Choir News
August 2010
Its the middle of the summer and we are finalising details for our Autumn Concert in the Town Hall (23rd October 2010 - advance tickets - Phil Lewis
(oxwelshchairman@googlemail.com - 07811517783). We will be joined on stage by two choirs for Wales. Firstly a welcome return by the choir from Newport who will share the stage with Llantrisant who very kindly agreed to come at the 11 hour!. Please visit their web sites and you will see what a treat will be in store. The Autumn concert will also be your chance to support the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance and buy our new CD! (Which we are recording in September)
We are also firming up plans for our Annual St Davids Day Celebration which will return to the Wesley Memorial Chapel and will be on the 26th of February. Following feedback from guests we will be starting a little earlier and hope to be including more chances for you to join in (If you want to). More details will follow nearer the time.
May 2010
So much has happened since the last entry: No time for chat, just a list
The trip to France, brilliant - great hosts - amazing concert - beautiful country - the only problem was that it should have been much longer. Look at the pictures in our Media section.
Saint Davids Hall, another experience! good to see so many faces from choirs that we have previously sung with. Well Conducted by Frank Jones from Newport. At least we made it this time (Stopped by snow on the Motorway last year)
Our first mention in NME (New Musical Express), just the online version but we feature as number 3 Welsh Choir on their listings from YouTube. Here is the link http://www.nme.com/artists/welsh-male-voice-choir
March 2010
I'm writing this on the eve of our trip to Heilles in France (yes, we are going to Heilles and back... on Sunday!)
St Davids Day was an exceptionally good one as was our concert in Stanton St John. Preparations are well underway for our next public performance in Cowley St James, with weddings and Cardiff in between. You should also make a note of 23rd October which is our annual Gala Concert in the Town Hall. Choirs from Burry Port and Newport have both confirmed so it promises to be a great evening. Once again, we are looking to showcase some of the younger musical talent from Oxfordshire to provide entertainment between sets.
We will post details of the trip to France in a couple of days and also more performances for 2010 - so check again in early April.
February 2010
Rehearsals get back to normal after the disruption caused by the snow. We are now concert ready for our St Davids Day celebration on Feb 27.
Its a good, mixed programme and it also gives you a second chance to hear Geraldine Aylmer-Kelly who will be our soloist for the evening.
We still have lots of new material to learn for our performance in St Davids Hall, Cardiff, as a part of a massed male voice concert. I'm sure that some of it will feature in future concerts.
See you on the 27th of Feb - Its the best way to celebrate St Davids Day and have a great evenings entertainment!
January 2010
A wonderful end to 2009 with concerts in a number of care homes and two socials. One at the North Oxford Golf Club and the other at the Gardeners Arms Pub in Tackley.
The year started badly with SNOW. We had to cancel rehearsals and our first concert at Uffington. The past 5 weeks is the longest that the choir has gone without a meeting!
Book now for our St Davids Day Concert, its on 27th Feb at the Wesley Memorial Chapel, Oxford. It features the largest choir that we have ever had (We now have 45 members) guest spots from choir members and the return of soprano Geraldine Aylmer-Kelly. Geraldine is no stranger to Welsh Choirs having sung with the 'Abertillery Orpheus', she is well known in Wiltshire and the South West as both a performer and teacher of singing.
St Davids Day tickets cost £10 (£5 children 12 and under) from: Wells Stores, Peachcroft Farm, 12 Acre Rd. Abingdon. Blackwell, (Cust. Services 2nd floor), 50 Broad St. Oxford. The Gift Centre, 29 Bury St. Abingdon. The Music Stand, 62 High St. Witney. and by phone to Phil Lewis 07811 517783
For a copy or the St Davids Day Poster<click here>
We now have a 'Twitter' page. You can join and have our 'tweets' (news) sent by email, text or rss feed (bit like a news ticker). To look at it click here
November 2009
Yes, I know October is missing (No idea where it went!). The Choir had an excellent series of concerts at Stow in the Wold, Stoke Lyne and Carterton. The pictures are in our gallery, except for Stow. Any pictures of this concert will be appreciated - we really enjoyed it.
Our Town Hall Concert on the 24th October was a real treat. The two guest choirs (Treharris and Maesteg) did us proud and set a very high standard in their solo sets. Our special guests, The Oxford County Youth Rosetti Quartet, contrasted well and showed what great local talent we possess.
this comment is typical -
"concert was simply fantastic one of the best I've been to with OMVC - and combining with Rosetti quartet worked so well - lovely choice of program it was an all around brilliant evening."
