Fri, 18 May 2012 09:32:42 -0800WeeblyThu, 08 Dec 2011 02:42:30 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/12/bmc-will-be-special-guests-at-the-annual-bbc-radio-bristol-carol-service.htmlPress Release
Thursday 8th December 2011

Bath’s popular Male Choir will be special guests at the annual BBC Radio Bristol Carol Service this year.

This brings to a close another busy year with a 90 strong Choir who hit the national headlines when they reached the finals of the BBC’s ‘Last Choir Standing’ series. The TV show has since been screened across the world prompting emails to the Choir’s founder conductor Grenville Jones from as far a field as Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

One Australian fan even made a special visit to Bath in October so he could attend a Choir rehearsal and hear the ‘Boys from Bath’ first hand.

Other concert performances this year have included a highly successful visit to France, a memorable concert in Bath Abbey with the famous RAF Central Band raising £10,000 for Help for Heroes and the recent annual concert in The Forum, Bath, with Lee Mead.

The Radio Bristol Carol Service always attracts a capacity audience and next Wednesday (December 14th) over a thousand people will head for the Clifton College Chapel where the Christmas concert will be recorded.

Grenville Jones has been asked to lead the audience carols and Bath Male Choir will perform two seasonal items. The readings are taken by Radio Bristol Presenters and special guests.

Says Grenville :

“It is a great pleasure to be asked to sing for Radio Bristol.

“they have always been great supporters of our Choir and we are looking forward hugely to the concert which will be broadcast on Christmas Day.”

Full details of the Choir on www.bathmalechoir.org

ENDS

Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

]]>Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/09/bath-male-choirs-open-evening.htmlBath’s famous Male Choir will be holding an open evening on Tuesday September 20th for all men who want to know more about the enjoyment of singing in the Choir.
 
Founded by Grenville Jones five years ago, Bath Male Choir hit the headlines when they reached the finals of the BBC’s Last Choir Standing series. This popular Saturday night TV show attracted a TV audience of millions and from that moment Bath Male Choir has gone from strength to strength.
 
Not only did the TV show establish a supporter base across the United Kingdom but emails flooded in from as far a field as South Africa, New Zealand and Australia as the series has been screened world-wide in the last few months.
 
The Choir always has a busy concert schedule and their annual show this year will be on Saturday November 5th at the Bath Forum when their guest will be ‘Any Dream Will Do’ winner Lee Mead.
 
The open night is at Beechen Cliff Methodist Church and Grenville is particularly hoping to attract younger men to go along for a taster of just what is so special about singing with a male choir.
 
He said :
 
“We now have a membership of over 90 singers who come from across the area. We are working on a new repertoire for the concert with Lee Mead and will be singing one number with Lee that night.
 
“Next year we have an invitation to visit Cornwall and the Choir diary is already filling up for 2012.
 
“Singing is a great hobby so if you always sing along in your car or serenade when you are in the shower, come along on September 20th and discover the best hobby in the world.”
 
Tickets are on sale at Bath Box Office on 01225 463362.
 
ENDS
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
]]>Thu, 26 May 2011 03:07:58 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/05/top-tv-names-head-for-bath.htmlPRESS RELEASE - Thursday, 26th May, 2011

Two of the UK’s best known TV celebrity singers, Lee Mead and Rhydian Roberts will be appearing in Bath over the coming months. Under the title TV Favourites the concerts are promoted by Bath’s own music man, Grenville Jones.
 
They will appear at the Bath Forum in Southgate where Grenville has staged hugely successful sell-out shows with artistes like Katherine Jenkins, Hayley Westenra, Alfie Boe and Aled Jones in the past.

Lee Mead was performing in The Phantom of the Opera when he auditioned for the BBC series Any Dream Will Do to play Joseph. He won the role of Joseph nine weeks later. Bookings for Joseph for the first three months  sold out and the producers extended the show's run by a year.

