History
In 1971 a group of local singing enthusiast met in the Eastgate Hotel in Cowbridge to discuss the possibility of forming a male voice choir. On 10th June With David Richards as their newly appointed Musical Director they performed their first concert in the Cowbridge Town Hall.
The accompanist on that occasion was a very youthful Sandra Thomas. With a short break Sandra (now Sandra Williams) has served in this rôle since then – a remarkable record of continuity and service. During the 1970s the young choir grew quickly in reputation and confidence, staging a number of joint concerts with the renowned Parc and Dare Brass Band, competing in the televised HTV series Corau Meibion and appearing in the Royal Albert Hall together with Dame Vera Lynn and Larry Adler at the Reunion of the Burma Star Association. In 1979, by then under the musical direction of Iwan Guy, the Choir made their first overseas tour to sub-zero Saskatchewen, Canada, giving 17 performances in 16 days, a fine example of diving in at the deep end!
Since then the Choir have toured widely across Europe and North America and welcomed many distinguished overseas touring groups to share the stage with them in South Wales. In recent years the Choir have had the privilege of sharing the stage with the band of the Welsh Guards at 2 memorable concerts in Cowbridge.
Over the years the Choir has always given high priority to active support of worthy causes through fundraising concerts in Britain and abroad. Charities which have benefited include the Noah’s Ark Appeal for the Children’s Hospital for Wales, Save the Children, Barnardo’s, the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, Leukaemia Research, NCH Action for Children, Parents’ Project UK (promoting research into Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy) and many more.
