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January
I
t is with very great sadness that that we have to report that John Baily, who sang Bass with us, passed away on 4th January 2024 having been ill for a year. Our sympathy goes to all his family.
On Tuesday 7th Jan. David Owen passed his Voice Test and was welcomed into the choir. Well done David and welcome.
On Tuesday 7th Jan. David Owen passed his Voice Test and was welcomed into the choir. Well done David and welcome.
February
Happy Returns
No, it wasn’t a birthday, but on the 24th January we returned to our singing ways as a choir; we returned to St Paul’s Church in Sketty; we returned to the leadership of Nick Rogers, as our Musical Director Matt was away on business and we were delighted at the return of our excellent accompanist, Rhian, after a short but distressing illness.
Singing at the wedding of Jessica and Jamie, we provided a suitable medley – apparently enjoyed by the congregation – before the entry of the bride. As she came down the aisle, we offered the gentle ‘Benedictus’, before retiring into the seats for congregational hymns and the service itself. Returning to the front as Jessica and Jamie signed the register, we sang more of our well-known repertoire and then provided a suitable ‘processional’ item with ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’. Judging by the smiles and, indeed, the joining in of the people there, this was a highly popular and appropriate finish to events.
In thanking the bride and groom and wishing them the very best of luck for the future, we are happy to remind everybody that we are performing twice next Saturday, 2nd March. As a part of the St David’s Day celebrations we shall be at Swansea Market at lunch time and then one of our annual favourite concerts at All Saints, Mumbles, for the Marie Curie ‘Daffodil Concert’ in the evening.  We’re back!
March
A Very Busy Day
It was very unusual for us to have two events on the same day, but to celebrate St. David’s Day, that’s what we did. We started by giving a lunch time concert in the centre of Swansea Market as part of their Croeso event, which took took place over two days on the 1st & 2nd of March. A large crowd gathered as we entertained them for for over half an hour. We sang some traditional Welsh numbers: ‘Calon Lan’, ‘Cwm Rhondda’, ‘Y Darlun’, ‘O Gymru’ and the Welsh National Anthem.   We also sung some songs from our normal repertoire; ‘There Is A Land’ – a lovely song about singing in Wales, ‘The Impossible Dream’, ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’ and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ – this got the audience joining in. The audience and stall holders thoroughly enjoyed the singing.
Our second event of the day was a charity concert to raise funds for the Mumbles & Gower Marie Curie Fundraising Group. This took place in the evening in All Saints Church in Oystermouth. The church was full and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the concert. The choir performed two sessions in each half with Matthew Ioan Sims, our Musical Director, singing between them in the first half and Daniel Davies, one of our top tenors, in the second half. We repeated all the songs we had sung earlier in the day at the market but added ‘What Would I Do Without My Music’, You Raise Me Up’, ‘Benedictus’, ‘Three Times A Lady’, ‘You are So Beautiful’ and ‘If We Only Have Love’. We hope that the concert raised a large amount of money for the Marie Curie charity, a very worthwhile cause.
April
Good Night Ladies
And what a good night it was! Friday, April 26th saw our Gwalia Ladies organising a social evening for members and friends at Clyne Golf Club – and what a great night it turned out to be! Our thanks and congratulations are very much due to them for a highly successful event enjoyed by all.
The chef and cheerful staff at Clyne served up a very tasty range of chicken curries, with the alternatives of chicken chasseur or a vegetarian dish for those who preferred. Frankly, the only complaint from any quarter was that several could have eaten more! It was delicious, so perhaps next time we could add a few poppadums or naan. In any event, it was very much enjoyed.
Following this came the entertainment from the U3A Ukelele Big Band. Many of us had not had the experience of a large Ukulele Band before and so did not quite know what to expect. Well, we had a really pleasant surprise, as the band belted out number upon number of well-known favourites, so that the ‘community’ singing was joined in with real enthusiasm. What a super social event. Thanks very much, Ladies and we look forward to the next one!Â
May
An Honour To Be Present
Friday, May 17th saw the Gwalia Singers once again at All Saints Church, Mumbles. This time, it was not for a concert, but to take part in the funeral service for the great Terry Medwin, famous player for the Swans, Tottenham Hotspur and Wales.
It is unusual to be asked to attend a funeral, but it was clear that we were there to lead the congregation’s singing for the most part. After we had opened with the Welsh National Anthem as the cortege arrived, our other duties were the singing of two favourite hymns. Many well-known personalities were there and the Spurs had honoured the occasion with a lovely floral display and the presence in the front of Pat Jennings and Gary Mabbutt. Several former Swansea players attended and there were two very touching eulogies, the first from Terry’s granddaughter and the second from lifelong friend and co-player Cliff Jones. Tenor Wynne Evans sang the lovely Ave Maria and the lovely playing (both piano and organ) of Hywel Evans was evident throughout.
