On Friday June 8 2018, Côr y Gleision will be performing at the High Sheriff Celtic Connections concert in Bristol

Other artists include the harpist, Catrin Finch and the Bristol Ensemble

More information and tickets can be found here

Well we made it there and back, though a few are still at large in Canada and/or the USA. Suffice to say the jet lag hit most of us to different degrees, but it was a great tour.  Thankfully both Toronto and Kingston had recovered from the harsh cold weather and we were lucky to have a few great days taking in the sights, including the CN Tower and a maple syrup farm. It really was a farm and not a visitor’s centre as some of us had anticipated. Niagara Falls was breathtaking and a few choristers managed a chorus of Gwlad, Gwlad in the tunnels looking out into the falls.

Our first performance was at the Selwyn Outreach Centre in Peterborough, Ontario on the Monday evening, to support the The Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield’s gala launch and fundraising concert. Dewi Jones, uncle to Eryl in our tenor section, is President of the project. We were joined that night by Rhythm and Grace, a very talented family of six performing siblings and their parents, who sang, danced and played multiple instruments. Three younger siblings are in training to join the family band. It was a memorable evening and we had a very warm welcome, including meeting several Welsh ex-pats in the audience.  We were also pleased to meet the Mayor of Selwyn Township, Mary Smith, who gave us a certificate of appreciation.

By Wednesday we were a bit fresher for our performance at the Beacan Church in Beaverton, Ontario, where John Grant, the Mayor of Brock Township ,also presented us with a certificate of appreciation, saying “We’re all Welsh tonight”. Delyth received a welcome plaque from Terry O’Neil on behalf of Brock RFC; in return she presented him with a signed Cardiff Blues shirt, donated by the Blues. The proceeds of this event were for their local food bank. Earlier that day we were also fortunate to be greeted by Andy Letham, Mayor of the City of Kawartha Lakes, over lunch at St Dave’s Diner on Highway 35. Meeting three mayors in a week will be hard to beat!

The Ontario Welsh Festival weekend at Kingston went very well, albeit Bus B was delayed on the way, but that was soon forgotten. The original Bus B hit a van on its way to the hotel, a window shattered, thankfully with no one on the bus, and a replacement bus arrived nearly 2hours later! Bus A on the other hand had Claudio the Italian bus driver who has since tweeted his appreciation for our rendition of O Sole Mio and the Italian National Anthem.

The festival got off to a great start with a very entertaining Noson Lawen. The festival audience loved our lively acts and everyone enjoyed socialising at the afterglow.  On Saturday evening our gala concert was a success, and choristers probably enjoyed it as much as the audience. Rich was presented with a boxed glass maple leaf in appreciation of the choir’s attendance at the festival. We were commended by many as the best choir they have had in a long time, not only for our performances at the Noson Lawen and the varied gala concert, but also for our enthusiastic participation during the festival weekend.

We presented a photograph of the choir, framed with a ‘wordle’ border consisting of the tour repertoire (titles only!), at the main events and we received various Canadian themed pin badges along the way.

We were fortunate to receive a warm Canadian welcome throughout our stay and made many lovely memories and some new friends along the way.  Dewi Jones in particular became a regular, following us to Kingston for the festival and joining us on our last night meal, where tour awards were given out. To name a few: Meurig from the bass section won the Lost Property Award for The suitcase that went to Frankfurt; Mike Bryant ( Anne Derbyshire’s husband) was awarded the Supporters’ Award for a clean sweep of selling choir recipe books on tour, and the Impersonator Award went to Bryn Teribl a Rhys Gwirion (Llinos and Trefor).

All in all it was a memorable and enjoyable tour, which I think we can safely say is another great achievement for Côr y Gleision. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to arrange it, and who supported us along the way. Who knows where the next and future invitations may come from?

Delyth Jones, Chair

We are delighted to be travelling to Canada later this month to take part in the Ontario Welsh Festival in Kingston. The main concert is at the Spire (formerly Sydenham United Church) at 8pm on Saturday 28th April. For more information and concert tickets, please go to the festival’s Facebook page or the Festival’s Website ontariowelshfestival.ca.

It’ll be a full weekend of Welsh hwyl and culture, including a night of fun at the Noson Lawen on Friday evening. After Saturday night’s concert, we’ll be leading the Welsh hymn singing at the Gymanfa Ganu on the Sunday, not just once, but twice! It’s going to be a really special weekend, and we’re delighted to have been invited. Please come and see us, and join in with the Welsh hymn singing on the Sunday. Let’s raise the roof! We can’t wait to take part, and meet our colleagues in Ontario who’ve worked so hard to organise this 57th festival.

We’ll also be performing at a concert in Peterborough, Ontario on the evening of Monday 23rd April. It’s at the Selwyn Outreach Centre at 7pm, and is a gala fundraising concert for the Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield. Tickets can be bought on the door or in advance. More details are on their Facebook page.

On Wednesday 25th April we’ll be performing at a fundraising concert at Beacan Church in Beaverton at 7pm, so we have a packed programme, which we’re really looking forward to. When not performing, prepare to see some photos of us in front of well-known Canadian landmarks. We can’t wait to explore this part of Ontario and meet everyone who has helped get us there.

Diolch o galon. Thank you very much.

Order tickets here

Côr y Gleison will be performing in the Principality Stadium for the final two home games of the Six Nations Championship this year. After a successful start to Wales against Scotland, Côr y Gleision like to think that they played their part supporting the Welsh team to victory singing in the Fan Zone at the Principality Stadium before the Wales v Scotland game. With a rendition of Calon Lan and Cwm Rhondda followed by the roars of Sosban Fach and Delilah, what better way to get in to the rugby spirit before the game, and there’s more to come. The Choir will be singing the Anthems on the pitch before the Wales v Italy game with both teams and will then return to the Fan Zone to entertain the crowds before the Wales v France game.

