PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 
Wednesday August 9, 2023
 
My Son My Brother
 
A very special concert will take place in Bath Abbey on Friday November 3 at 7.30pm. Called, “My Son - My Brother”, it will celebrate the life of Kieron Jones who passed away on July 11th just two days before his 47th birthday. 
 
Kieron was the middle son of Bath’s music man, Grenville Jones, and Kieron’s brothers are Daniel and Laurie. Kieron lived in Dulwich in London with his wife Marianna, son Artur 14 and Melodie aged 9. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer three years ago and passed away at St Christopher’s Hospice, Sydenham. The concert will support cancer charities. 
 
Grenville explains;
 
“All the ticket income and a retiring collection will go to charity and the concert will feature both words and music to celebrate the life and talents of my special son.”  
 
Kieron was born in Farmborough and became head boy at Beechen Cliff School. He studied at Swansea University and followed a career in drama and music. In his later years he worked with many senior schools across Denmark with his hugely popular ‘Shakespeare Works’ workshops.
 
The concert on November 3 will feature music from many of the groups linked to the family including the Worship Group from St Phillip and St James’ led by Daniel Jones.  Special guests include the brilliant classical pianist, Nurry Lee, violinist Lizz Lipscombe and a celebration choir of 150 voices comprising singers from both Grenville and Laurie’s mixed-voice choirs. The much-travelled City of Bath Male Choir, founded by Grenville 15 years ago, will also perform.
 
Tickets priced from £18 available from gac.ticketlight.co.uk
 
ENDS

​PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on +44 7778 282934.
 
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
 
Bath’s much travelled Male Choir have just returned from a hugely successful visit to Nashville Tennessee. 
 
The 50 members of the City of Bath Male Choir arrived in Nashville on Saturday October 22 and stayed Downtown for 8 days. The choir was founded by one of the UKs best-known musicians, Grenville Jones in 2007. Its success in a popular BBC1 Saturday night peak-time series came four years later on a programme called, “Last Choir Standing” where they reached the finals, bringing them World-Wide recognition.
 
The Choir performed at a number of famous venues during their stay, including the historic Ryman Theatre, the Grand Ole Opry and recorded two songs in the famous RCA Studio B, made famous by none other than Elvis!
 
During the week they also sang at two sell out concerts, on Thursday at Gallatin First United Methodist Church as guests of The Chancel Choir, Choir Director Ashley Vance said;
 
“We had so much fun at the concert! The choir sang beautifully and their enthusiasm and kindness was a gift to all of us. We raised over $1000 for our music students. Thank you for a lovely evening, we will have to visit you all in Bath!”
 
On their final evening, as guests of The Nashville Singers, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Director of Music Sloan Yarborough said;
 
“What a wonderful and lovely night of singing together! I told our guys that it was such a treat to have a truly complementary concert experience with Bath Male Choir. Our audience appreciated it and had a terrific time! We need to discuss your kind invitation to Bath. What an experience that would be!”
 
Whilst in Nashville Grenville also met with the Vice President of Tourism Sales for Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp Laurel Bennett, she said;
 
“I'm so glad your trip went well and that I got to meet you in person! Thank you so much for bringing the Bath Male Choir to Nashville!”
 
ENDS
 
Image shows Laurie and Grenville Jones at the Ryman Theatre in Nashville.
 

PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 
Wednesday 10 August 2022
 
October celebration for Bath Male Choir
 
Image shows: Bath Male Choir at a charity concert in Bath Abbey conducted by founder Grenville Jones.
 
 
Back in 2007 Bath music man Grenville Jones had the idea that a new Male Voice Choir would take off in the City.
 
“Everyone said I was barking mad. The many choirs in Bath were all struggling to recruit male singers, so to start a new choir in the City for men – no chance!”
 
Grenville persisted with the idea and promoted hard across the area, reaching out to churches, clubs and pubs with leaflets and flyers. A recruitment drive that saw leaflets given out at Bath Rugby home games started to pay dividends.
 
“Our first meeting was not a rehearsal as such, just a get together in a room at Beechen Cliff School. We had about 15 men turn up including two of my sons who I press-ganged into being there. Rehearsals then moved to Tuesday nights at Beechen Cliff Methodist and slowly but surely the choir grew in size.”
 
Grenville then had a call from a new BBC Saturday night entertainment show called ‘Last Choir Standing’ inviting him to put one of his choirs forward to audition.
 
“I thought we were pretty unique, a NEW male choir with members from all sorts of backgrounds and jobs. I imagined that it might appeal and not long after we were on a coach, and on the way to London. We sang for the judges, three songs at the Cadogen Hall in Smith Square.
 
