Haydn James was born in Maesteg and studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and the University of London, where he obtained his Doctorate. Following  a successful career in industry, he is now increasingly in demand as a conductor and adjudicator.

This year Haydn celebrates an unbroken period of 40 years as a conductor within the London Welsh community. For 12 years, he was conductor of The Dylan Singers and, since 1979, has been Musical Director of the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. During this period, he has appeared at most of the country’s major concert venues, travels extensively all over the world and, for the past ten seasons, has also served as Musical Director for the Welsh Rugby Union, leading choirs and bands in the pre-match singing at more than fifty of Wales’s home international games in Wembley and Cardiff. In addition, he toured with the 2001 and 2005 British and Irish Lions to Australia and New Zealand respectively, giving concerts in the various host cities as well as appearing on the field to direct the singing. On the return journey from New Zealand, Haydn directed a massed choir concert in the Sydney Opera House and made his third appearance at this spectacular venue in November 2007.

In October 2006, Haydn made his eighth appearance conducting the London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs (the ‘1000 Voices’) at the Royal Albert Hall, and has been appointed to direct the 2008 concert.

In addition, he is an enthusiastic supporter and conductor of the Gymanfa Ganu; as well as directing hymn-singing festivals in Wales and England, he has conducted six Gymanfaoedd in Canada and, in 2003 and 2005, directed the North American Welsh Societies’ Festivals in Vancouver and Florida. In 2006, he led the first hymn-singing festival held in Sioux City, Iowa.

Future plans, in addition to a full diary with London Welsh, include New York’s Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Regis College and the Royal Albert Hall in 2008, and a three-week tour to South Africa with the 2009 British and Irish Lions Choir.