London Welsh Male Voice Choir
Côr Meibion Cymry Llundain
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London Welsh Male Voice Choir Côr Meibion Cymry Llundain |
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Two Men Of Note
By Ian Edwards
To sing in the magnificent auditorium of the Millennium Centre is a privilege, a highlight in itself. For members of the London Welsh Male Voice As a rugby player and match commentator, as a head of sport and outside broadcasts for BBC Television for eleven years, and as the One abiding memory of his love of male choral music was when the Lord’s Taverners charity arranged a tribute dinner for him in the grand ballroom of the London Hilton. Each table was graced with admirers who may not have seen him play, but who knew they were in the presence of a unique sporting and broadcasting personality. There too were some of his old playing colleagues, as well as many household names from the world of sport. At the end of the dinner, the London Welsh Male Voice Choir had been invited to round off the evening with a few songs. At the beginning of a favourite hymn that has long been a staple of our repertoire, Haydn James stepped down from the stage and invited Cliff to conduct instead. He took a lot of persuading, but with the baton in his hand the reluctant conductor soon had the choir, and the audience, in thrall. He had no need of a musical score in front of him. He knew this one by heart. You could tell from his face – which only the choir could see – how important this moment was to him. We had never sung it better, and his pride, and ours, was mutual. Haste ye back, Cliff. Haydn Much of the success of the London Welsh International Festival of Male Voices at the Albert Hall over the last two decades is down to his ability not only as conductor but also as arranger. He is also in continuing demand as conductor of the British and Irish Lions touring choir, of a number of Cymanfa Ganu festivals in North America, and has rubbed shoulders with Katherine Jenkins as well as Cliff Morgan. Not a bad number.
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Choir it ranks alongside the Millennium Stadium as one of our preferred performance venues, and it has the added bonus of a wonderful acoustic in which to display the choir’s qualities. This evening’s concert, however, takes on a particularly poignant significance because we will be saying thank you and farewell to our President, Cliff Morgan, and our Conductor and Musical Director Dr. Haydn James. Both of them are stepping down after many years of distinguished service to the choir. This evening, then, will be an opportunity for us to reflect on their unique contributions to the success of the choir, to wish them well for the future, and to look forward to working with their successors.
inimitable presenter of the radio programme Sport on Four for ten years, Cliff Morgan’s reputation is secure. His love of music is perhaps not quite as well known. He is a pianist, and as a Rhondda boy familiar with the choral traditions of the mining community, he knows how the power of music can transcend barriers of geography and language, and bring diverse people close together by expressing emotions that lie deep within the soul.
and Cliff have long been close friends, and the choir will have a formal opportunity to pay a deserving tribute to both of them at a dinner – yes, another one – in London in March. However, there is one big difference between the two men. While the career of an international rugby player is rather short, perhaps ten years at best, a good musical conductor can look forward to a career spanning several decades. This is what Haydn James has achieved, and there is no sign of it coming to an end because he seems to be at the peak of his powers. He has led the London Welsh Male Voice Choir for a staggering thirty years, has been involved with making music in the Welsh community in London for even longer, and even now is working with a group of young voices at the London Welsh Centre, well aware that the future health of Welsh music in the capital city lies with them. We can also look forward to seeing him continue to pursue an active musical life as Musical Director for the Welsh Rugby Union, leading the singing at future rugby internationals, and bringing some order to the previously ramshackle arrangements for pre-match musical items.