Origin

Originally in Tredegar there were two choirs, a glee party and a small chapel choir. In 1909, these united under the baton of Mr John Davy Evans, and thus became known as, The Tredegar Orpheus Male Voice Choir, the name "Orpheus" coming from the Greek god of music.

Musical Directors and Competitions

To date, the Choir has competed in 150 Local Eisteddfodau, winning:

136 First Prizes

11 Second Prizes

3 Third Prizes

The Major Prize which has eluded the Choir is the National Eisteddfod.

When they came second at the National Eisteddfod at Corwen, the adjudicator described them as "Wales" Premier Choir. They also shared joint second prize at the National Eisteddfod at Ruthin under the baton of Mr leuan Davies, who was conductor from 1964 to 1983. This is the longest period served by a conductor apart from the founder, John Davy Evans, who served the choir from 1909 to 1934.

During the seventies, under the baton of Mr leuan Davies, the Choir gained several First Prizes at the Pontrhydfendigaid and Porthcawl Eisteddfodau.

1983 saw a change of conductor with Mr Geraint Davies appointed as Musical Director.

Under his leadership the Choir appeared in two Finals of ''The Choir of the Year" at St Davids Hall, Cardiff, and, The Final of the B & I competition at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

Venues

The Choir has performed at most of the principal halls throughout the UK, including :

The Royal Albert Hall, London

The Usher Hall, Edinburgh

De Montfort Hall, Leicester

The Dome Brighton

One of the more unusual venues has been the liner QE2. On this occasion, the Choir, together with the Band of the Welsh Guards, entertained guests on board ship at Southampton.

Premises

Prior to 1974 the Choir made use of local chapels, schools and industrial premises to use as practice venues. This highlights the loyalty and dedication made by members at that time in having to move about for rehearsals.

In 1974, the Choir were fortunate to acquire their present Headquarters in Rawlinson Terrace, Tredegar. This is now known as 'The Orpheus Music Centre'.

This was made possible by funds from the old Tredegar Urban District Council. A condition of this grant was the hall should be made available for use by local organizations in and around the Tredegar area.

Fund Raising

The Choir policy of assisting charitable causes has continued since their acquisition of the property, which is used by many organizations to raise funds. Amongst these are:

The Hospice of the Marches

The St. Davids Foundation

These organizations cover South Wales, The South West and The Midlands.

During the Choirs existence many thousands of pounds have been raised for charities throughout the British Isles. A typical example was the "Children in Need' appeal, when representatives of the Choir travelled together with the Balderstone Choir, on an air tour around Britain which raised some £60,000.

Tours

Recently, the Choir has undertaken tours to Canada, France, Germany and Switzerland, and also a visit to the European Parliament Headquarters in Strasbourg.

During our visits, we have been acclaimed as true ambassadors for the Principality. Indeed, it has been said that while in Nantes,France, the first "seeds" were sown which led to the twinning of Tredegar and Orvault, a suburb of Nantes.

Over the years, many friendships have formed with the people of Wallau and Trebur, two towns near the Frankfurt area of Germany with regular contact still being made.

Pictures

Below are some pictures of the Tredegar Orpheus over the ages. I don't have dates for two of the pictures. if anyone has any idea then please let me know via email. Click on any of the picture below for a closer view.

1938

1961

1978

Unknown?

Unknown 2?