Over the last four decades, the Bridgend Male Choir has won numerous musical competitions and Eisteddfodau including Jersey in 1999 and 2000 in the Island’s Annual International Music Festival.
It can claim to be the only Welsh choir to have scored a remarkable double victory at the 1991 Incontro Internatiozionale Di Canto Carole in Verona – a prestigious European music festival taking in twenty top choirs from six countries. Our Welsh male voice choir returned with two major trophies – silver and bronze cups for the best male classic and best male folk presentation. The performances even gained the Bridgend Choir second-best overall position in the 3-day contest, which was judged by a panel of internationally acclaimed adjudicators.
The Bridgend Male Choir was pleased to be invited once again to that festival in April 2003, and competed this time with 34 choirs from all over the world. The Choir was delighted to be awarded a silver cup for their performance, which established them as the best Male Voice choir in the whole competition.
A very notable accolade for this Welsh Choir came in 2004, winning first prize in the National Eisteddfod in Newport (which the Choir followed up by winning again in 2006!). Following this, for the first time, the Bridgend Male Choir was invited to compete at the 2005 Llangollen International Eisteddfod, where they ended in 4th place overall - a creditable achievement! The comments received from the International adjudication panel included such remarks as "Very good authority in the singing of this fine ensemble".
The Bridgend Choir was also delighted to have been successful at Aberystwyth Arts Centre in the Male Choir Section of S4C Cor Cymru Competition, 2005 - coming away with the 'Best Male Choir' title. The Choir returned to Aberystwyth when next the competition was held in 2007 and reached the final again.
Like a consistently good wine, 2006 turned out to be another successful year for the boys from Bridgend. Winning the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, (only the 2nd Welsh Choir to do so in 89 years of competition), was followed by another success in the Welsh National Eisteddfod. This time the former tin plate works at Velindre, Swansea was the venue to be once again lit up when the Choir succeeded in winning the Fusiliers Cup.
Thursday 08 November 2007
Entering for the first time...........
Saturday 31 March 2007
Comments in apostraphes of Geraint Lewis, Music Lecturer & Composer, Adjudicator & Pundit, summarising live for S4C during the competition. Many thanks to Alun Guile for the translation.
Saturday 13 May 2006
Believers that competition sharpens concert performance, Bridgend’s choristers took to the stage at Cheltenham Town Hall in the 80th Festival of Performing Musical Arts Competition…
Monday 11 July 2005
On the day, the talents of the Bridgend Male Choir were not quite enough to get into the prize money positions at Llangollen’s International Eisteddfod.
Sunday 26 June 2005
Current Male Voice Champions at the Welsh National Eisteddfod and S4C’s Cor Cymru Competition, the Bridgend Male Choir now heads for its most difficult challenge yet.
Sunday 27 February 2005
Having been successful in the Male Choir Final of S4C’s Cor Cymru Competition just 3 weeks ago, the Bridgend Male Choir were invited back to Aberystwyth to compete against stiff opposition.
Monday 07 February 2005
On the evening of Wales’s rugby success versus England, Bridgend Male Choir went on to make it a notable double achieving “Best Male Choir” status in the final of the S4C Cor Cymru
Saturday 05 February 2005
Bridgend Male Choir have been chosen to go through to the televised semi-finals of S4C’s Cor Cymru – Choir for Wales 2005 competition.
2006 saw the Choir heading to England to compete atn the 80th Cheltenham Festival of Music Performing Arts, where it won the Folk & Male Voice sections, before being named as Gold Cup Winners for the most memorable performance.