staffordshire and was very unusual as it featured a father, Mike Cook and son, Paul Cook as respectively conductors of the Wetley Rocks Male Voice Choir and Cwmbrân Male Choir, The Wetley Rocks Choir with Mike Cook conducting and Jean Smith at the piano, started their opening section with "Stout Hearted Men" from Sigmund Romberg's "New Moon", the spiritual "My Lord What A Mornin'", a very enjoyable arrangement of "The Rose" and to close the song inspired by the youth of the world "Let There Be Peace on Earth".
Mike Cook then performed the intricate Chopin piano work "Polonaise in A Major", and Alec MacReady one of the tenor section followed this by singing the lovely ballad "The Old House", followed by Handel's "Silent Worship".
It was then the turn of Paul Cook the very proud son to impress his father and the audience with the Cwmbrân Male Choir, which he has been nurturing and moulding over the last year. As usual Cwmbrân Male Choir started with the rousing chorus "Men of Harlech", which literally made some of the audience jump out of their seats. This was followed by the Arwel Hughes' hymn "Tydi a Roddaist". The next item by the choir was the first public performance of a lovely ballad "Gentle Annie" composed by Stephen Foster. To close this section of the concert the choir sang the arrangement by Mansel Thomas of the Welsh hymn "Llef" to the tune "Deus Salutis".
The two choirs then combined under the baton of Paul Cook to sing the poignant song "Take Me Home", which was a reminder to both choirs that were based in former coal mining areas.
The second half of the concert started with Cwmbrân Male Choir singing another Welsh hymn "Gwahoddiad", composed by an American exile Lewis Hartsough., and this was followed by the second new song for the choir to perform entitled "How Soon" which was the arranged by Alwyn Humphreys of the theme tune to an American Television Series called "The Richard Boone Show". It was then time for Paul to pass the baton of leadership to David Davies his Deputy, and to swap places in joining the top tenor section. David provided a narrative description of some of the characters in Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood", and the choir sang "Eli Jenkins' Prayer". Paul Cook then resumed his place in front of the choir and David returned to the top tenor section to sing the final Cwmbrân Male Choir song that tells of the heritage, culture and scenery of Wales as portrayed in Laurence Thompson's song "There Is A Land".
Another soloist named John Brough from the Wetley Rocks Choir then entertained everybody with two short monologues the first was entitled "The Loose Woman", the second was called "Sonia Snell" and both told of cautionary tales involving females. Mike Cook then provided a solo on the church organ "Nun Danket Alle Gott / Now Thank We All Our God" by Karg-Elert.
Wetley Rocks then concluded their programme with Malotte's "Lord's Prayer", and then a song attributed to King Charles I "Close Thine Eyes", another Alwyn Humphreys' arrangement "You'll Never Walk Alone" from "Carousel", and then an American song entitled "Let There Be Music".
The concert officially closed according to the programme with the two choirs singing Emrys Jones' arrangement of Isaac Watts "Morte Christe", but Mike Cook had other ideas and he led the whole audience in singing Parry's "Jerusalem". Then finally after Cwmbrân Male Choir had received a standing ovation, the choir was able to fulfil a lifelong ambition of Mike Cook by singing the Welsh National Anthem, while he accompanied on the church organ.
As a tribute to both choirs a member of the audience stated that in this an Olympic Year it was wonderful to hear "Synchronised Singing", and that all the contributors gave Gold Medal winning performances.
On Monday August the 9th 2004 at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall, in aid of the Pontypool Branch of the British Legion's Poppy appeal, Cwmbrân Male Choir joined forces with two other Torfaen male choirs namely Garndiffaith Gleemen and Pontnewydd Male Choir to sing a number of combined items. Also as special guest that evening the choir met up with a choir that they last sang with in the Royal Albert Hall in 1995, the Victoria Welsh Male Choir from Australia who are based in Melbourne and Bendigo.
