With well over 100 male voice choirs in Wales today, there are few better ways to experience their rich culture than to witness the historical choirs singing traditional songs across the land. As the country’s most treasured and notable feature, history tells us that singing in these choirs were once used to establish their rugged individualism, native language, cultural constraints, and political struggles of the coal miners’ strike. After all, the Welsh male voice choir has origins that date back to the eighteenth century.
Sacred Musical Origins
In the Welsh traditions of wooden spoons for courtship, high tolerance for lysh (alcohol), cheese on toast, and the success of local wines, the country is rich in culture as it goes hand in hand with music and the arts. The tradition of the Eisteddfod, the annual festival of poetry and music, can be traced back to the 12thcentury. Hymns written by revivalists, such as William Williams, were sung in nonconformist chapels to the tune of popular English tunes or old folk melodies. As such, Wales had gained a strong reputation as a ‘land of song’ by the 19thcentury.
Music In Times of Hardship
The early 1920s were notably overshadowed by mass unemployment and poverty, leaving thousands of young men looking to take advantage of their enforced leisure. Choral music was not kept to preserve the church, but also a growth in secular music. Bass and tenors singers began to form male voice choirs or clubs where they could sing secular outside the church. In return, local citizens cooperated to relieve the economic hardships and distress caused by slumps in the coal and iron industries.
Some traditional hymns include “Llef,” a prayer song for the dead, “Calon Lan,” a patriotic anthem played at Welsh rugby matches, and “Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer,” which is sung in church settings.
Giving tradition a modern twist
Despite the 20% drop in male voice choir memberships in the past decade, younger members are slowly beginning to take the place of older veterans. The Welsh male voice choirs have become an exhibition to the outside world as Only Boys Aloud, an all-male choir of 130+ men, placed third on Britain’s Got Talent.
Two examples of iconic choirs who are embracing change in traditional Welsh music are London Welsh and Peterborough male voice choir. Both have readily embraced good vocal health and development as their ‘modern ideals’ has attracted men in their 20s and 30s. In addition, more local choirs are becoming popular sights for tourists from across the globe.
While media attention does not always capture the essence and culture behind the existence of these choirs, the popularization within the country and across the globe has its benefits. The most active members are rapidly aging, yet raising awareness on the need for preserving this tradition. As such, organizations like The Aloud Charity help make male voice choirs a strong part of the young Welsh community.