Due to the time of day, there were a few of our members who could not attend, but it was certainly a strong turnout to honour such a legend from Swansea. RIP, Terry Medwin.Â
June
Concert in Llanarthne
We gave a lovely concert on the evening of the 8th June in the Llanarthne Village Hall. The soloists were Daniel Davies, one of our choristers, and our MD,Matthew Sims. Dan sang two items including ‘Till I Hear You Sing’ from ‘Love Never Dies’ and Matt sang ‘Caro Mio Ben’ and ‘Stars’ from ‘Les Miserables’. We finished with ‘If We Only Have Love’ and received a rousing standing ovation from the appreciative audience. The concert raised over £1,000.00 for the village hall.
 Music, Maestro, Please!
On Saturday the 15th June Mumbles saw a completely packed house at All Saints, Oystermouth. Observations and feedback suggest that it won’t be the last time! Everybody enthused about all aspects of the evening and can’t wait to come back for more. This was the first event for our new President, Peter Lynn, who received a very warm reception.
Our Musical Director, Matthew Sims, was congratulated on the wide and diverse programme, as well as displaying his talents for both the music and also engaging with the audience and enhancing the entertainment factor. As usual, our brilliant accompanist Rhian Liles, was faultless and guided us, and our guest singer, beautifully through the concert. Another young talent, solo soprano Darcey 
Paris George, entranced all with her pure voice and an assured performance and it certainly won’t be long before she becomes more widely known. All in all, one masterclass followed another!
Several presentations were made, most noteworthy was a 30 year service tie to Alan Clewett who has been the choir secretary for many of those years.
All seemed to enjoy the whole performance and the choir responded to their warmth by singing out numbers old and new with enthusiasm and energy. The reward was another stand   ing ovation from a sold-out venue. (See more photographs)
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July
An Early Kick-Off at the Hub
On the 13th July the  Gwalia Singers were roused early to perform at the official opening of ‘The Hub’ at Underhill Park, Mumbles. The host announcer, Kevin Johns, welcomed us effusively and proceedings got under way towards 11 a.m..
There had to be a ceremony, of course, namely the cutting of the opening tape for the centre. In order to provide a ‘fanfare’, we sang one of the all-time favourites, Cwm Rhondda, well loved and recognised by any Welsh audience.
Around half an hour later, we reconvened in a ‘marquee’, actually a large open-sided pergola, to sing a few more songs to entertain the crowd. This activity tends to be hard work, as (a) it becomes very warm rather quickly and (b)the sound is somewhat absorbed by the canvas. However, opening this session with another favourite, Calon Lan, was a good choice, gathering interest immediately and creating a good round of applause and appreciation. The 
action was then slowed a little, although choir family and friends, along with more spectators as the programme progressed, aired their appreciation for some good singing.
We signed off with what has become our second ‘anthem’, the patriotic ‘There Is A Land’, which, with its climactic finish, always goes down well. Good luck to The Hub for a successful future!
August
A Trip to Somerset
We left Swansea Airport at 8:30 for a trip to South Petherton, Somerset, to sing at the wedding of Dan and Helen. The venue was very different to what we’re used to, as the ceremony was outdoors, in a field! 
However, it was all very beautiful and the choir was well received by the bride, groom and wedding guests. We sang ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse, as the bridal party walked in, which was something we had learned especially for the event. We then sang O Gymru during the ceremony, this was greatly appreciated by the congregation. After a break for the formal part of the wedding we sung a further six numbers from our repertoire.Â
On our return journey home, we stopped at the Two Rivers Hotel in Chepstow where we were able to order drinks and a meal. The service and the food were very good. After we had finished eating Nick Rogers and the Afterglow Team led us in singing a number of songs, much appreciated by the other customers in the pub. We eventually arrived home at 9:30 pm having had a very enjoyable day out. (more photos)
September
A Tour to Sardinia
Friday 6th
An early start for the Choir from Swansea to Gatwick Airport and then to Portoscuso in Sardinia. A long day’s travelling-but a great Italian welcome awaited us in the Don Pedro Hotel, with a hearty meal and local wines at the Nautilus Restaurant.  Excellent travel arrangements-thank you Alan!
