THE world famous London Welsh Male Voice Choir are to give three concerts in south west France in aid of the Secours Populaire, a French charity that supports children and families.
The concerts are due to take place on:
Sunday, May 24 at Cathedral Saint Pierre at Saintes in the Poitou Charente region. The concert starts at 5pm,the tickets are €15 at the door or from the Secours Populaire office, 3 Esplanade, 6 Regiment Infanterie 17100 Saintes. Telephone 05 46 74 36 32
Wednesday, May 27 at Sacre Coeur de Victor Hugo Angoulême, also in the Poitou Charante region. The concert starts at 8.30pm and the tickets are €15 at the door or from the Secours Populaire office, 5 rue Souchet 16000 Angoulême. Telephone 05 45 95 26 84
Friday, May 29 at the Basilica Saint-Seurin Bordeaux in the Aquitaine. The concert starts at 8pm and the tickets are €15 at the door or from the Secours Populaire office, 5 rue Malbec, 33000 Bordeaux. Telephone 05 56 92 79 92
Further information is also available from Teresa Rekowska, telephone 05 45 67 24 05 or e-mail: teresarekowska@yahoo.co.uk
The Choir
The choir was formed in 1902 and has a membership of over 100 choristers and appears in monthly concerts around the UK in, amongst other places, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Albert Hall.
The money raised at these events goes to a variety of charities as the choir is self financing. Apart from the United Kingdom the choir has performed in Austria, Barbados, Canada, the Channel Islands, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Irish Republic, the Italian Riviera, Slovenia, Switzerland and the USA.
The choir's musical director is Dr.Haydn James, a highly respected choral conductor, who conducts choral music world wide and the choir is accompanied by Annabel Thwaite (right), a gifted concert pianist who studied at the Guildhall School of Music, the Ravel Academie, St Jean de Luz and the Conservatoire Paris, before embarking on her career.
The choir's repertoire includes operatic choruses, negro spirituals and songs from musicals, such as Chess and Les Miserables.
In 1969 the choir organized the first biennial 'Festival of Male Voice Choirs' which draws male voice choirs from all over the world.
The choir and France
Adrian Traylor, a Brit now living in France, was once a member of the choir and as the choir had not previously toured in France he started to look into the possibility of organising a visit.
He was introduced to Mme Bridget Brennan, an English lady who has lived in the region for almost 30 years and who was also on the town council in Saintes.
After hearing the work the choir does for charity she suggested raising money for Le Secours Populaire Français and the representative of SPF in Saintes, M. Antoine Egea, has been involved in setting up the tour.
Related article: The work of Secours Populaire Français
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Adrian has asked me to add this statement:-
"Adrian is being helped greatly by another former choir member Ian Grocott and his wife Teresa. In fact, Teresa is acting as a coordinator for all the aspects of the visit"
They are hoping this tour is a success and if so perhaps we can persuade them to do further tours in France.
Posted by: Coral Luke | 25 April 2009 at 10:20