The Gwalia Singers

The Gwalia Singers were invited to perform at the christening of Alvin Stardust's 4th daughter, Millie Margaret May. The service was held at a beautiful Tudor mansion in Chiddingfold, Surrey.

Many other celebrities attended, such as members of Boney M, DJ Mike Reid and the front man for Procul Harum, Gary Brooker. Millie's Godfather is Sir Cliff Richard who has since become one of the choir's patrons.

The choir performed at All Souls Annual Summer Concert. The following review (which can also be found at All Souls website, www.allsoulstycoch.org.uk) was written by Graham Williams, with photos by Alayne Jenkins:

"All Souls never fails to extend the warmest of welcomes to regulars and newcomers alike, and given the fact that this year's Summer Concert was hosted by none other than everyone's friend and Vicar, Phillip Gwynn, it was clear that we were in for a particularly warm and amusing reception.

This year's guests, the Gwalia Singers - accompanied by pianist Rhian Liles - performed a fabulously varied selection, ranging from traditional Welsh hymns such as Gwahoddiad and Tydi a Roddaist right through to a highly effective arrangement of the Robbie Williams hit Angels - a song which I have always loathed, so much so in fact that I almost caught myself groaning when I spotted it listed in the programme; so it says much for the Gwalias that this turned out to be one of their most powerful pieces during the evening.

In a week which has seen so much publicity regarding Live 8 and poverty throughout Africa, the choice of Enoch Sontonga's African Prayer was an especially wise one and packed a real emotional punch - but there were also some splendidly jolly bits of nonsense such as The Drummer and the Cook and a swinging arrangement of Sospan Fach.

Musical director Simon Oram proved to be a genuinely pleasant, likeable and informative character and one with a direct link to Sketty Primary School Choir, for it was he who composed their well-loved showstopper -When Will I See You Again - a song of which I for one never tire, performed here with real insight and compassion by these talented youngsters along with Sing, Sing a Song and the heart-rending favourite, We Are The Young.

As regulars of All Souls will be aware, both We Are The Young and When Will I See You Again were recorded by the choir at Taliesin Arts Centre for a CD which has to date raised £1,500 for the Machakos Diocese of Kenya.

The children also performed a delightful arrangement of O-Bla-Di O-Bla-Da, the Lennon/McCartney number which had (in response to the query from the choir's musical director Lynda Richards) originally been recorded by Marmalade... I think!

All in all, this - the second All Souls Summer Concert and now destined to become an annual event - proved to be a real triumph and ended on a high note as Anna Jenkins and Naomi Eagle (the oldest and youngest members of Sketty Primary School Choir) presented flowers to Lynda Richards and Rhian Liles, while Simon Oram received a presentation from Church Warden Celia Hall.

Phillip Gwynn also acknowledged the hard work of the Fund Raising Committee, who had done so much behind the scenes putting this concert together.

Yet another successful event not simply for All Souls itself, but for the wider community of Tycoch - a community which seems to be pulling together in a way that could not have been imagined just a few short years ago."

The current President of the Gwalia Singers is Mal Pope. Mal is a prolific singer/songwriter from Swansea who has performed with many musicians over the years as well as hosting his own TV show.

The Gwalia Singers celebrate another anniversary! For this, the 40th Anniversary, two major concerts were planned. The first was held at the Grand Theatre in Swansea on Friday 5th May. Guest artistes were Mal Pope (whose 14 year old daughter performed for the first time in public), Steve Balsamo (who brought along his band, the Storys) and the Vivace Singers.

The "musical staff" - Simon Oram, MD; Rhian Lyles, accompanist; Nick Rogers, assistant MD; Stephen Wilson, accompanist

Mal Pope's daughter, a.k.a. Miss Daisy Blue (who had to go home straight after her performance to do her homework!)

A few years ago, Musical Director Simon Oram took a teaching job in Abergavenny. The journey to Swansea each week finally took its toll, and in November the baton was passed on to Nick Rogers, previously the choir's assistant MD.

The choir returned to Mannheim, Germany, to help celebrate both the city's 400th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of being twinned with Swansea.

A display of powerful singing seals the friendship between Mannheim and Swansea in Feudenheim’s Kulturhalle.

The Twinning of Two Towns is Celebrated with a Display of Powerful Singing.

There has been musical harmony between Mannheim and Swansea for fifty years.

Two wonderful choirs – the Gwalia Singers from Mannheim’s twin town of Swansea and the Maennergesangverein Teutonia – impressed their audience in a memorable performance in the Kulturhalle in Feudenheim. The public hummed or sang along enthusiastically to a number of the better known songs.

“I have great respect for the recital which these two choirs have given” said the Mayor of Culture, Dr. Peter Kurz.

The partnership and personal friendships between the singers from Wales and their Mannheim hosts were clear to see.

“It is just so important to have such good friends” said Heinz Schmetzer, chairperson of the twinning association, which is why he has involved himself so ardently in the town partnership between Welsh Swansea and the Palatine city of Mannheim for almost fifty years. His motto is:

“Harmony and friendship are always positive whatever the circumstances”. Herr Schmetzer spent a few years in Britain as a Prisoner of War. The Chairperson of the Teutonia Choir, Wilhelm Heckmann, continued,

“The cooperation between our two choirs which has been running now for twelve years helps us understand each other better as people”

It was evident from the performance of the Gwalia Singers on stage that music in a united Europe really does surpass boundaries.

The Gwalia Singers sang a wide variety of songs including Bridge over Troubled Waters, The Gospel Train, Light a Candle, I’m gonna Walk and Angels. Climax of the performance was the song ‘The Rose’ which the twenty-nine singers under their conductor, Nick Rogers, sang at the request of their hosts. Always in the background yet leading the choristers was the accompanist Rhian Lyle while Amanda Price charmingly compered. With an Abba medley as a finale the Gwalia Singers sang themselves into the hearts of their audience who were stirred to a standing ovation. An encore followed – the public would not have gone home without one!

Clive Walters, Chairperson of the Gwalia Singers, thanked Peter Kurz, Heinz Schmetzer and Wilhelm Heckmann for their hospitality by presenting gifts. The evening was opened with songs by Maennergesangverein Teutonia who sang “In times of happiness and sorrow we are ready to sing, Teutonia blossoms summer, winter and spring”. Under the musical conductor, Thomas Wind, who like the tenor Herbert Knebel made excellent solo contributions, Teutonia provided a potpourri of songs. Steven Wilson, one of the Gwalia Singers, said that Swansea was not situated in England but in Wales and that the name ‘Gwalia’ was the original name for Wales. Bernhard Kaiser and his band rounded off this evening which had been planned to celebrate harmony and friendship. This event was made possible by the support of many sponsors and involvement by official sources.

To celebrate St. David's Day, the choir performed at Heatherslade Nursing Home and then moved on to a more informal setting at the Beaufort Arms in Norton.

A special concert was held at Swansea's new Waterfront Community Church in April. Guests were the Bangor Ladies Choir from Northern Ireland (pictured below). The choirs met at the Bangor International Choral Festival a few years ago.