Lee Mead will be in Bath on Saturday November 5th and Rhydian Roberts will be the star on a Christmas show on Saturday December 10th.

The album followed and achieved double gold status.

Lee Mead returned to the West End in 2010 taking on the role of Fiyero in the musical Wicked, however on his ‘day’s off’ he focused on pursuing a solo singing career which saw him touring around Britain. This culminated in 2010 with a highly successful evening at the London Coliseum in December.

Earlier this year he performed live on BBC1 to millions at Twickenham Stadium during the England 6 Nations Rugby and is looking forward to touring in Japan later in 2011.

This will be his first visit to Bath for what is sure to be a sell-out show. The concert will also feature a host of new numbers from the popular Bath Male Choir as well as the award winning Bristol Musical Youth.

Rhydian Roberts is a classically trained Welsh singer who first came to the public's attention through his spellbinding performances on X Factor. His first album, entitled 'Rhydian', went double platinum and his second, 'O Fortuna', was nominated in the Classical BRITS for Best Album of the Year 2010.
 
His repertoire draws on every genre and style; the high energy pop & rock of 'Go West' and 'Somebody To Love'; the heart-stirring musical theatre of 'Somewhere' and 'The Impossible Dream'; the classical purity of 'Benedictus' and 'Adiemus' to the very Welsh 'Myfanwy' and 'Yma O Hyd'.

He has become known for the power and sensitivity of his voice, for passion which captivates and for performances so exhilarating they leave his audience entranced. He is one of the most exciting live stage performers in the World.

He comes from a background in Wales where he was surrounded by choirs and choral music. The Bath Chorus and fabulous Stockingtops will give the show some local vocal sparkle.
 
Says Grenville:
 
“Lee and Rhydian Roberts have massive reputations as live stage performers. Both these concerts will be absolutely fantastic nights to remember. They will promoted across the West of England and will bring hundreds to the city to enjoy the very best of popular music.”
 
Tickets for all the Forum Shows are now on sale at Bath Box Office 01225 463362 or see www.grenvillejones.biz

ENDS

PLEASE NOTE : Rhydian Roberts but be promoted as Rhydian Roberts and not just Rhydian – thank you. Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 0777 828 2934. ]]>Fri, 13 May 2011 02:04:49 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/05/tv-choir-have-weston-date-saturday-july-2nd.html Last Choir Standing’s famous Bath Male Choir will be singing on Saturday July 2 at All Saints Church, Weston super Mare. All proceeds are for the Golden-Oldies charity, that brings music and laughter to hundreds of elderly people across the West of England. The concert starts at 7-30pm. And features soprano soloist Charlotte Newstead. The Goldies as it has become known has attracted world-wide media attention. Sir Cliff Richard is the patron. There is popular Goldies session at Martindale Court every Tuesday morning in the town. Goldies founder is Grenville Jones. He is also the conductor of Bath Male Choir which he started in January 2006. Two years later, with numbers around the 60 mark Grenville entered his choir for the BBC's Last Choir Standing series. The rest, as they say, is history! The Choir reached the top five and were supported by millions of viewers across the UK. One of the judges, Russell Watson, dubbed them, "The Wall of Sound" and concert requests flooded in. Since that time the BBC has shown the Last Choir Standing Series around the world and Bath Male Choir have supporters as far away as Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

In the last five years, Bath Male Choir has raised many thousands of pounds for local and National Charities. For the last two years the Choir have travelled to London to perform at the Prostate Cancer Charity’s major Christmas Concert at St John’s Smith Square, Westminster.  They have recently sang at  Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey, supporting the Help For Heroes Charity, raising over £10,000 in March with the RAF Central Band.

The guest soloist is soprano Charlotte Newstead from Bristol who read music at the University of Bristol, graduating with a Masters Degree with distinction in Early Music.

She regularly appears as a soloist with orchestras around the UK performing such works as Strauss's Four Last Songs, Mozart's Concert Arias, Bach cantatas and Villa Lobos's Bachianas Brasilieras.