Saturday 7th
A much-needed leisurely day before the evening’s meal and performance. Beautiful weather for sun, sand and sea – much socialising and enjoyment!  Wonderful dining ‘al di fuori’ later at the Nautilus, and
introductory performances from the Choirs.  The high temperatures continued into the late evening and performances at the beautiful Portoscuso Church. The Visiting Choirs were superb-and the Gwalia Choristers were brilliant – very well received!’ Ottimo lavoro’!
Sunday 8th
A morning’s recovery, light lunch, and leisurely afternoon before the evening’s dining at the Nautilus and then an hour’s journey to the Tratalias Cathedral for the second performance.  A slightly different song selection – and great to hear the melodious rendition of ‘Y Tangnefeddwyr’.  The inclement weather didn’t spoil the evening’s music and magic of this historical, unique town.
Monday 9th
An early start after breakfast to lovely Iglesias for a stroll along the cobbled streets with their colourful overhead umbrellas, and delightful shops.  A light lunch followed with a stop on the return journey at Belvedere di Nebida, the historical mining town nearby.  Later, another hearty meal at the Nautilus – and an hour’s journey to the Calasetta Cathedral for the Choir’s third performance.  Again, wonderful performances from all Choirs.  However, Gwalia’s outstanding renditions resulted in a huge response from the congregation – with standing ovations and applause, much emotion and tears, and an encore request!  Huge’ Congratulations’ to Matthew, Rhian and all Choristers – and much appreciation and praise for soloists Craig and Tom!’Ben fatto’!
Tuesday 10th
Very tired Choristers! – but a fabulous excursion and luncheon organised at stunning Maladroxia Beach.  Then, an early start for the Choir’s last evening and unique performance in San Giovanni Caves in Domusnovas, wearing helmets, in very cool conditions underground – and an evening snack ‘al di fuori’ with all visiting Choirs.  A truly wonderful experience! A huge ‘thank you’ to all organisers for the incredible arrangements!  ‘Molto grazie a tutti voi’!
Wednesday 11th
A leisurely day to recover, with an evening gathering in the Portoscuso ‘piazza’ dressed in Hawaiian shirts for a social – much eating, drinking, singing and fun!
Thursday 12th
Another welcome leisurely day with a last evening gathering at the wonderful Nautilus Restaurant for a meal and social!
Friday 13th
A tiring evening return journey to Swansea!  ‘Thank you’ Sardinia for wonderful experiences and welcome!  ‘Thank you’ Alan, Matt, Rhian, Lawrence and the team for all your hard work! Much appreciated! Where’s the next trip please???  (more photos)
October
Mumbles Festival of Music and Arts
Church, Mumbles for the final concert of the music festival with the Gwalia Singers. The choir was conducted by accomplished Musical Director Matthew Sims and accompanied by Rhian Liles. The choir took up their positions in their immaculate uniforms.  The concert and the choir did not disappoint, they opened with a rousing version of ‘There is a Land’ followed by ‘What Would I Do Without My Music’, ‘Y Darlun’ and ‘You Raise Me up’ which included individual performances from Craig and Tom.
One huge strength this choir has is that they sing without music, there is no need to look at the score and all eyes are on the conductor. The control that this allows lifts the performance of each piece and the balance of voices was excellent throughout. The programme was very well planned, each half started with a rousing piece and ended similarly.  During the first half Matthew Sims gave an excellent solo performance of ‘Cilfan Y Coed’, ‘Hushaby Mountain’ and ‘I’ll Walk With God’ which ended with a standing ovation. Then the choir sang ‘Benedictus’, ‘You are so beautiful’,  ‘O Gymru’ and ‘How Great Though Art’.
The second half started with ‘Calon Lan’ followed by ‘Y Tangnefeddwyr’, ‘The Impossible Dream’ and the audience and choir had a bit of fun singing together ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’. Daniel Davies brought the house down with three songs from the West End, ‘Till I Hear You Sing’, ‘This Is The Moment’ and ‘Maria’ from West Side Story.  Daniel had a standing ovation and loud applause.  His performance was of an exceptionally high standard, there is no doubt Daniel has a very promising future. The choir then completed the evening with ‘Cwm Rhondda’, ‘One Day I’ll fly Away’ and ‘If we only had love’, before ending with the National Anthem. It was a lovely evening with excellent varied music and the audience standing at the end thoroughly enjoyed it.   (more photos)
A Very Busy Recording Day
On Saturday (26th October) morning the choir all met up at All Saints Church in Oystermouth to record our latest CD.  When the choir arrived at 9:45 Jordan, the Recording Engineer, and Izzy from Cobra Music had set up about 15 microphones in front of the choir with their mixing desk and other recording equipment at the back.
We spent all day, with occasional coffee and lunch breaks, recording fourteen songs.  We had to record all the songs twice and some three times with some extra parts of songs recorded to mix in later.
