Chepstow Male Voice Choir

Chepstow Male Voice Choir was formed in March, 1988 and gave its inaugural concert in St.Mary’s Church, Chepstow, in the same year. Throughout its existence, the choir has remained true to the tradition of giving pleasure to others through song.

The Choir renewed the presence of male choral singing in Chepstow which had lapsed during the Second World War. It may be unique in the tradition of male choirs in Wales in that it draws members not only from long established residents of the area but also includes men from further west in South Wales who came eastwards with the opening of the Llanwern Steelworks and others from across Offa’s Dyke in the Forest of Dean, where, too, there has been a long tradition of male voice choirs. This amalgam of voices has given Chepstow a distinctive tone and balance as well as a feature often commented upon by audiences, a clarity of diction.

During its history, the Choir has had three conductors. Pamela Morgan led it for nearly 11 years until her tragic death late in 1999 and Mike Evans then conducted for 2 years before retiring to West Wales. The choir is now led by Brian Howard whose extensive band and choral conducting experience are further emphasising the unique character of Chepstow’s singing qualities. We also rejoice in having two superb piano accompanists, Rosemarie Lewis and Eileen Chesworth.

The ability to recognise pitch allows singers to sing together according to that somewhat Victorian word ‘melodiously’. In male voice choir singing, four part harmony is the format, the usual arrangement of sections (facing the choir) being bass on the right, next to baritone (middle right), then second tenor (middle left), with top tenor on the left. In Chepstow Choir we tried a different line-up a few years ago, with the basses and baritones on the wings (bass on the right) and the tenors in the middle (“tops” to the left of centre and “seconds” to the right). This was the preference of the Musical Director of the time, who felt it gave better balance of sound, and we have kept it ever since.

Singing for their own pleasure comes naturally to choristers but how much better it is to take the many opportunities of sharing our enthusiasm with others. Apart from practising for 2 hours on two evenings for 47 weeks a year, the choir gives an average of 12 concerts a year and sings at about 8 weddings and dinners. Nearly all the concerts are for charities and over the years the choir has raised over a quarter of a million pounds for local and national charities.

Singing also provides an international passport where the common language is music and tours have been undertaken in the USA, Canada, France, Holland and South Africa during our relatively short history. Choirs from Australia, the USA and France have also been entertained in Chepstow. Many additional new friends and contacts have been made through the visitors who come to listen to the practice evenings during their visits to Chepstow; the visitors’ book reads like an index to the United Nations! Recordings made by the choir on compact disc and audio tape have found their way to the four corners of the planet.

In giving concerts in the UK it has been a privilege to sing with a number of other groups including the bands of the Grenadier and Welsh Guards, the Richard Williams Singers, the Reading Phoenix Choir and a number of Male Voice Choirs including Cheddar, Tonna, Porthcawl and Morlais. The Chepstow choir has, of course, also competed against many other choirs in keen competition at eisteddfodau and music festivals and has recorded major successes in this field.

The choristers have also experienced the joys of singing in the wonderful acoustics of such buildings as Wells and Bristol Cathedrals, in the Royal Albert Hall and in Malmesbury Abbey. We have also suffered singing in several locations where the voice is seemingly absorbed just as it leaves the mouth!

Please visit the Chepstow Male Voice Choirs website at http://www.chepstowmvc.co.uk/