“The tenor Russell Watson was one of three judges. After we had sung one song we told us that were the Wall of Sound he had been waiting all week to hear! We were chosen from hundreds of choirs and then appeared over a number of weeks, singing on prime-time BBC 1 on Saturday evenings plus some dance ‘moves’ for the big showstopper song at the close of each show.”
 
Bath Male Choir reached the finals and not long after sang at their first major concert in the Banqueting Room at the Guildhall, a packed audience of families and friends, plus many who had voted for them each week on the TV show.
 
The intervening years have seen them establish a reputation as one of the leading UK male choirs. They have sung across the UK, visited Japan, Boston and later this year set off to Nashville. They performed at the Menin Gate in Ypres at the 2018 Remembrance Ceremony and have raised many thousands of pounds for local and national charities.
 
On Sunday October 10th they celebrate 15 years of music making with 65 singers who live across the area. They are returning to the Guildhall for a very special concert starting at 5pm and featuring songs both old and new from their repertoire. Grenville has been joined by his youngest son Laurie, 42 and they now share conducting duties.
 
“We’ll both be in action on the night!” says Grenville.
 
Tickets can be purchased for £15 online from www.bathmalechoir.org or call 01761 472468.
 
A concert not to be missed.
 
ENDS
 

​PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 
Monday, March 28, 2022
 
 
Two of Bath’s leading choirs will be performing at a FREE ADMISSION concert on Saturday April 9.
 
The concert starts at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7.00pm, taking place at the Freedom Centre concert hall on the Lower Bristol Road in Bath where there is ample car parking on site.
 
The Celebrated City of Bath Male Choir and the mixed-voice Bath WelcomeChorus will perform, both choirs being conducted by Bath music man Grenville Jones.
 
Grenville said;
 
“It is going to be a great evening of music with free admission, although there will be a bucket collection at the end of the evening to support Bath-based organisations who work with those living with dementia and their carers. We hope to raise a substantial amount for this valuable work.”
 
Both choirs have busy concert schedules ahead with the WelcomeChorus singing at Malmesbury Abbey on Saturday July 2. The City of Bath Male Choir will celebrate their 15th birthday with a concert in the Banqueting Room in the Guildhall on Sunday October 9 and a visit to America’s ‘home of music’ Nashville at the end of October.
 
For full details call 01761 472468 or see www.grenvillejones.biz 
 
ENDS
 
 

​PRESS RELEASE
 Friday December 31 2021
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 
 
It was back in 2007 when choir leader Grenville Jones thought that he would start a new choir for men in the City of Bath. He had just returned from a concert tour to New Zealand leading a mixed-voice choir, performing at a number of concerts with male voice choirs from across New Zealand.
 
Grenville said;
 
“People thought that I was bonkers and I was reminded on a number of occasions of the numbers of choirs that were existing in Bath and how all of them were pretty desperate to recruit male singers! Taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, I arranged an open rehearsal for any men who might be interested and that was the start of what became the City of Bath Male Choir.”
 
Then the choir entered the popular BBC Saturday night competition ‘Last Choir Standing’ reaching the finals and a World-wide audience of many millions of viewers. As more singers from across the area joined the choir were in high demand for concert performances and in recent years have sung at concerts across the UK and around Europe. The choir also toured Japan in 2014 – the first amateur choir to visit the country. The next hugely successful tour was to Boston in the States and Grenville Jones recently announced that in October this year (2022) Bath Male Choir will visit the music city of Nashville in Tennessee.
 
“We are now planning the itinerary for the Nashville visit with a choir party of 50 committed to take part and we hope to be in Nashville for October 22-30 for what will again be a very special few days, seeing the famous music sites and performing at concerts,” said Grenville Jones.
 
Members of the choir come from across the area and rehearsals start back on Tuesday January 11 at Beechen Cliff Methodist Church in Bear Flat, Bath.
 
Grenville’s son Laurie has recently taken over the role of deputy conductor and Grenville and Laurie look forward to welcoming prospective new members.
 
Laurie Jones said;
 
“My dad started the choir many years ago and it has an enviable reputation for entertaining and exciting audiences. It’s a great challenge to be sharing the role of conductor with him and we look forward to meeting new potential members to sing in the leading male voice choir in the West of England.
 
“Come along and meet us on a Tuesday night.”
 
Nearer to home the choir already have a busy diary for the new year with concerts in and around Bath, Salisbury, Taunton, Cheltenham and Cornwall.
 
For full details see www.bathmalechoir.org
 
ENDS
 
Images

• Singing in the States, looking back Bath Male Choir performing in Boston during their 2019 tour. Looking forward the Bath Male Choir will visit Nashville, Tennessee in 2022.