Matt and the Music Team, (Rhian, Nick and Gareth) would come back, having listened to a recording, to inform us how to make improvements for the next recording.  Noises such as creaking staging, phones going off, passing motor bikes etc. would often result in us having to start that song again.
Matt worked hard all day to get the best out of us while Rhian accompanied us tirelessly on the piano.  The next task is for the Music Team to listen to the recordings to decide which tracks will get on to the CD.  We are all looking forward to hearing the final results.  The CD will be available to purchase soon, or to stream from the internet.
November
Tribute Concert for Geoff Wheel
On the 9th November we held a special evening’s concert for the Choir to thank the long-standing former President Mr. Geoff Wheel for his incredible service and commitment to Gwalia and to raise funds for MND.
The Choir’s programme was varied and interesting encompassing the many rousing, traditional classics together with the quiet melodies in both English and Welsh, and much appreciated by the audience.  Many thanks to Matthew Sims – Gwalia Musical Director, Rhian Liles – Choir accompanist and soloists Dan, Tom and Craig.
The young Gower College soloists Abigail Rankin, Isobel McNeill and Carys Morgan also delighted the audience with their wonderful performances (with accompanist Rhian Liles), very talented young ladies who will, no doubt, have promising careers in Music.
The Choir would also like to thank all sponsors for their generosity, and every effort to raise funds e.g. raffle tickets and interval refreshments by Gwalia Ladies-and especially Gower College for using the venue.
A wonderful evening indeed where we raised £10,039 for MND!
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
An excited Gwalia Singers choir left Swansea Airport car park on Sunday morning, the 17th November, for a very prestigious occasion, singing on the hallowed Principality Stadium turf in Cardiff for the Wales v Australia match.  We were hoping to encourage the Welsh rugby team to put on an outstanding performance following their recent losing streak!
As we arrived at the stadium our expectations were high, songs and new harmonies had been learnt and mastered and we were ready to perform.  On our arrival we were taken to the underground tunnel entrance to the pitch, where a rehearsal was held to blend our voices together with the Brass Band and the other two invited choirs; Cor Yogi (Bala) and Glyn-Neath.
After an hour’s rest we were called to line up and marched out to our singing position, led by the rousing Welsh Guards’ Band and their mascot goat – Lance Corporal Shenkin IV.  After singing six wonderful songs the teams ran out to the cinematic display of fires and feathers, the supporters and players were now truly psyched-up!
After singing the two National Anthems we were marched off and then seated comfortably in our seats for the duration of the game, excellent viewing for us all.  The choirs performed well for Wales but, unfortunately, the Welsh Rugby team didn’t!
We had a curry, social and afterglow later at Cardiff Rugby Football Club which made up for the very disappointing result!  A wonderful experience nevertheless!  Thank you WRU!,Â
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December
Lawrence William Sutton – 4th February 1946 to 1st December  2024
It is with very great sadness that that we have to report that Lawrence Sutton passed away suddenly on 1st December 2024.  Our sympathy goes to Pam, his wife, and to all his family.
Lawrence came to Wales as a young boy and learned to sing soprano in his church choir progressing on to alto then tenor and finally bass.
Many years later, after getting married and bringing up his family, one of those friends persuaded him to join the Gwalia Singers where he joined the Second Tenors.  He was a stalwart member of the choir for over 25 years.  He was a gentle gentleman, always willing to welcome new members into the choir and offering help and advice to anyone who needed it.  In 2008 he took on the task of being the choir treasurer which he did very efficiently for over 15 years.  His thoughts and ideas were always well considered and respected by all the choir committee members.
He enjoyed the camaraderie, the repertoire, the practices and the opportunities to travel and perform in Beijing, Barbados and many places in Europe. Â He will be greatly missed by all his many friends in the choir.
 St Catherine’s Church, Gorseinon
It was indeed a very poignant occasion for the Choir to sing in the Swansea Excelsior Charity Concert in St. Catherine’s Church, on Friday, December 6th for two reasons:  it was the first performance since the passing of a much loved and respected stalwart of Gwalia Singers – Laurence Sutton and singing with his daughter, Anna, and her Choir, the Excelsior Ladies.
In the first half of the concert the Ladies gave beautiful renditions and solo performances from their musical programme, and the Gwalia Singers followed with male voice favourites.  Following a short interval, the Gwalia singers delighted the audience with some Christmas songs and spirit, and the Excelsior Ladies also gave some of their Christmas flavour!  The finale was a fun performance by both Choirs together of ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’
The vicar of St. Catherine’s, Dr. Adrian Morgan, highlighted the appreciation of raising much-needed funds for the refurbishment programme in 2025.  A truly wonderful evening which did the choirs proud!  We all braced the red alert inclement weather for the journey home!
