Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir
Encyclopedia
The Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir , also known as the Fron Choir , is an award-winning amateur
male voice choir based in the village
of Froncysyllte
, near Llangollen
in Denbighshire
, Wales
.
is a small village in the Vale of Llangollen
, famous as the site of Thomas Telford
's Pontcysyllte aqueduct which carries the Llangollen Canal
across the River Dee
.
The little village and its choir gained some measure of fame in the UK when Universal Music Group
signed them up to release the album Voices of the Valley. This album was released on 20 November 2006, and peaked at number 9 on the UK album chart. It became the fastest selling classical record of all time, achieving Gold status in three days and has since sold over half a million copies. A second album was released in December 2007 called Voices of the Valley - Encore which reached number 11 in the UK chart.
The choir was formed at a meeting in 1946, to compete in the first International Eisteddfod
that had recently been established in the nearby town of Llangollen
, planned to be held for the first time in 1947. The choir's first conductor was Lloyd Edwards, he remained as the conductor until 1970.
The choir has remained closely associated with the Eisteddfod and is a regular competitor in the Male Voice Choir competition. In 1955 the choir hosted the Societa Corale Gioachino Rossini from Modena
which was competing at the Eisteddfod and won first place. The choir was conducted by Fernando Pavarotti, and the victory at Llangollen is said to have inspired the choir conductor's son, one Luciano Pavarotti
, a member of that choir and a student music teacher at the time, to take up a singing career. The Modena Choir were again hosted by the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir during their visit with Pavarotti in 1995.
Edwards' baton was taken up by John Daniel, a music teacher who conducted the choir for 21 years and is now conductor of Cantorion Colin Jones
who rehearse in the village of Betws y Coed, Eryri. Daniel led the choir to success in both the National Eisteddfod of Wales
and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
notably winning "the double" (first in both Eisteddfodau) in 1977. The choir has had several overseas tours, notably representing the United Kingdom at the Expo
World Fair in Vancouver
, Canada
in 1986.
From 1991 to 2002, the choir's conductor was Val Jones and, currently, the conductor is Leigh Mason.
announced that he would be re-recording the song "Two Little Boys
", backed by the choir, to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I
. Proceeds from the new release will go to The Poppy Appeal.
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
male voice choir based in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Froncysyllte
Froncysyllte
Froncysyllte , commonly colloquially known as Fron, is a village in Wrexham county borough, Wales and stands on the banks of the River Dee and the Llangollen Canal...
, near Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Origins & History
FroncysyllteFroncysyllte
Froncysyllte , commonly colloquially known as Fron, is a village in Wrexham county borough, Wales and stands on the banks of the River Dee and the Llangollen Canal...
is a small village in the Vale of Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
, famous as the site of Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
's Pontcysyllte aqueduct which carries the Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
across the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
.
The little village and its choir gained some measure of fame in the UK when Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
signed them up to release the album Voices of the Valley. This album was released on 20 November 2006, and peaked at number 9 on the UK album chart. It became the fastest selling classical record of all time, achieving Gold status in three days and has since sold over half a million copies. A second album was released in December 2007 called Voices of the Valley - Encore which reached number 11 in the UK chart.
The choir was formed at a meeting in 1946, to compete in the first International Eisteddfod
International Eisteddfod
The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. Singers and dancers from around the world are invited to take part in over 20 high quality competitions followed each evening by concerts where...
that had recently been established in the nearby town of Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
, planned to be held for the first time in 1947. The choir's first conductor was Lloyd Edwards, he remained as the conductor until 1970.
The choir has remained closely associated with the Eisteddfod and is a regular competitor in the Male Voice Choir competition. In 1955 the choir hosted the Societa Corale Gioachino Rossini from Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
which was competing at the Eisteddfod and won first place. The choir was conducted by Fernando Pavarotti, and the victory at Llangollen is said to have inspired the choir conductor's son, one Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, a member of that choir and a student music teacher at the time, to take up a singing career. The Modena Choir were again hosted by the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir during their visit with Pavarotti in 1995.
Edwards' baton was taken up by John Daniel, a music teacher who conducted the choir for 21 years and is now conductor of Cantorion Colin Jones
Cantorion Colin Jones
Cantorion Colin Jones is a Welsh male concert choir. The choir was founded by Colin Jones on 1 September 1991, and composed of singers whom he had taught and conducted previously in choirs across North Wales....
who rehearse in the village of Betws y Coed, Eryri. Daniel led the choir to success in both the National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
International Eisteddfod
The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a music festival which takes place every year during the second week of July in Llangollen, North Wales. Singers and dancers from around the world are invited to take part in over 20 high quality competitions followed each evening by concerts where...
notably winning "the double" (first in both Eisteddfodau) in 1977. The choir has had several overseas tours, notably representing the United Kingdom at the Expo
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
World Fair in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1986.
From 1991 to 2002, the choir's conductor was Val Jones and, currently, the conductor is Leigh Mason.
Two Little Boys
In October 2008, singer-songwriter Rolf HarrisRolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
announced that he would be re-recording the song "Two Little Boys
Two Little Boys
"Two Little Boys" is a song written by American composer Theodore Morse and lyricist Edward Madden. It was written in 1902 and became a popular music hall song of the time, made popular by Harry Lauder. It describes the story of two boys who grow up to fight in the American Civil War. In 1969, it...
", backed by the choir, to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Proceeds from the new release will go to The Poppy Appeal.