“This is such a great opportunity for us” says Richard Vaughan, the Choir’s Musical Director. “It’s always great to perform to the rugby crowds, we always have a laugh and the audiences know most of the songs so they join in.”

During the Rugby World Cup in 2015, the choir was a regular feature in the Fan Zone in Cardiff Arms Park and around the City and performed to a crowd of over 10,000 just before the decisive game between Wales and England. The choir also performs regularly at Cardiff Arms Park during the Cardiff Blues home games.

Thanks very much to everyone who supported us in our Christmas concert last night: the soloists Luke McCall and Non Parry, Welsh Session Orchestra, the technical team, organisers, Tabernacle Chapel and everyone who came to watch us.

Thank you for your continued support in 2017. Happy Christmas and New Year from all at Côr Y Gleision. 🎼🎄

Richard Vaughan, Côr y Gleision’s Musical Director has managed to reach the final round of the Cân i Gymru competition after he co-composed the song “Fy Nghariad Olaf I” with Andy Park.

This competition has been broadcasted for over 40 years and has produced Welsh pop classics such as “Y Cwm” by Huw Chiswell and “Gwlad y Rasta Gwyn” by Sobin a’r Smaeliaid.

“It’s an honour as a musician to reach the final, I’ve composed classical choral works for years and it’s great to experiment and compose and write in other styles. Also it’s great to promote and nurture young talent and I’m delighted that Caitlin McKee will be singing the song” says Richard Vaughan

The competition will be broadcasted live on S4C on Saturday the 11th of March at 20:25 where there’ll be an opportunity to choose the winning song.

Vote for “Fy Nghariad Olaf I” on Saturday night by calling 0900 9510 110
(Calls cost 25p from a BT landline. Call costs can vary between suppliers and will be considerably higher from a mobile phone. Don’t call until the lines open as your vote will not be counted. (You won’t be charged for ringing before the lines are open.)

More information to follow by following #fynghariadolafi and @CorYGleision

To conclude the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Cardiff Blues Choir, we held our Christmas concert at Saint Peter’s Church, Roath, on the 22nd of December.

As is customary, all proceeds were in respect of the nominated charity of the Cardiff Blues rugby club, namely Maggie’s; a centre which provides practical and emotional support to cancer sufferers and their families.

We heard a very moving description from Geraint Talfan Davies OBE, of the amazing work they do, and it was therefore wonderful that over £2000 was raised on the night. We must pay tribute to the congregation as well as to Father Tony Furlong for their generosity.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening was the first performance of ‘Cysga’n Dawel’, written by our Musical Director Richard Vaughan, for choir member Ffion Wynn Watkins, on the birth of her child, including a solo from Ffion herself.

The choir now looks forward to another exciting year of competitions and performances.

On Friday 4th of November, Côr y Gleision secured the first prize in the Open Choir Category at Eisteddfod y Cymoedd beating Côr Godre’r Garth who came second, and Bechgyn Bro Taf and Côr Cwm Ni who came joint third. The adjudicators were Eleri Roberts, Musical Director for Côr Heol y March and Meinir Richards, Musical Director for Côr Llanddarog.

This was the tenth year of Eisteddfod y Cymoedd which was established ten years ago to celebrate the Welsh Language in the Rhymney Valley and held at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Caerphilly.

‘I’m so proud of the choir for winning the competition’ says Richard Vaughan the Musical Director ‘I’m so pleased that we had an opportunity to support an Eisteddfod that develops each year and continues to develop new talent in the valley’

The choir will now be preparing for their annual Christmas Concert which will be held at St Peter’s Church in Roath, Cardiff on Thursday the 22nd of December at 7:30.

At the beginning of October a few members of Côr y Gleision completed the Cardiff Half Marathon. A few of the members who took part had previously run a half marathon but some of the members, including Côr y Gleision’s accompanist Rhiannon Pritchard, signed up for the ‘Alfie’s Angels’ series on BBC Wales where Gareth Thomas, former Wales and British Lions Captain trained a group of people who had never run a half marathon before.

‘It was an amazing experience, I never thought I could run so far, we had a lot of fun but was glad to reach that finish line’ says Rhiannon Pritchard

The group managed to raise £4,500 for their different charities including Beating Bowel Cancer, Cancer Research UK, Ochre (promoting awareness of oesophageal cancer) a Muscular Dystrophy

Congratulations to everyone who took part.

At the end of August 2016, Côr y Gleision travelled to Belgium as part of their ten-year anniversary celebrations, holding  cathedral concerts in Bruges and Ghent, and also performing in the ‘Last Post’ ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres. The choir also visited cemeteries as part of the 100 year commemorations of the Great War.

Musical Director, Richard Vaughan, said: ‘It was a great honour to perform at such prestigious venues as the cathedrals. The audiences’ reactions were magnificent, and the choir thoroughly enjoyed the experiences’.

Richard had composed a piece of music especially for the tour, to the words of ‘Rhyfel’ (War), a poem written by the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn, who was killed at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. Performing this poignant piece at both concerts was a privilege, and having the opportunity to sing it at Hedd Wyn’s graveside was an emotional experience that will long live in the memory.

The choir and guests were also able to explore and enjoy the wonderful Belgian culture and hospitality at all three locations, as a fitting climax to the anniversary celebrations.