Two days ago, I received what can only be described as the most sweetly worded letter I have ever been sent (from a stranger), from the website manager for The Treorchy Choir. He gently pointed out the error of my understanding of how the Royal Welsh Choir fit in with the Treorchy, and directed me to an entire essay on the website which clears the matter up. The reason Aelfryn Jones was not mentioned as a member, and their tour to North America in which we saw them perform years ago was not listed, was because the choirs are two separate entities (or were, I should say, as the Royal Welsh no longer exists), despite their origins being intimately linked. The Royal Welsh was the professional choir that traveled the world when no other Welsh choir was doing so, and whose original members were chosen from the now legendary Treorchy. Here is the history of the Royal Welsh if you are interested.
Perhaps the reason the family story about Aelfryn singing with the Treorchy became confused along the way, and thinking the Royal Welsh was a subgroup of it, is because his choir was based in the town of Treorchy as well and the two were "unequivocally linked", as the website says, and were even known to combine their numbers for special performances.
Thank you very much to Dean Powell.
My father and uncle were in Treorchy Royal Welsh choir/ I have great memories of their trips to America. and of course of their great concerts. They sang with Cleo Laine.
ReplyDeleteWow. I didn't know they'd sung with Cleo Laine. I've seen her in concert myself, but would pay a lot of money to see her with a Welsh choir. Lucky you. Thank you for leaving this message.
Delete