-so book early for St Davids Day! (27th Feb, Wesley Memorial Chapel, Oxford)
September 2009
I'm writing this in eary October! Its been a busy time with 3 excellent concerts and now just a few weeks before our 'do' at the Town Hall. The three Choirs involved (Treharris and Maesteg) are are all rehearsing and it promises to be a fantastic concert. The four young musicians from Oxfordshire schools promise a contrasting yet entertaining programme between sets. We also have an appearance by Sister Domenica, founder of the Helen and Douglas House Hospice, who are our chosen charity for this event. If you need more information click here. Either way the concert will be an excellent way to enjoy yourself and raise lots of money for this local charity.
Are you involved in fund raising? You can hire the choir for a concert at your venue. In the last 3 weeks we have helped to raise over £1000 for victims of the Chernobyl accident, over £700 for a sound system for a Church and over £1000 for a fesival charity. Please contact oxwelsh@gmail.com or look at 'Bookings' page for more information.
August 2009
We have a new permanent home! Its the music room of The Oxford Academy (Locals may remember it as Peers School). Its and excellent space with good accoustics and facilities. After the shock of the Lord Nuffield Club closure we were amazed by the offers of help and space from across Oxfordshire. We begin rehearsals in the new venue on September 17th.
Tickets are now on sale for the Gala concert on October 24th at the Oxford Town Hall. We have two guest Choirs (Treharris and Maesteg) as well as entertainment from four of the best young musicians in Oxfordshire. It will also be a chance to see our new musical director in action.
July 2009
News Update:
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A storybook summer evening, sublime music, beautifully decorated church, 'full house' followed by food drink and an 'afterglow' outside. That's what you missed if you didn't go to Aldworth. You could try to relive it in Cheltenham on the July 4th. The church contains an organ once played by Gustav Holst (his father was organist there). Or you could book us yourself for fundraising, a family occaision or just for fun.
June 2009
An excellent concert on 13th June at the Amey Hall helped the Rotary Club to raise much needed money for two local charities: The Oxfordshire Air Ambulance and Helen and Douglas House.
Craig Williamson, our Deputy MD, will be making his first public appearance with the choir on the 4th of July. He has conducted choirs and orchestras in Oxfordshire for several years and currently works in the music department at Oxford Brookes University.
I also need to thank our 'cub' photographers for helping with the website. If you have any pictures or articles that you might wish to include please email them to me oxwelshweb@gmail.com
May 2009
This page was begining to go on for ever. I've chopped off the news from before January and given it a new page called 'oldnews'
With more weddings and concerts, the choir is as busy as ever. Plans
are well underway for our Town Hall Concert in the Autumn
with two visiting choirs and performances from some of Oxfordshires
most talented young musicians. It should raise the roof and
raise much needed cash for Helen and Douglas House.
Its a Glee Singers badge which must date from before 1974. I have no other information as it came from a large collection of badges. Don't worry, it found a good home (mine)!
April 2009
Don't ask about March! It was a busy month with weddings, Albert Hall Rehearsing and appointing a new music team. The good news is that the massed choir event was the best yet. The other good news is that Phil Palmer is now our MD assisted by another Welshman, Craig Williamson. More news about them in 'In Tune'.
We have also been asked to return to Cardiff next year for the SADs concert.
February 2009
Snow stops us singing! We were getting ready to go to Cardiff for a massed choir event and the snow plus advice from the coach company made us think better of it. Fortunatley the choirs From Wales managed to make it... proving that the weather is always better in Wales.
St Davids Day : we had our annual concert on Feb 28th in Abingdon. You missed a treat, the Choir sang well, the soloists were sublime and the audience was warm. It was good to see so many old friends of the choir on this very Welsh occasion. For some pictures click here
January 2009
A very busy start to our 81st
year. We have already sung in two
concerts (see our photo gallery)
and are off to Cardiff for a massed
choir festival in support of SADS
UK
Later in the month we will be
holding our St
Davids Day Concert.
As well as the Choir, the concert
features: Helena Newsom (mezzo-soprano
), Anna Lockett (harp) & Tina
Gandy (flute). The concert will
be held at Amey Hall (Abingdon
School), Park Road, Abingdon on
Saturday 28th February, 2009 (7.30pm
- doors open 6.45pm).
Tickets
£10 (£5 children 12 and under)
from: Wells
Stores, Peachcroft
Farm, 12 Acre Rd. Abingdon. Blackwell,
(Cust. Services 2nd floor), 50
Broad St. Oxford. The
Gift Centre,
29 Bury St. Abingdon. The
Music Stand, 62 High St.
Witney. Ron
Salter: 01869 331245.
If you want to print out a poster and display it please click here.