The Australian choir is touring Wales on a short but very intense concert tour, and had just been very adventurous in competing for the second time at the National Eisteddfod in Newport, and resulted in the choir coming third in their group. After opening the Blaenavon concert with the Australian National Anthem "Advance Australia Fair", they then started the concert with the test piece from Saturday's competition, namely "Cytgan y Milwyr / The Soldier's Chorus" from Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore" in Welsh. The choir's Musical Director, Faleiry Koczkar who is a fluent Welsh speaker and former native of Aberystwyth conducted the choir in number of tradition Welsh songs most of which were sung in the "Language of Heaven", i.e. Welsh.
The next song performed by the choir was the famous traditional Welsh exiles song "Unwaith Eto Nghymru Annwyl" and it featured Rhonda Yates who was the soloist travelling with the choir. This was followed by a vocal arrangement of Pachelbel's "Canon in D", and then Roger Bartlett, a soloist from within the choir sang the lovely Welsh Lullaby "Suo Gan", with the choir providing the backing. The choir then sang one of the Musical Director's arrangements of a very well known song that is a favourite of many Australian choirs, "I Still Call Australia Home". Rhonda Yates then sang some songs by Ivor Novello during her solo spot, and remained on stage to join the choir in singing "On My Own" within a medley of songs from the world famous musical "Les Miserables", including "Bring Him Home", and "Do You Hear the People Sing".
It was back to the choir's National Eisteddfod programme, with their accompanist Lorna Ogilvie at the piano, and Faleiry conducting in a spectacular arrangement (for which they were both partially responsible) in Welsh called "Dawnsio Matilda", and ended with half the choir singing the Welsh words to "Waltzing Matilda", while the remainder of the choir sang the Welsh National Anthem. Faleiry then turned to the audience and invited them to join in the Welsh National Anthem, at the end of the very well deserved encore for the spectacular and very challenging "Dawnsio Matilda". As an illustration of their versatility on one of the choir recordings they sing the English words "Waltzing Matilda", and includes the split choir singing the Welsh National Anthem "Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", at the end.
After the interval the ceremony of the lowering of the flags was staged and "Last Post" was played and featured all the choirs combining to sing the very poignant song "There is No Death". Walford Hutchings the Musical Director of Pontnewydd Choir conducted this item, and due to the large size of the choir; he had to conduct from the balcony. Pauline Williams of the same choir provided the piano accompaniment.
The Australian Choir then left the stage and the three Welsh choirs led by the Pontnewydd musical team gave a rendition of Mansel Thomas' stirring march, "Men of Harlech". It was then the turn of the Garndiffaith Gleemen musical team namely Gethin Banfield as Musical Director and John Jolly at the piano to lead the choirs in the spiritual "Jacob's Ladder", which was followed by another arrangement of Mansel Thomas, this time the famous Welsh hymn "Llef", to the tune "Deus Salutis".
Rhonda Yates then sang the lovely "O Mio Babbino Caro" from the opera "Gianni Schicchi", by Giacomo Puccini to the delight of the audience and choristers alike.
As Paul Cook had still not fully recovered, from a recent broken elbow, Cwmbrân Male Choir Deputy Musical Director David Davies conducted the next two items. The first of these "Take Me Home", tells the story a young man going down the mine, and his relief and rejoicing at being able to see the sun shine after leaving the blackness of the pit. Heather Wyatt, Cwmbrân Male Choir's accompanist played this item. The second item performed by the combined Torfaen based choir was "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", as this required two sets of hands at the piano, the accompaniment was provided by Walford Hutchings and Pauline Williams.
As the concert was then drawing to a close, the Australian choir returned to the concert platform. For the final section of the programme all the choirs the combined with Faleiry Koczkar again having to conduct from the balcony, the group of songs including "Gwahoddiad", "Speed Your Journey" and "Morte Christe", and following rapturous applause and a standing ovation the concert concluded with the Welsh National anthem.
The concert raised approximately £1500 in respect of the Pontypool Branch of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
September
October
November
December