Welsh Choir of Southern California

Here are a few quotes from our recent International Tour. We were overwhelmed by the hospitality and welcome shown to us.

“A new dimension in Welsh music” (Vicar, Llanbadarn Fawr)

“[S]pectacular show — quite unlike anything in a Welsh context that I ever experienced! ……. exhilarating and shook us “traditionalists” to the core!” (Alwyn Humphries MD Morristown Orpheus)

“extraordinary feast of outstanding music. World class music — newly composed music together with old favourites with stunning new arrangements” (Keith Isaacs, London)

“The Concert was one of the most remarkable we have ever attended. ”

“Superb Concert”

“Wonderful, breathtaking”

Superb from start to finish”

“Made the hairs on my back stand out”

“Superb diction and clarity”

“Thought the choir was amazing” (from our audiences in Wales)

Côr Cymraeg De Califfornia, The Welsh Choir of Southern California is a “multiethnic choir”. The choir embraces the description and is proud to be known as multiethnic. It has always welcomed singers of all ages and of every ethnic and national origin (as do many other Welsh choirs throughout the world.) Some travel hundreds of miles each week to attend rehearsal. And all looked forward with great anticipation to the choir’s first international tour. The tour culminated in a joint performance with the acclaimed Côr Meibion De Cymru, led by Dr. Haydn James, on 5 July 2003, at 8:00 pm, in St. George’s RC Cathedral in Southwark. The performance fulfilled its promises to be a musical feast, featuring an outstanding American bell choir, renowned English, Welsh and American performers, and the 200-voice combined choirs in a celebration of Welsh music.

The concert at St. George’s Cathedral featured Welsh Soprano Fflur Wyn, who has made several guest appearances with Côr Cymraeg in California. Welsh Soprano Rhiannon Eleri Pugh, another frequent invitee to California, and tenor Meilyr Dafydd were also guest soloists. Prize-winning harpist Sally Pryce of London led an international ensemble of brass, woodwind, percussion, and organ in accompanying the choir. The Alchemy Bell Ensemble, of Woodland Hills, CA gave a choreographed recital that delighted the eyes as well as the ears prior to the start of the concert.

The choir also performed several times in Wales, including at Llanbadarn Fawr Parish Church, Brecon Cathedral, St. David’s Cathedral, St. Mary’s Parish Church, Swansea, and Llandaff Cathedral. Llandaff, St. George’s, and St. Mary’s Parish Church, Swansea were all joint concerts with Côr Meibion De Cymru.

The Welsh Choir was founded In 1997 with a handful of singers from the Welsh Church in Los Angeles. The choristers include a few natives of Wales and numerous Americans of Welsh ancestry, as well as people who have no Welsh ancestry but who simply love Welsh music and are fascinated by the Welsh language.

Today, the choir is made up of 60 singers - the youngest 12 years old – some of whom travel 200 miles each Sunday to choir practice. For this tour one alto in the choir has even been traveling 800 miles each weekend to attend rehearsals. The arrangements include traditional Welsh hymns as well as original compositions. The original pieces often feature lyrics written for the choir by Eluned Phillips and other Welsh bards. The choristers are coached in their pronunciation of Welsh by Myra Thomas Lawrence, who has received national recognition in Wales for her efforts to foster appreciation of the language through this medium.