Vancouver Welsh Mens Choir

On a cold rainy December evening in 1979, in The Red Dragon Pub (a fixture of the Cambrian Hall), three stalwart Welshmen expressed their longing for the rousing songfests that they used to enjoy in their beloved country of birth. After many tall tales of the virtues of bygone days, Gwyn Evans (formerly of the Cwmbach Male Choir of Aberdare), John Wilkinson and Bill Jones looked each other in the eye and said: Only in Wales? Why not in Vancouver?

The three made many a phone call to their lyrical compatriots and by January 29th, 1980 were able to hold their first rehearsal with 18 singers. The new choir was christened The Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir. The first music director was Dennis Whyte who brought along an able accompanist, Enid Lewis. The Choir's debut occurred at the 1980 Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu which drew over 1500 participants from Canada and USA to Vancouver for a weekend of music and song.

 

A quote from by David Greenslade's book called Welsh Fever summarizes the Choir's early successes: In its first year, the Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir performed with the Vancouver Symphony. In 1982 the Choir won first prize at the Kiwanis Music Festival, sang the Canadian National Anthem in 1983 at the opening of the multi-million dollar British Columbia sports arena and, in 1984, was the main subject of a 30-minute television program on Welsh life in Canada.

1987 began with a new young conductor, Robin Thomas. Robin's enthusiasm and his drive for continuous improvement served the Choir well. During following decade the Choir toured Australia and New Zealand, England and Wales, California, Holland and Germany and Alberta.

In the fall of 1998 John Trepp agreed to direct the Choir toward its millennium goal of singing in the Millennium Festival of Male Choirs in the Royal Albert Hall in London. The entire repertoire, much of it in Welsh, had to be memorized. John's vast choral experience and the choristers great efforts made the Festival of 1000 voices in October 2000 a once in a chorister's lifetime experience. The Choir toured Wales as well as England that fall.

In June 2003, at the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Culture the Choir, travelled to Russia, performing concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow to help celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg.

 

St. Petersburg rehearsal 2003.

 

In 2005, the VWMC came under the leadership of dynamic Music Director Jonathan Quick. He brought a new musical vision to the Choir, a reflection of his many talents and experience in the Vancouver music scene. A University of BC graduate in voice, composition and conducting, Jonathan is well known as soloist with musica intima, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Festival Vancouver Opera, Vancouver New and Early Music, and the VWMC. He is fast gaining wide recognition for his music arrangements.

The Choir is fortunate to have David Buchan as Accompanist and Assistant Conductor. A University of Victoria graduate in choral and instrumental music, he is Head of Music at Collingwood School and has been with the Choir since 1996.

The Choir has a very active season, usually performing 15 to 18 concerts a year. In addition to performances in the Lower Mainland the Choir makes regular tours to various communities throughout British Columbia. We have performed in Prince George, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Nelson, Victoria, Courtenay, Campbell River, Hornby Island, Parksville, Salt Spring Island, Sooke, Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon and Osoyoos, to name a few.

The Choir has shared the stage with the Vancouver Symphony, major military bands of the Canadian Armed Forces, the County of Cornwall Choir, the Morriston Orpheus Choir of Swansea Wales, the Harvard Glee Club, the Dowlais Male Choir, the Dunvant Male Choir, Boston's Sangerfest and the many choirs attending the London Welsh Millennium Festival of Choirs in 2000.

 

Halifax 2006.

As part of its Community Outreach program, the Choir invites school choirs to sing with them during its Christmas concert series. We believe this is an important way of encouraging the development and growth of choral singing by giving talented young people the thrill of performing before large audiences.

 

 

Prague 2009

An important part of the Choir's mandate is to assist other charities. The Choir is very proud of its work in our communities through the numerous fundraising concerts it has performed over the years. Typically the Choir performs two to three of these concerts a year. Some examples of worthy causes the Choir has assisted are: Variety Clubs of BC, the Canadian Red Cross, Operation Eyesight, Lions Gate Hospital, the Burnaby Arts Centre, the Fraser Valley University Fund, the Ladner Boys and Girls Club, the Canadian Orthopedic Society, Tsunami Relief, UBC Faculty Women's Club Scholarship Program, North Shore Search and Rescue, Alzheimer's Research, Prostate Cancer Research and there are many more.

Highlights of the past 28 years

• 1980: choir's debut at the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu in Vancouver
• 1986: performing at Expo 86 celebrations in Vancouver
• 1988: tour to Australia and New Zealand - Expo 88 in Brisbane
• 1991: Return Home tour to England and Wales
• 1993: first major tour to United States - California
• 1995: tour to Holland and Germany - singing at the fiftieth anniversary of VE Day at the Canadian ceremonies at the Groesbeek Cemetery of Canadian W.W.II soldiers.
• 1998: tour to Alberta - Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and Lethbridge
• 2000: tour to Wales and England, and singing in the Millennium Festival of Male Choirs in the Royal Albert Hall in London
• 2003: guests of the Russian Ministry of Culture, celebrating the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, with concerts there and in Moscow
• 2005: Silver Jubilee Concert in Vancouver's acclaimed Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
• 2006: Silver Jubilee Tour with concerts in Boston, Halifax, Charlottetown, Miramichi and Cape Breton Island
• 2009: European concert tour with concerts in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic