Gwalia Singers (Swansea)
Encyclopedia
The Gwalia Singers is a Welsh
male voice choir based in Swansea
, Wales
.
. The following year they won in the category for fewer than 40 voices at the Miners' Eisteddfod in Porthcawl
. 1981 saw the choir record a single with the Cory Band
. It was a cover version of Jona Lewie
's "Stop the Cavalry
". Although it failed to chart, it is regularly played by DJs in the USA and has been suggested as "probably the most popular song ever by an artist who never had a charted recording"
Musical Director Bryan Myles left the choir in 1996 and was replaced by Simon Oram.
The choir were invited to perform at the christening of Alvin Stardust
's daughter, Millie Margaret May, in May 2001.
To celebrate their 40th anniversary, 2 special concerts were held during 2006. The first, in the Swansea Grand Theatre
, featured guest performances from Mal Pope
, Miss Daisy Blue, the Vivace Singers and The Storys
. The second concert was held in the city's Brangwyn Hall
. Later in the year, due to a move out of the area, MD Simon Oram passed the baton on to Deputy MD Nick Rogers.
2007 saw the choir performing in Mannheim
, Germany
, to mark the city's 400 years of history. This coincided with the 50th anniversary of its twinning with Swansea. The Deputy Lord Mayor of Swansea, Ioan Richard, presented Mannheim Oberburgermeister Gerhard Widder with a dragon momento cut from Welsh
slate
. 2007 also saw the choir increasing its size to 44 members.
The choir was chosen to participate in the 2008 St. David's Celebration held at the Disneyland Resort Paris
. They provided 4 performances for the resort visitors on 1 and 2 March. The choir has returned for the celebration in subsequent years and performed for the 4th time in as many years in March 2011.
The choir's President from 2005 to 2010 was singer/songwriter Mal Pope
.
He was succeeded in 2011 by former Wales international rugby union rugby player Geoff Wheel
.
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...
male voice choir based in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, 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...
.
History
The choir was formed in 1966 by Bryan Myles. They competed in their first serious competition in 1978 - the Welsh Brewers' Choral Competition, held in CarmarthenCarmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
. The following year they won in the category for fewer than 40 voices at the Miners' Eisteddfod in Porthcawl
Porthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
. 1981 saw the choir record a single with the Cory Band
Cory Band
The Cory Band, formerly the Buy As You View Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands in the world.-History and origins:The Cory Band hails from the Rhondda Valley in Wales. They were formed in 1884 and originally bore the name ‘Ton Temperance’ a reference to the Temperance movement in...
. It was a cover version of Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:Jona Lewie joined his first group, The Johnston City Jazz Band, while still at school in 1963, and by 1968 had become a blues & boogie singer and piano player...
's "Stop the Cavalry
Stop the Cavalry
"Stop the Cavalry" is a song written and performed by the musician Jona Lewie.The song peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart in December 1980, at one point only being kept from number one by two re-issued songs by John Lennon, who had been murdered on 8 December.In an interview for Channel...
". Although it failed to chart, it is regularly played by DJs in the USA and has been suggested as "probably the most popular song ever by an artist who never had a charted recording"
Musical Director Bryan Myles left the choir in 1996 and was replaced by Simon Oram.
The choir were invited to perform at the christening of Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...
's daughter, Millie Margaret May, in May 2001.
To celebrate their 40th anniversary, 2 special concerts were held during 2006. The first, in the Swansea Grand Theatre
Swansea Grand Theatre
The Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. The Grand Theatre is the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company, the Swansea Ballet Russe....
, featured guest performances from Mal Pope
Mal Pope
Mal Pope , is a Welsh musician and composer, who is especially notable for his contribution to music theatre portraying Welsh national identities and themes...
, Miss Daisy Blue, the Vivace Singers and The Storys
The Storys
The Storys are a Welsh rock band from Swansea, Wales, UK, formed in Spring 2003. Their main influence is 1970s U.S. West Coast bands in the country-rock genre...
. The second concert was held in the city's Brangwyn Hall
Brangwyn Hall
The Brangwyn Hall is a concert venue in Swansea. It is named after the artist Frank Brangwyn, whose famous "panels", originally intended for the House of Lords, are displayed there....
. Later in the year, due to a move out of the area, MD Simon Oram passed the baton on to Deputy MD Nick Rogers.
2007 saw the choir performing in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to mark the city's 400 years of history. This coincided with the 50th anniversary of its twinning with Swansea. The Deputy Lord Mayor of Swansea, Ioan Richard, presented Mannheim Oberburgermeister Gerhard Widder with a dragon momento cut from Welsh
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...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. 2007 also saw the choir increasing its size to 44 members.
The choir was chosen to participate in the 2008 St. David's Celebration held at the Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part within the commune of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne....
. They provided 4 performances for the resort visitors on 1 and 2 March. The choir has returned for the celebration in subsequent years and performed for the 4th time in as many years in March 2011.
The choir's President from 2005 to 2010 was singer/songwriter Mal Pope
Mal Pope
Mal Pope , is a Welsh musician and composer, who is especially notable for his contribution to music theatre portraying Welsh national identities and themes...
.
He was succeeded in 2011 by former Wales international rugby union rugby player Geoff Wheel
Geoff Wheel
Geoff Wheel is a former Wales international rugby union player who attained 32 international caps. A lock-forward, he played club rugby for Swansea RFC....
.