 

• Founder Grenville Jones.

 

Thursday 25 November 2021
 
Following 18 months of Lockdown the celebrated City of Bath Male Choir returned to their rehearsal room in September and next week they will sing for the first time at a public concert.
 
St Matthew’s Church, Rowde, is the venue for a ‘Welcome Back’ concert which will feature the choir, conducted by Grenville Jones and his youngest son Laurie.
 
Says Grenville;
 
“During Lockdown the boys sang weekly via Zoom and it was wonderful to be back singing again in our rehearsal room, since that time we have been learning many new pieces.
 
“My youngest son Laurie is a music teacher in Bristol and also conducts the Malmesbury Community Choir … I am delighted that he is now sharing the conductor role with myself and this will be his first concert with the Bath Male Choir.”
 
Special guest will be Lizz Lispcombe who is well known throughout the UK. She has appeared on radio and television many times and is now dedicating much of her time as a music therapist in and around Wiltshire.
 
The concert at St Matthew’s starts at 7.30pm, tickets are priced £15 and are available from 01761 472468.
 
Looking ahead to 2022, Bath Male Choir already have concerts booked in Taunton, Salisbury and Swindon. Grenville Jones has just announced that the choir are planning to visit Nashville in October 2022. In recent years Bath Male Choir have toured extensively across Europe, were the first amateur male choir to visit Japan and two years ago had a hugely successful tour to Boston in the States.
 
www.bathmalechoir.org
 
ENDS
 
Picture shows Bath Male Choir during their visit to Boston.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

​PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday, September 16, 2021
 
Next Choir Tour Announced – it’s Nashville, USA
 
The celebrated Bath Male Choir hit the headlines a few years ago when they reached the finals of the popular Saturday night BBC series ‘Last Choir Standing’.
 
Since that time the choir have grown in size and taken part in a number of tours around the World. They have sung at concerts across the UK and Europe, took part in a hugely successful visit to Japan in 2014, with their most recent tour being to Boston, USA, in 2019.
 
Now back to singing after the Covid Lockdown, founder conductor Grenville Jones has announced that plans are taking place for another tour at the end of 2022.
 
“Tours are an important part of choir life and we have had some fantastic times in the past and I am now starting to plan a visit to Nashville around October of next year, 2022.
 
“After getting in touch with Mayor John Cooper in Nashville we have received a warm invitation to visit next year. Nashville, of course, is THE ‘music city’ and home to The Grand Old Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame and many other popular tourist venues with music links,” said Grenville.
 
Rehearsals re-commenced two weeks ago at Beechen Cliff Methodist Church in Bear Flat, Bath, where new potential members are always welcome on a Tuesday evening from 7.30pm onwards.
 
“Singing in a choir is one of the most rewarding hobbies and if you are guy who enjoys singing along in the car or in the shower then, just perhaps, Bath Male Choir might be just what you are looking for. The majority of singers in our choir had not previously sung in an organised group before and with an ever-growing list of invitations to concerts, we are actively recruiting new singers in all parts and all voices, whether low or high!”
 
Full details of the trip to Nashville will be announced in January. Meanwhile if you are a man who loves to sing then Grenville and his son Laurie, with whom he shares the conducting, look forward to meeting you on a Tuesday evening.
 
www.bathmalechoir.org
 
ENDS
 
Picture shows Bath Male Choir performing in the Old South Meeting House in Boston, USA, in 2019.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

Bath Male Choir are pictured above (left) singing at the historic Old South Meeting House Boston on Monday Oct 28, one of the many performances during a memorable visit by The Choir to Boston. Another special concert was at The First Parish Church, Bedford, hosted by the one and only, Brad Conner. A card was received in the office signed by many who were in the audience that night - "such a pleasure" - "a true joy!" - "thank you, what a show!" - "we loved your singing"... words in the card also said, "we were thrilled by your voices, your songs and your humour. On behalf of the music committee here at First Parish, thank you for bringing us the gift of your song. We all loved listening to you, singing with you and welcoming you to our church." The picture below shows the Church Choir and the "Boys from Bath" joining together in song. 

The Choir will be one of the guests of BBC Radio Bristol on Tuesday December 17th at their their Annual Christmas Celebration. This will take place at the Ansom Rooms on Queens Road, Bristol. Bath Male Choir will also be singing at a Christmas Concert at St Michael's Church on December 21st with two other choirs led by Grenville, the Bath Chorus and the Bath Welcome Choir. Tickets are sold out for this concert and there is a waiting list  - call Jody on 01761 472468. 

Bath Male Choir already has a number of concerts in the diary for 2020, including a visit to Richmond in Yorkshire in March. Full details of concerts will be updated soon. ​