She has sung in venues throughout the UK from Snape Maltings, St Martin in the Fields and Dorchester Abbey to Salisbury Cathedral, Bath Abbey and Petersfield Festival Hall.

Tickets are priced £8 (no concessions) available from Heritage Café (in Weston super Mare) or call 01761 472468

Ends

Please contact Grenville Jones on 0777 828 2934

]]>Thu, 05 May 2011 04:55:31 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/05/get-singing-with-choirskool.htmlA new youth choir project, for boys and girls aged 8-16 years will be started by Grenville Jones in June. It will launch in Bath with an open night on Tuesday June 21 and an invitation to parents and young people to go along and find out more. 

CHOIRSkool will be on Tuesday nights from 4-6pm at St Bart’s Church in Oldfield Park. 

The CHOIRSkool year will be divided into four 12 week terms.
 
Grenville already leads a number of highly successful music projects in the area including the mixed-voice Bath Chorus, the Last Choir Standing Bath Male Choir, the Stockingtops and Good Afternoon Choirs in both Bath and Devizes.

He is also the founder of the Golden-Oldies Charity which brings music and singing to hundreds of elderly folk across the west each week. Goldies, as it has become known, has attracted world-wide media coverage. Sir Cliff Richard is the Goldies Patron.
 
Grenville explains the background to his new project.
 
“Parents as well as grandparents have been asking me for a long time if I would consider starting a choir for children and young people.
 
“CHOIRSkool will be for everyone. There will be no auditions. I want to give boys and girls the chance to learn all about harmony singing as well as rhythm.
 
“There is a huge interest in singing and CHOIRSkool will be all about having fun through music. It will give young people from 8-16 the chance to learn to sing all types of music from glee to gospel and pop to praise.
 
“Some of the many talented young local musicians will be working with me. The accent will be learning at a pace to suit all and there will be concerts and events right from the start.
 
“Singing can be enjoyed by all age groups. I know that all too well through my work with all my other groups.
 
“Our open night on Tuesday June 21 from 4pm- 6pm is an opportunity for everyone to come along and find out why CHOIRSkool is going to be different!“
 
Grenville Jones also conducts the Norland College student choir, which has been invited to sing at the Mayor-Making ceremony in Bath Abbey on Saturday June 4. Find out more about all of his projects on www.grenvillejones.biz

Ends ]]>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/02/music-stage-in-southgate-during-the-bath-half-marathon.htmlPRESS RELEASE -Thursday, February 17, 2011
    
The SouthGate in Bath will resound with golden music through the afternoon of this year’s Bath Half Marathon on Sunday March 6.
 
For the first time this year a live music stage from 12 noon through to 4 pm featuring top local bands and musicians.
 
The Nutricia Stage is organised by The Golden-Oldies Charity. Goldies, as they have become known, are the 2011 Bath Half Local Charity of the Year and the music stage was the idea of Goldies Founder, Grenville Jones.
 
Says Grenville;
 
“As a Charity we bring together hundreds of elderly people each week, encouraging them to sing, smile and have fun togethee. I thought it would be great to have a live music stage as part of Baths massive Sunday celebrations when there are thousands of people on the streets of the city.
 
“I would like to particularly thank the SouthGate management who have been so supportive and of course Nutricia UK who are not only sponsoring the stage but also our team of runners.”
 
The music line-up will include well-known singer Gavin Lazurus, the Zen Hussies, the Ali Baba’s barbershop group, Claire Miller and stage compare will be Imogen Sellers from BBC West.  
 
The Golden-Oldies Charity launched a £100,000 appeal in January to double the number of singing sessions it delivers this year. A recent independent report from the University of Bath praised the work of the Charity and the positive effect it is having on the lives of those who attend the sessions.

