Morriston Orpheus Choir
Encyclopedia
The Morriston Orpheus Choir, based in Morriston
, near Swansea
, Wales
, is a male voice choir, one of the best-known in the UK.
, going on to win at the "National" on six further occasions. The choir does not presently sing in competitions, preferring to concentrate on concert performances.
Over the years, successive Musical Directors have developed and broadened the repertoire. Variety is now the hallmark of the Choir's performances which include arrangements by Alwyn Humphreys M.B.E., Musical Director from 1979 to January 2005 and now the Choir's Conductor Emeritus.
The Choir enjoys an international reputation as a leading exponent of male choral singing. Within the United Kingdom the Choir is in constant demand with around 25 engagements a year, including concerts, TV and after-dinner performances. The Choir regularly undertakes concert tours overseas and in 2004 undertook two tours to Taiwan
and to Abu Dhabi
and Oman
. In April 2007 the Choir returned to the UAE, performing in Dubai
en route to a concert tour of Australia
and New Zealand
. In October 2008 the Choir visited Geneva
to perform a charity concert. During their stay they also visited and sang in the control room of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research at CERN.
Highlights of previous overseas tours have included four appearances at British Military Tattoo
s and Concerts in the former West Berlin
, participating at the International Choral Festivals in Nancy, France, and Toronto
in Canada
, representing Wales at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, and becoming in 1996, the first British choir to perform at the International Choral Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The Choir has performed in all the major cities of Australia and New Zealand and received standing ovation
s at their appearances at the world famous Sydney Opera House
. In October 2001, the Independent on Sunday reported that the Choir received "five standing ovations" at the Carnegie Hall
in New York
.
In Wales and the UK the Choir has performed in a variety of venues ranging from chapel
s and village hall
s to cathedral
s and concert halls. It appears regularly in Swansea
at the famous Brangwyn Hall
in the city centre.
The Choir features regularly on TV. It has produced over 50 recordings and feature in more than 100 compilation albums. Successful ventures into the "pop" world have included recordings with T'Pau
, the Welsh group, The Alarm
and most recently Howard Jones
.
In 2005 the Choir appointed its first female Musical Director Sian Pearce to replace Alwyn Humphreys who had decided to retire after serving the Choir since 1979.Sian left the Choir in 2007 and Joy Amman Davies who in 2004 had been made a Life Member of the Choir in recognition of her outstanding contribution and commitment as accompanist, was appointed Musical Director.
, NCH
National Action Plan for Children
, RNLI, Royal National Eisteddfod, Urdd Gobaith Cymru
and Save the Children Fund.
Morriston
Morriston is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is sometimes referred to as a distinct town , however Morriston never had a town charter, and is now part of the continuous urban area around Swansea, the centre of which lies three...
, near 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...
, is a male voice choir, one of the best-known in the UK.
History
The Choir was formed on April 23, 1935 by Ivor E. Sims and in its early days concentrated primarily on competitions and local concerts. In 1937 the Choir achieved its first success at the Royal National Eisteddfod in MachynllethMachynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
, going on to win at the "National" on six further occasions. The choir does not presently sing in competitions, preferring to concentrate on concert performances.
Over the years, successive Musical Directors have developed and broadened the repertoire. Variety is now the hallmark of the Choir's performances which include arrangements by Alwyn Humphreys M.B.E., Musical Director from 1979 to January 2005 and now the Choir's Conductor Emeritus.
The Choir enjoys an international reputation as a leading exponent of male choral singing. Within the United Kingdom the Choir is in constant demand with around 25 engagements a year, including concerts, TV and after-dinner performances. The Choir regularly undertakes concert tours overseas and in 2004 undertook two tours to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
and Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. In April 2007 the Choir returned to the UAE, performing in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
en route to a concert tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In October 2008 the Choir visited Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
to perform a charity concert. During their stay they also visited and sang in the control room of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research at CERN.
Highlights of previous overseas tours have included four appearances at British Military Tattoo
Military tattoo
The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...
s and Concerts in the former West Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, participating at the International Choral Festivals in Nancy, France, and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 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...
, representing Wales at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, and becoming in 1996, the first British choir to perform at the International Choral Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The Choir has performed in all the major cities of Australia and New Zealand and received standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
s at their appearances at the world famous Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. In October 2001, the Independent on Sunday reported that the Choir received "five standing ovations" at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In Wales and the UK the Choir has performed in a variety of venues ranging from chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s and village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
s to cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s and concert halls. It appears regularly 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...
at the famous 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....
in the city centre.
The Choir features regularly on TV. It has produced over 50 recordings and feature in more than 100 compilation albums. Successful ventures into the "pop" world have included recordings with T'Pau
T'Pau (band)
T'Pau was a 1980s British Rock group led by singer Carol Decker. They had a string of Top 40 hits in the UK, and several hits in the United States and Europe...
, the Welsh group, The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
and most recently Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
.
In 2005 the Choir appointed its first female Musical Director Sian Pearce to replace Alwyn Humphreys who had decided to retire after serving the Choir since 1979.Sian left the Choir in 2007 and Joy Amman Davies who in 2004 had been made a Life Member of the Choir in recognition of her outstanding contribution and commitment as accompanist, was appointed Musical Director.
Charity work
Although a registered charity and financially self-supporting, much of its work is devoted to assisting other charities including Leukaemia ResearchLeukaemia Research
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is a British charitable organisation, established in 1960by the Eastwood family from Middlesbrough who started raising money, following the death of their 6-year-old daughter Susan....
, NCH
NCH
Action for Children is a national children’s charity in the United Kingdom that supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people, families and their communities....
National Action Plan for Children
National Action Plan for Children
A "National Plan of Action for Children" is a national report in follow-up to the 2002 Special Session on Children of the UN General Assembly in New York...
, RNLI, Royal National Eisteddfod, Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Urdd Gobaith Cymru
dde|200px|thumb|The Urdd logoUrdd Gobaith Cymru, literally, the Welsh League of Hope, but normally translated as the Welsh League of Youth, or merely referred to as the Urdd, is a Welsh-medium youth movement with over 1,500 branches and over 50,000 members...
and Save the Children Fund.