Welsh Male Voice Choir

Subject: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: Llanfair
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 07:31 PM

I've just come home from a concert held in our local church (Llanfair-parish of St. Mary) The Llanfair Caereinion Male voice choir were absolutely wonderful. The close harmony and sheer enthusiasm filled the old church with the spirit of christmas.
When we came out, it was just beginning to snow. The atmosphere was magical.The church is on a very ancient site, probably originally a pre-christian holy place, with the healing well, and the view of the lights along the Banwy gorge, I experienced a very strong feeling of belonging, of being an integral part of the life of this tiny town
Yes, I'm rambling! but I wanted to share this rather special experience. Hwyl nawr, Bron.

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 07:47 PM

Dear Llanfair, Thank you .. One of the most beautifull christmasses I ever had was in Ewenny nr. Bridgend Glamorganshire...We went to a local house and sang and song into late afternoon and then went up the Rondah{SP?} valley because it was snowing at the higher altitude..I remember someone pointed out Richard Burton's house if that helps say where I was ... It was beautifull at any rait >>> thanks for reminding me and giving such a warm picture of your home ,,,... All the best Guy

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: roopoo
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 04:13 AM

I saw the Treorchy Male Voice Choir at Beverley during the Folk festival in June. They were performing in the beautiful Minster and it was magical. I went "on spec" on a rainy evening and stayed, spellbound. I think they hail from somewhere up Cwm Rhondda, don't they? My son is at university by Pontypridd. (Glamorgan Uni at Trefforest, where Tom Jones comes from. He had a house on Laura Street last year, just up the road from Tom's. Tom Jones attended a funeral party at the house next door one day and they didn't know till they saw it on local TV). I can't get the lad to appreciate anything more than rugby! Brass bands send me all gooey too. Here in Yorkshire we are spoilt for good bands! Tonight is our carol service, lit by 150 candles in great arches across the nave of out village church. (I have shortly got to go up there and label every one - people sponsor them for themselves, family, or in memory of the "departed"). Unfortunately ours is only a Victorian church although in the Gothic revival style. But our village is mentioned in Domesday! Until 1852, everybody had to either go to the nearby village of Kellington which has a very old church, seemingly on a pre-Christian site, and with connections to the Knights Templar, or to Snaith Priory, which is still the mother church of our parish, and which is at least early 13th century. I could hope for snow tonight, but we don't get much as we are very low-lying here. We are only about 30 feet above sea level, being the bottom end of the Vale of York, and in a large river plain. We actually had 5 members of a local brass band a couple of years ago to play for us. WOW! (The 2 weddings of band members have been quite something, with a wonderful entertainment while registers were being signed). Ok. Am starting to drift, unlike any snow we may get!

cheers

mouldy

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: Llanfair
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 04:30 AM

Ilove brass bands, they give me goose pimples! It is amazing how many churches are on pagan sites. I have no religion, but the atmosphere in most churches is awesome.
Here there are also 3 chapels, they tend not to be on the same scale, although the singing on Sunday evenings has to be heard to be believed!!! The first time I heard it, I was up the garden, and thought someone had "Songs of Praise" on rather loud, it sounds wonderful!!! It didn't snow any more, so we're just frosty this morning. Hwyl, Bron.
PS Guy and Moldy, I haven't been to south Wales, yet, to see the valleys, though my name comes from "How green was my valley" Mid Wales is very rural, and Llanfair is a tiny place that used to be a market town.

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: roopoo
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 09:28 AM

It was quite interesting how they worked out the pagan origin of the Kellington site: several years ago, the Coal Board was going to be mining under the church, and it had to be put onto a concrete raft on hydraulic supports so that any shifting could be corrected. This involved demolishing the tower stone by stone and reassembling it later. They also had to clear all burials from within and around the church to a depth of 2 metres, and 3 metres from the walls so that they could gain access. The York Archaeological Trust took charge of excavating and exhuming all these remains, which took 4 months in awful winter weather, and later ran a 6 week course which I attended. All Christian burials run on a roughly East/West axis. Because of the church's position on a rise just outside the village, and because they suspected the cobble foundations (huge stones) could be from an earlier burial or sacred site, they had their suspicions - common Anglo-Saxon procedure was to clear any site that they were building on. One day, by the north wall and under a mediaeval burial, they found a skeleton buried on a North/South axis. He went to Bradford for carbon dating. I never heard the result, but they were pretty sure this was proof of the site's pre-Christian use. He was the only one.

mouldy

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: roopoo
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 09:31 AM

It was quite interesting how they worked out the pagan origin of the Kellington site: several years ago, the Coal Board was going to be mining under the church, and it had to be put onto a concrete raft on hydraulic supports so that any shifting could be corrected. This involved demolishing the tower stone by stone and reassembling it later. They also had to clear all burials from within and around the church to a depth of 2 metres, and 3 metres from the walls so that they could gain access. The York Archaeological Trust took charge of excavating and exhuming all these remains, which took 4 months in awful winter weather, and later ran a 6 week course which I attended. All Christian burials run on a roughly East/West axis. Because of the church's position on a rise just outside the village, and because they suspected the cobble foundations (huge stones) could be from an earlier burial or sacred site, they had their suspicions - common Anglo-Saxon procedure was to clear any site that they were building on. One day, by the north wall and under a mediaeval burial, they found a skeleton buried on a North/South axis. He went to Bradford for carbon dating. I never heard the result, but they were pretty sure this was proof of the site's pre-Christian use. He was the only one.

mouldy

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: roopoo
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 09:33 AM

Sorry about the 2 above: it was playing silly b*ggers!

mouldy

Subject: RE: BS: Welsh Male Voice Choir
From: Llanfair
Date: 20 Dec 99 - 04:07 AM

This is an interesting one, Mouldy. I think I'll see if there is any further information on the net. Bron.