Dunvant Male Choir: Difference between revisions
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'''Dunvant Male Choir''' ({{lang-cy|Côr Meibion Dyfnant}}) is the oldest continuously singing Welsh choir and is based in [[Dunvant]], [[Swansea]], [[Wales]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |title=‘We were determined Covid wouldn’t finish us off’: the Welsh choir who sang through the pandemic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/24/we-were-determined-covid-wouldnt-finish-us-off-the-welsh-choir-who-sang-through-the-pandemic |work=The Guardian |date=24 April 2021 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |title=‘Welsh male voice choirs: a vocal minority’: Welsh male voice choirs: a vocal minority |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/01/welsh-choir-only-men-aloud|work=The Guardian |date=1 Feb 2011 |location=London}}</ref> |
'''Dunvant Male Choir''' ({{lang-cy|Côr Meibion Dyfnant}}) is the oldest continuously singing Welsh choir and is based in [[Dunvant]], [[Swansea]], [[Wales]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |title=‘We were determined Covid wouldn’t finish us off’: the Welsh choir who sang through the pandemic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/24/we-were-determined-covid-wouldnt-finish-us-off-the-welsh-choir-who-sang-through-the-pandemic |work=The Guardian |date=24 April 2021 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |title=‘Welsh male voice choirs: a vocal minority’: Welsh male voice choirs: a vocal minority |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/01/welsh-choir-only-men-aloud|work=The Guardian |date=1 Feb 2011 |location=London}}</ref> |
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==History== |
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The Choir was founded in 1895,<ref name="auto"/> in the country traditionally known as the "land of song".<ref name="Davies579">Davies (2008), pg 579.</ref> Singing in harmony is synonymous with the Welsh choir and Wales has a history of using music as a primary form of communication.<ref name="Davies579">Davies (2008), pg 579.</ref> |
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The arrival of the railway in 1867 changed [[Dunvant]] and its surrounding villages forever. It allowed the development of the coal seams in the area, local quarries, brick works and an iron foundry. It attracted people to move into the village and with the spread of new housing, to triple the size of the village. By good fortune the station master at [[Dunvant]] on the London & N.W. Railway, Mr Isaac Peters (Station Master 1880–1892), was a man of some musical talent and he stirred the musical interests of the village by leading a mixed choir at Siloam Chapel and using the station waiting room at [[Dunvant]] for rehearsals of the [[Killay, Swansea|Killay]] and [[Dunvant]] united choir.<ref name="Evans">Evans (1992), pg 197.</ref> |
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As the number of villagers grew so did the need for [[Dunvant]] to have its own chapel and Ebenezer was built in 1872, expanded in 1882 and the present Ebenezer Chapel built in 1893 becoming the heart of the village. |
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As more villagers attended Ebenezer and the great religious revival of the 1890s took hold, David Evans of Three Crosses who had trained under Joseph Parry, was a fine tenor and had won several Eisteddfod prizes, started a small male only group at Ebenezer and also formed [[Gowerton]] Male Choir around 1890. |
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This was developed by Thomas Coslett Richards, father of the well-known Dunvant painter [[Ceri Richards]], who drew male members of Ebenezer and other chapel choirs to form the [[Dunvant]] Ebenezer Excelsior Male Voice Choir in 1895 and laid the foundation for its success in local Eisteddfods, taking 1st prize at the Gwyn Hall in Neath in 1901<ref name="Evans199">Evans (1992), pg 199.</ref> and being presented with an oak chair that still resides in Ebenezer Chapel to this day. |
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The choir's 125th anniversary concert was due to take place in 2020 but was delayed due to the Covid pandemic. The concert was rescheduled for 2 April 2022 and took place in the [[Brangwyn Hall]] in [[Swansea Guildhall]]. The choir had therefore got through the second pandemic in its history, and this was documented in a [[BBC Radio Wales]] documentary called "Still Singing: Dunvant Male Choir". |
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A statement to prospective members reads, “You do not have to be a trained singer or be able to read music, all you need is to enjoy singing and be willing to learn”.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holland |first1=Maureen |title=Voices from the Land of Song|url=https://www.cmuse.org/dunvant-male-choir-voices-from-the-land-of-song/|work=cmuse |date=21 Dec 2015 |location=London}}</ref> |
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==Tours== |
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One visit that has resulted in the choir's great friendship was in 1965 with Sangervereinigung 1866 [[Essen]] Burg Altendorf visit to Dunvant, with a return visit to [[Germany|Germany and the Menin Gate, Ypres in 1966. ]] |
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In 2015 the choir celebration 50 years of friendship with the choir when it performed in [[Burgaltendorf|Burg Altendorf]] Church and the Philharmonie Hall, Essen. |
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The choir embarked on its first North American tour in 1985 when it travelled with a young [[Bryn Terfel]] as a soloist. Further tours saw the choir visit Toronto, Ottawa, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Washington State, Seattle, Portland Oregon and a tour to Singapore in 2012. |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==References== |
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* {{cite book |last=Davies |first=John |author2=Jenkins, Nigel |title=The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales |year=2008 |publisher=[[University of Wales Press]] |location=Cardiff |isbn=978-0-7083-1953-6}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Evans |first=Gareth |title=Dunvant: Portrait of a Community |year=1992 |publisher=Stowefields Publications |location=Swansea |isbn=9780951910207}} |
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==External links== |
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* {{Official website|https://www.dunvantchoir.wales/}} |
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* [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLFxuOAv18FyJQNF05ZNhA Dunvant Male Choir channel on YouTube] |
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* {{IMDb name|id=8755789}} |
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* {{Discogs artist|Dunvant Male Choir}} |
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* [http://nebula.wsimg.com/bbaf1e549f195c63ad0d8f8d5f6a95f7?AccessKeyId=39808BB451A1958D9791&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 The History of Dunvant by David Morgan] |
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* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017jf0 BBC Wales, Still Singing: Dunvant Male Choir] |
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Revision as of 12:01, 14 January 2023
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| Dunvant Male Choir | |
|---|---|
| Choir | |
| Also known as | Côr Meibion Dyfnant |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Genre | Male Choral Singing |
| President | D Byron Lewis, CVO, KstJ, FCA |
| Music director | Jonathan Rogers |
| Rehearsal space | Ebenezer Chapel, Dunvant, Swansea |
| Website | https://www.dunvantchoir.wales/ |
Dunvant Male Choir (Welsh: Côr Meibion Dyfnant) is the oldest continuously singing Welsh choir and is based in Dunvant, Swansea, Wales.[1][2]
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
- ^ Rogers, Jude (24 April 2021). "'We were determined Covid wouldn't finish us off': the Welsh choir who sang through the pandemic". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Rogers, Jude (1 Feb 2011). "'Welsh male voice choirs: a vocal minority': Welsh male voice choirs: a vocal minority". The Guardian. London.