Grenville Jones is one of the Goldies runners, support the charity on-line www.golden-oldies.org.uk

Ends

For press enquieries please call 0777 828 2934

]]>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:38:42 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2011/01/december-30th-2010-press-release.htmlFor the third consecutive year Golden-Oldies founder Grenville Jones has featured in the Bath Chronicle "People of the Year " awards.
 
The newspaper which celebrated its own 250th anniversary this year, lists a host of categories with Olympic Gold medallist Amy Williams named as Woman of the Year alongside Bath businessman Andrew Brownsword, Bath Man of the Year.
 
Grenville won Bath Man of the Year two years ago for  his work in starting  the Golden-Oldies charity. He was named as a runner-up last year and is listed as a runner-up again this year. The Chronicle says;
 
Grenville Jones - You can't keep a good man down  and this year he has continued his one-man campaign to teach the city to sing. Just as importantly his Time after Time initiative to bring young and old together through the power of music earned him well-deserved credit throughout the community.

The Time after Time project is also named as Event of the Year ahead of runner-up The British Transplant Games which took place in Bath in 2010 and the hugely successful community production of Ben Hur at the Theatre Royal. Writing about Time after Time, the Chronicle says;

"Time after Time bought smiles and laughter to the faces of hundreds of elderly and young people."

ends
]]>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:13:25 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2010/11/acm-gospel-choir-come-to-bath-saturday-december-11th-2010.htmlPRESS RELEASE
ONE of the UK’s top young Gospel groups will be on stage in Bath this Christmas. Following their success on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing, ACM Gospel Choir have toured with Russell Watson and last year released a hit Christmas CD.

They will be guests of Bath music man, Grenville Jones at the Bath Forum on Saturday December 11, starting at 7.30pm. This annual show has featured such names as Hayley Westenra and Katherine Jenkins in past years and always attracts a capacity audience.

The ACM Gospel Choir is a musical collective of some of the most talented singers, songwriters and performers in the UK today. With a great blend of voices from different genres, different continents across the world and different ages the ‘New Gospel’ sound that they have created is unique. The choir was formed in 2005 by Mark De-Lisser.

Mark and Grenville struck up a friendship when Bath Male Choir also appeared on Last Choir Standing. Says Grenville:

“He is a multi-talented musician and ACM are fantastic on stage. December 11th will be another sparkling evening at the Bath Forum.”

Also appearing will be Grenville’s all-girl singing group the fabulous Stockingtops.

They will be on stage in Milsom Street, Bath on Thursday November 18th for the Cities BIG Christmas light switch-on by the Duchess of Cornwall.

Also appearing at the Forum on December 11th will be rising star 17 year old Tom Corbishley. Tom lives at Trowbridge and attends Bath College. Grenville saw him at a Zenith Youth Theatre production in 2009 and since that time Tom has performed as a soloist at a number of Grenville’s concerts.

He recently won the Best Actor Rose Bowl award for the second consecutive year following his lead role in Zenith’s production of Dracula, earlier this year.

Also appearing will be The Bath Chorus conducted by Grenville Jones. The Chorus now numbers over 100 singers, many being young music students who are based in the city. They performed at a packed Wells Cathedral earlier this year supporting Help for Heroes and will be singing in Bath Abbey on December 8th, a concert organised by the National Osteoporosis Society.

This promises to be an evening packed with popular Christmas melodies and with appearances also from the Good Afternoon Choir and Grenville’s new Wednesday evening mixed voice Choir which already has over 70 members.

Tickets from Bath Box Office priced £10, £15 and £20 on 01225 463362.

ENDS
For press enquiries please call Grenville on 07778 282934]]>Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:05:27 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2010/10/grenville-joness-new-non-audition-choir-will-hold-its-first-open-night-wednesday-october-20th-from-730pm.htmlGrenville Jones's new non-audition choir will hold its first open night for interested singers at the main hall at Culverhay School on Wednesday October 20th from 7.30pm.
 
