Males from Wales

Blackmore Vale Lions proudly present the Treorchy Male Choir at Sherborne Abbey
7.00pm Saturday 16th September 2017
In aid of The Gryphon School's Duke of Edinburgh's Awards
and Ten Tors challenge scheme.
Organised and promoted by the Blackmore Vale Lions.
Tickets available from:- Little Box Office 

click here to book tickets

For 130 years the Treorchy Male Choir has been recognised as one of the greatest choral ensembles of all time. Early competition victories were followed by regular radio and television broadcasts, feature films and an unequalled number of commercial recordings. The Choir has given several Royal Command Performances, appeared alongside very many international entertainers and undertaken an enviable number of  tours to Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia.
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The first recorded existence of the original, and quaintly named, Treorky Male Choir dates back to the summer of 1883 when a group of young men won a local eisteddfod in the mining town.

An impromptu eisteddfod competition was held in the Red Cow Hotel where the group of singers won the sum of £1 for their performance of Dr Joseph Parry’s haunting "Myfanwy". The choir of about twenty young men aged between eighteen and twenty two were all members of the Treorchy United Choir, conducted at that time by Rees Williams. They had decided to visit the public house to hold a farewell party for one of their fellow choristers who was emigrating to Australia and entered the singing competition, which they ultimately won. 

The conductor that evening was eighteen-year-old George Thomas “Bach”, later to become a chorusmaster at Soar Chapel in Cwmparc and the Unitarian Chapel, Treorchy. Recognising their success, this fresh entity decided to continue as a male voice choir, rehearsing regularly in local public houses and open-air venues. 

Eventually the Choir found a permanent home in the long room of the Treorchy Hotel thanks to the generosity of landlord Mr T. Jenkins. Rehearsing in a public house, and not in a local chapel, was of course bound to secure a plentiful membership.

Click on the button below to find out more about the choir

Treorchy Male Voice Choir website