Only Men Aloud bring a fresh and funky mix of songs to Venue Cymru

Mar 19 2009 by Daniel Bissett, North Wales Weekly News

LLANDUDNO is up for a treat as winners of last year’s BBC singing contest Last Choir Standing embark on a UK tour.

Cardiff-based all-male choir Only Men Aloud will be stopping off at Venue Cymru on Wednesday, April 29.

The choir consists of teachers, musicians, students, a gardener and a pharmacist, with some of the members taking time out from rehearsals to play rugby and football.

With a repertoire ranging from 15th century to current day, the conductor is eager to show there should be no barriers placed on choral singing and they want to prove to their audience that choirs can be fresh and funky.

“The tradition of singing in Wales is second to none,” said Andy Mulligan, one of the members, who was brought up in Liverpool, but went down to Cardiff to study music and then joined the choir.

“This choir likes to sing a richer mix of songs, so we like to do anything from pop to a more classical range.

“There’s 20 of us all together, and we get on really well, it’s like being in a football team.

“If we do have a minor disagreement, five minutes later, its forgotten about.”

Life has been rather busy for the choir members, as they are also working on their second album.

Andy, 35, who works a music teacher in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said although he never expected the choir to win the contest, as the weeks passed by, he felt any of the final few choirs could go on and win.

“We just went in there, sang, and hoped for the best,” he said.

“The standard was so high that I thought any of the last five or so remaining choirs could win it, there was nothing in it.

“The feedback we got off the judges was terrific and although we were pleased to win, I think all the choirs could take something positive from it.”

Only Men Aloud! was started in 2000 by Tim Rhys-Evans, who wanted to create a young male voice choir who were unafraid to tackle music not usually performed by traditional male choirs.

For further details about the performance and for tickets, call (01492) 872000 or visit www.venuecymru.co.uk