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History of the
'Abertillery Orpheus Male Choir'The Abertillery Orpheus Male Choir was founded in 1908 and was mainly made up of members from local church choirs, the majority of whom were employed in the local coal mines.
Life President Mr. Trevor Wilde has been a member of the choir for 64 years both as a chorister and as an elocutionist. He has enthralled audiences with his blend of elegance and humour and in 1996 he was awarded the MBE.
The choir undertook its first continental tour in 1982 with a visit to Rome during the Easter Period, where it received an audience with POPE JOHN PAUL II in St. Peter’s Square, and he joined in the singing. During the years since Rome, the choir has toured Germany, Holland, Spain, and France, with home tours to Eastbourne/Hastings and Scotland, where it was invited to take part in the Mary Mass Festival at Irvine in Ayrshire.
The choir has sung in many famous halls including the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, The Royal Albert Hall London, and St. David’s Hall Cardiff. In 1992, it took part in the world choir Ten Thousand Voice concert at The National Stadium Cardiff, and was also asked to entertain the crowd at the National Stadium in its own right prior to the Wales v Italy international rugby match. In 1999 the choir performed in the closing ceremony of the Rugby World Cup at the new Millennium Stadium.
To date, the choir has produced four recordings:
1983 The Tillery Sound.
They have also appeared on television on many occasions, notably at Cwmtillery Colliery appearing in a production by American ABC television network, and in the making of a programme “Six Foot Cinderella” with the opera singer Mr. Robert Lloyd who has since become the choir’s patron.
In 1996, it performed in concert at Swansea’s Grand Theatre and Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall with the popular Peter Karrie, voted the world’s favorite “Phantom of the Opera”.
The choir is now in its 92nd year and invitations are continually being received to appear in many parts of the country. Easter of 1999 saw yet another successful tour of Eastbourne/Hastings and in 2000 the choir visited Canada
Abertillery Orpheus is now one of the top male choirs in Wales, its success largely due to the dedication and musical ability of Mr. Martin Budd who has served the choir as Musical Director since 1969.
The choir looks forward to the future with great confidence in the knowledge that there music helps enrich the lives of audiences both locally and further afield. Many charities have received financial benefit from concerts performed by the choir, a tradition it is hoped will continue in the years to come.
For more details on all choir events and concerts please contact
Mr. Denis Roles: Choir Secretarymailto:denis.Roles@mailto:denis.Roles@btopenworld.combtopenworld.com
Abertillery Orpheus welcomes all prospective new members to their rehearsal's at Bryngwyn School Abertillery, held every Tuesday and Friday evening between 7.00pm and 9.00pm