Since announcing his new music project Grenville has been inundated with emails and calls from people keen to learn more. Grenville's new choir, yet to find a name, will sing a range of music from folk songs to modern pieces.
 
"The accent will be on enjoyment," he says.
 
"Singing to so popular here in the UK and I have been amazed at the response" adds Grenville and I look forward to meeting everyone at Culverhay School on Wednesday Oct 20th.
 
"It is a good venue and easy to access from Midsomer Norton and Keynsham with no parking problems, just come along if you would like to find out more."
 
See www.grenvillejones.biz
 
Grenville is the founder of the Golden-Oldies Charity which now brings music to hundreds of elderly people across the West region. He is also working on a major 2 year EU study of how technology can bring music and exercise into the homes of isolated people.
 
He conducts the famous Last Choir Standing Bath Male Choir, the 90 strong Bath Chorus, an auditioned mixed choir, the all-girl Fabulous Stockingtops and the Norland College Choir.
 
He also leads the Bath Good Afternoon Choir, is patron of the Cornish Community Choirs association and is a council member of the Association of British Choral Conductors.
 
Ends ]]>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0800http://www.bathmalechoir.org/1/post/2010/08/calling-all-singers-new-choir-starting.htmlPRESS RELEASE
Monday, August 16, 2010

Bath music man Grenville Jones is calling open house for anyone who fancies joining a choir. Grenville is best known for his famous Last Choir Standing Bath Male Choir but he leads a number of other groups. He is also planning a brand new no audition fun for all evening choir in the Autumn.
 
Leaflets and flyers will be going out across the city inviting singers to open rehearsals at St Bart’s Church in Oldfield Park through September and October, “Come and try,” is the message.
 
Emma Rushe is one of the young singers in THE Bath Chorus. She went for an audition when Grenville started his new mixed voice choir after parting company with The Silver Ring Choir in January 2009. Says Emma:

“I used to really enjoy singing at music college and when a friend told me about Grenville starting a new mixed voice choir in Bath I decided to go along and audition. The choir is very friendly and of a great standard with over 90 singers. We have performed at the opening night of the Bath Christmas switch on with Nicolas Cage as well as in Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey.
 
“There have been concerts with Hayley Westenra and Aled Jones at the Bath Forum. And we have some big dates coming up including two major Charity concerts and our show with ACM on December 11th.“
 
John Roch sings with Bath Male Choir www.bathmalechoir.org. He says:

“I am one of the relatively new members. I used to sing but Bath Male Choir is different. The music is great and when we perform at concerts the experience is brilliant. If you love to sing then don’t be put off by the word 'Choir', come along to one of our Open Nights www.grenvillejones.biz/open-nights.html  and give it a try. You won’t regret it. ”
 
John’s wife Hilary is a member of Grenville’s 50 strong Stockingtops group. They are singing at Wiltshire Music Centre on September 25th with Bath Male Choir.
 
Another choir started by Grenville is the Bath Thursday Good Afternoon Choir which is taken by Francis Faux who works with Grenville. It is for everyone, no auditions, just join and enjoy singing in the daytime! Russell Eagles is a member. This is what Russell has to say...

“I joined the choir when it was started by Grenville in May last year. I have no singing background although I was a music student many years ago. I have always nurtured a feeling to be involved in the world of music.
 
“The music we sing is lively and modern. Francis Faux is our inspirational conductor and Grenville officiates when Francis is absent. If you want an uplifting, enjoyable afternoon and be part of a happy family away from all your troubles then come and join us.”
  
And the new singing group? Grenville explains;
 
“People keep asking me if they could join an evening choir which doesn’t have the pressure of auditions so that is the next project!“
 
Full details can be found on www.grenvillejones.biz singing is one of the most popular hobbies in the UK, now is your chance to give it a try.
  
ENDS


Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 0777 828 2934 or 01761 472468 office or email on jonesgrenville@aol.com]]>