Gwalia Ladies Christmas Concert
On the 10th December the annual Gwalia Ladies’ Concert in the Scout/Guide Hall was, as is always, a relaxed and enjoyable festive occasion.  The first half of the concert was a mixed selection of the Choir’s musical repertoire, up-beat and the more traditional.  ’Benedictus’, a firm favourite, was sung in honour of Lawrence Sutton, the much-loved fellow Chorister who sadly passed away only last week with a ‘minute’s silence’ to follow.
The last item was the first-time performance of ‘Five Foot Two’ which allowed the Choir to be jovial and high-spirited and encouraged audience participation in the carol-singing before the interval.
Deputy Chairman Mike Phippen paid tribute to the former President Mr. Geoff Wheel in the second half, for his incredible commitment to the Gwalia Singers.  He then donated a cheque for the sum of £11,030 to Janet Fisher from MND South West Wales, in Geoff’s honour.  An amazing sum raised recently by the Choir!  A huge ‘thank-you’ to Mike Phippen and all individuals and businesses who supported the cause.
The choir then continued with their Christmas repertoire and with more audience participation of carol singing.  The evening concluded with a delightful buffet for all!  This annual fixture is a joy!
Maggie’s Christmas Concert
One of the highlights of the Gwalia Singers calendar is the Maggie’s Christmas Concert in All Saints Church, this year it was held on th 12th December. The Choir looked forward to a wonderful evening of music and festive spirit with the Pontardulais Town Brass Band, and the incredible acoustics of the Church. The first half commenced with traditional congregational carol-singing to the accompaniment of the Band. They then played a selection of their repertoire with some solo recitals – very accomplished performances and talent indeed! The Gwalia Singers followed with their repertoire selection, and their rendition of ‘Gwahoddiad’ was dedicated in memory of Laurence Sutton, their much-loved fellow chorister who passed away a fortnight ago.
The interval provided a great opportunity for some refreshments and socialising. The second half again commenced with the congregational carol-singing, followed by Pontardulais Town Band’s Christmas medley. The Gwalia Singers continued with their Christmas selection, and a joint performance of ‘Stop the Cavalry’ concluded the evening. A truly enjoyable concert of music and festivity, with proceeds to the remarkable Maggie’s Charity. Such a pleasure!
The Choir continued their enjoyment, relaxation and singing in the Oyster House, Oystermouth. Sincere thanks for the invitation and buffet!
On the membership side David Wintle passed his audition tonight and became a full choir member singing with our baritoines. Well done David.
Vivian Hall Concert
On the 16th December we again performed to another packed audience at the Vivian Hall in Blackpill.  There were visitors in the front row from British Columbia Canada who had never seen a Welsh choir before and were who were blown away and loved every second of the concert.  They said it made their holiday even more special.
The choir sang a variety of songs from Benedictus, You Raise me Up, Five Foot Two in the first half of the concert and a selection of Christmas carols and songs in the second half.  Just to add a bit of audience participation with traditional carols and The Twelve days of Christmas.
This was the 4th Christmas concert for this year the choir has performed, the 5th and final Christmas concert will take place on Friday 20th at St Hilary’s church in Killay.
This final concert will be a bitter sweet occasion as we will be attending the funeral of our dearly missed and loved long serving member Lawrence in the afternoon.  All our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
St Hilary’s Church Concert
A day of mixed emotions for the choir started in the afternoon with the funeral of good friend and long serving member Lawrence Sutton.  The choir filed into a packed Morriston crematorium in full uniform where they sang Benedictus as a tribute to Lawrence and his family.  The song was very moving and poignant in the surroundings of the small Chapel.
There wasn’t a lot of time before the choir attended the last of their Christmas concerts at St Hilary’s Church, in Killay, where they took to the stage again in full uniform but with bright and colourful Christmas ties. The choir performed a variety of songs from their newly released CD along with Five foot two which proved to be a favourite with the audience, lighting up the Church with many smiles and foot tapping.  The second half saw the choir perform their Christmas Carol favourites interspersed with audience participation and singing. During the choir breaks the audience were entertained by Nabeel Masih local singer and husband of the vicar of St Hilary’s.
After the interval framed souvenirs of our new CD were presented to Matt, our Musical Director, and Rhian, our accompanist in recognition of all their hard work.  The evening was rounded off with the choir selling copies of their recently made CD titled   ‘If we only have Love’ a great Christmas stocking filler at £8 each.
