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Only Men Aloud is a male voice
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
from
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the ''
Last Choir Standing
''Last Choir Standing'' is a 2008 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Broadcast on BBC One in July and August 2008, the series saw amateur choirs competing each week to be the 'last choir standing'.
The ...
'' competition run by
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television during 2008.
Overview
The choir was formed by
Tim Rhys-Evans, a classically trained singer and former musical director of
Welsh National Youth Opera. It originally had 15 members and is based in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
.
Following ''Last Choir Standing'', the choir signed a five-record deal with
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
and released their first album. They performed with
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...
at
The Royal Variety Performance
The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
in 2008.
The choir embarked on their first UK tour in April/May 2009 with singer and soap star
Amy Nuttall
Amy Abigail Nuttall (born 7 June 1982) is an English actress and singer known for playing Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2000 until 2005, and housemaid Ethel Parks in ITV period drama ''Downton Abbey''.
Early life
Nut ...
joining them as a special guest. The performance at the Cardiff International Arena featured a one-off performance with
Bonnie Tyler
Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...
.
In October 2009, the choir held auditions at the
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...
, Cardiff to find two new members to join them. Later that month the choir's second album, ''Band of Brothers'', went straight to number one in the UK Classical Charts, where it remained for three weeks
TV choir top of classical chartThe album went on to win the NS&I Album of the Year 2010 at the Classical Brit awards.
The choir embarked on their second UK tour in December 2009. Their special guest was Welsh soprano
Gwawr Edwards. In 2010, the choir was given its own Welsh-language television series, ''Only Men Aloud'', on S4C.
In May 2010 Tim Rhys Evans embarked on a new project, to revive the male voice choir tradition, by forming
Only Boys Aloud The boys made their first public appearance at the Ebbw Vale Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale and received three standing ovations for their renditions of Calon Lan, Sosban Fach and Don't Stop Believing.
Only Men Aloud! completed a 16-date UK Christmas Tour in December 2010. Their special guest was West End singer,
Katy Treharne. The show at the CIA in Cardiff also featured Only Boys Aloud who sang "Don't Stop Believing" and "You Raise me Up" with Only Men Aloud!
Only Men Aloud! were also the musical guests on the Christmas Day 2010 edition of BBC One's ''
Strictly Come Dancing''. They sang a specially-arranged version of "Silent Night" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas".
In 2011, Only Men Aloud released their third album called ''In Festive Mood'', made a 15-date UK Christmas Tour and released ''Only Men Aloud - The Book''. ''In Festive Mood'' entered the UK Classical Charts at Number 8. A BBC Wales series, ''Only Boys Aloud: the Academy'', was devoted to
Only Boys Aloud!
On 27 July 2012, Only Men Aloud performed at the opening ceremony of the
2012 Olympic Games. They performed on
Caliban's Dream, as the
Olympic cauldron was lit. The track is featured on the soundtrack of the ceremony, ''
Isles of Wonder''. It was digitally released as a downloadable track on iTunes at midnight on 27 July after the ceremony. It was the highest placed track from the soundtrack on iTunes in the UK, reaching no. 5 when the charts were announced on 29 July.
On 5 August, it entered the main charts at number 12.
Tim Rhys-Evans was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2013. He was awarded the honour for services to music and for charitable services.
In May 2013, It was announced that Only Men Aloud would go through a radical restructure later in the year to become an eight piece group. The decision was made for logistical reasons as they looked to expand their global appeal. At the end of September 2013, the new look line up was announced and the new eight piece group performed two shows in the Elgar Rooms,
Royal Albert Hall. In 2014 they made a 12-date spring tour of Wales, a summer tour of the Midwest of the US, and a 12-date UK Christmas Tour. Another two-part TV series for S4C was shown in December. In February 2015, Only Men Aloud cycled from Cardiff to Paris for charity, arriving in time to sing the Welsh National Anthem on the pitch before the France vs Wales RBS
Six Nations game.
Line-up
Wyn Davies,
David Fortey,
Tom Hier,
David Mahoney,
Steffan Hughes
Niall Allen,
Craig Yates,
Huw Euron,
Stephen Hamnett.
Previous members include
David Thaxton (''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'', ''
Passion''), Alan Winner (''
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
''),
Noel Sullivan (
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV reality TV show '' Popstars'' in February 2001, the first UK series of the international '' Popstars'' franchise. The group, who were signed to Polydor Records, originally ...
)!, and
Jon Robyns (''
Avenue Q'', ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'').
Discography
Albums
Singles
As featured artist
Awards
Classic Brit Awards
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
References
External links
WebsiteOfficial Record Label WebsiteBBC profile
{{Authority control
Boys' and men's choirs
Musical groups established in 2000
Welsh choirs