Pendyrus 2017 Gala Concert – Fri 4th May
We are often told that the Welsh choral tradition is in decline but in the Rhondda Valley, historically one it’s strongholds, they will have none of it. The Rhondda can still boast five male choirs, and by far the largest and the one with the longest unbroken tradition is the famous Pendyrus choir in the Rhondda Fach.
Founded in 1924, Pendyrus is nearly a hundred years old and has just as many members.
Founded in 1924, Pendyrus is nearly a hundred years old and has just as many members.
On Friday 28th April at 7:15pm in the Rhondda Fach Sports Centre in Tylorstown, where the choir is based, they will be holding their annual Gala Concert which has become one of the highlights of the Rhondda’s musical calendar. Recent guest artists have included major attractions like Rebecca Evans, Katherine Jenkins, John Owen Jones, Rhydian, Lesley Garrett, Gwawr Edwards and Paul Potts.
This year’s concert sees the return of special favourite Shân Cothi who has teamed up with two of the popular ‘Three Welsh Tenors’, Rhys Meirion who is no stranger to sharing the stage with Pendyrus, and Aled Wyn Davies, to form a vocal entertainment group cleverly called ‘2T’s and a Cothi.’
Pendyrus’ Musical Director Stewart Roberts is a great believer in using the annual Gala to showcase the Rhondda’s wealth of young vocal talent, and so also appearing this year will be the Treorchy Comprehensive Senior School Choir, conducted by Nick Bristow, and one of the Rhondda’s emerging young stars, soprano Sydney Richards.
Stewart also wants audiences to appreciate the wide-ranging repertoire that a top class male choir is capable of. He says, ‘While our listeners expect and will get the traditional fare of great Welsh hymns and favourites, what my predecessor at Pendyrus, the legendary Glynne Jones used to call ‘lollipops,’ it’s important that we tackle unfamiliar but no less enjoyable items, as we are this year, by Leoš Janáček and the contemporary Welsh composers Brian Hughes and Robat Arwyn.
This concert is always a sell out, and this year will undoubtedly be no exception but the few remaining tickets are available from billjrichards@sky.com
This year’s concert sees the return of special favourite Shân Cothi who has teamed up with two of the popular ‘Three Welsh Tenors’, Rhys Meirion who is no stranger to sharing the stage with Pendyrus, and Aled Wyn Davies, to form a vocal entertainment group cleverly called ‘2T’s and a Cothi.’
Pendyrus’ Musical Director Stewart Roberts is a great believer in using the annual Gala to showcase the Rhondda’s wealth of young vocal talent, and so also appearing this year will be the Treorchy Comprehensive Senior School Choir, conducted by Nick Bristow, and one of the Rhondda’s emerging young stars, soprano Sydney Richards.
Stewart also wants audiences to appreciate the wide-ranging repertoire that a top class male choir is capable of. He says, ‘While our listeners expect and will get the traditional fare of great Welsh hymns and favourites, what my predecessor at Pendyrus, the legendary Glynne Jones used to call ‘lollipops,’ it’s important that we tackle unfamiliar but no less enjoyable items, as we are this year, by Leoš Janáček and the contemporary Welsh composers Brian Hughes and Robat Arwyn.
This concert is always a sell out, and this year will undoubtedly be no exception but the few remaining tickets are available from billjrichards@sky.com
