Press Release
Date Monday Sept 8th
From Cider to Sake
IMAGES SHOW - Bath Male Choir with the backdrop of the Royal Crescent Bath
Cider maker and choir member Bob Honey (left) with founder conductor Grenville Jones and the Bath Male Choir tour party
Hear Bath Male choir sing in Japanese from their tour CD www.bathmalechoir.org
----------------------------------------------------------------
One of the UKs best-known male choirs will take the taste of Somerset to Japan when they set out on a ten day concert tour on Friday October 31. Bath Male Choir are the first amateur English male choir to perform to audiences in Kyoto and Tokyo.
The City of Bath Male Choir was seen by a world-wide audience when they reached the finals of the Saturday evening BBC One ‘Last Choir Standing’ series. Since that time the choir has performed at prestigious concert venues across Europe.
One of the sponsors of the tour is local farmer and cider maker Bob Honey whose Honey’s Midford Cider is enjoyed around the West Country. The village of Midford is close to Bath and Bob is a member of the choir. The tour jackets have been supplied by locally-based workware brand suppliers Dickies and carry the Midford Cider logo on the reverse.
Said Bob;
‘The boys in the choir are all very proud of our Bath and Somerset roots and during the time in Kyoto we are guests of a Sake brewery. I will definitely be telling them about the delights of Somerset cider.’
Grenville Jones is founder conductor. He leads a number of West Country choirs and is also the founder of the Golden-Oldies Charity. Goldies, as it is fondly known, was started by Grenville six years ago with four daytime singing and activity sessions for older isolated people. By the end of 2014 it will deliver of 100 sessions across Southern England and Wales with 40 dedicated session leaders.
There will be 42 members on the Japan tour party which will include singers and some partners. It has been organised by Bath based World Market Travel. Local financial support has also come from Bath bid and The Charter Trustees of the City. The Mayor of Bath is patron of the choir.
The tour was instigated by Stuart Axtell who lives in Tokyo with his partner, Fumiko Akimoto. Stuart was born and bred in Kingwell, Timsbury, near Bath and moved to Japan in 1991.
Together they run a successful garden design company and on Saturday November 8 the choir will be guests of Yamadera san, the owner of Kingswell Gardens.
Stuart said;
“I have followed the success of Bath Male Choir since their national TV appearances on Last Choir Standing and during visits to Bath in the last few months have met the boys and dropped in on their rehearsals.
“We will have a great day with them when they come to Kingswell Gardens. They will sing in the fabulous concert hall, tour the gardens and I know this will make a memorable final day for them on the Japan tour.”
Cider takes second place to Sake on Sunday November 2 when the tour party will be guests of the Yamamoto Honke Sake Brewery and Museum. The visit has been arranged by Reina Yamamoto who is the wife of the 12th generation brewery owner and her husband Koji.
Reina said;
“We are all looking forward to meeting the members of the famous Bath Male Choir and during the visit to the brewery and museum there will be many opportunities to sing to us.”
On Japan Culture Day Monday November 3 Bath Male Choir will be guests of the prestigious Bacchus Festival which is organised by the Japan Choral Association Kansai Division, the City of Itami and Itami Culture Foundation.
Bath Male Choir will be the first choir from the United Kingdom to sing at the festival which attracts choirs from across Japan.
Yoshihiro Egawa deputy-secretary general of the Japan Choral Association said;
“The visit of Bath Male Choir will have very special significance to our Bacchus Festival and we look forward with great enthusiasm to welcoming their conductor Dr Grenville Jones and his famous male choir. It will be a wonderful experience for our members and the men from Bath.”
After four days in Kyoto the choir then travels by JR Shinkansen train to Tokyo. During their time in Tokyo they will guests of the prestigious British School.
Mr Brian Christian, Principal of the British School in Tokyo said;
“When we learnt of the visit of Bath Male Choir to Tokyo this seemed to link perfectly with our 25 year celebrations.
“Our school community looks forward to welcoming this famous choir and we are particularly pleased that their founder conductor Grenville Jones will be leading a workshop with our choirs during the visit.”
On the Friday evening in Tokyo the choir will perform at St. Alban's Anglican/Episcopal Church.
W. Scott Ponzani is Music Director and Choirmaster at St. Alban's. He said;
"The visit of an English male choir of such reputation will be a unique experience for the members of our community. We look forward to the men, led by Dr. Grenville Jones, sharing their beautiful and energetic music. We anticipate a very special concert."
A tour CD has been produced which has Bath Male Choir singing a Japanese folk song.
Grenville Jones concluded;
“Part of the build up to the tour has been a series of concerts and our next one in on Saturday Sept 27 in the wonderful setting of Bath Abbey. Our guests will be the famous Treorchy Male Choir, themselves seasoned travellers.
“Tickets are almost all sold and full details of all pre tour concerts can be found on www.bathmalechoir.org
Other pre tour concerts are at Nailsea School Theatre with The Euphoria Show Choir on Saturday October 4th and at Devizes Corn Exchange on Saturday October 11th, the final concept before the choir fly out.
ENDS
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
Call Bob Honey – cider maker - on 07774 284499
About … Bath Male Choir
The City of Bath Male Choir was founded in February 2006 by Grenville Jones. This is an auditioned Choir that is making a BIG sound and gaining a huge reputation. You may have been one of the millions of TV viewers who saw them on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing TV show in August 2008. Bath Male Choir reached 5th place and were seen across the world.
Grenville Jones lives in the City of Bath. . His driving passion is to get people of all ages singing and BELONGING to a singing group where they can make friends, enjoy themselves and have fun through music.
He is founder of the Goldies UK Charity which he started in Bath 6 years ago with four daytime sing-a-long and activity sessions for socially older isolated people, taking the first four sessions himself. The charity has grown to the point where it runs nearly 100 across England and South Wales with 34 dedicated session leaders. Sir Cliff Richard is the supportive Patron, and its open access sessions are attended by hundreds. There are now over 30 session leaders bringing joy to thousands of older people as well as those with Alzheimer’s and learning difficulties.
His choirs include the auditioned mixed-voice Bath Chorus, the Last Choir Standing Bath Male Choir (visiting Japan later this year) the no-audition, evening Bath Welcome Choir his Good Afternoon Choirs in both Bath and Devizes, and the Bath Children’s Choir. He is also musical director of the Norland College Choir. Over 500 people sing in his choirs. He also helps a number of charities in concert promotion and planning.
Grenville is Patron of the Cornwall Community Choirs Association and also (when time allows) takes “Everyone can SING!” workshops around the UK. He featured on both BBC Radio and BBC West in August, programmers’ about Bath based songwriter Fred Weatherly who lived it Bath and was the leading songwriter of the early 1900s.
In July 2012 he announced his personal super dream to raise £20,000 to take children from a Mencap group with severe learning issues to Paris and Disneyworld. Nine months on (in February 2013) with the fantastic support of many of the people in his choirs and local organisations he hit the target. Grenville was delighted to send a further £1,500 later which funded a trip to Longleat.
Also in 2012 he received an honorary degree from Bath Spa University in recognition of his contribution to music in the community. Through his music and charity work he has been interviewed on radio and TV many times across the World.
He is currently writing a novel called Deep Harmony. It is about a choir !
Date Monday Sept 8th
From Cider to Sake
IMAGES SHOW - Bath Male Choir with the backdrop of the Royal Crescent Bath
Cider maker and choir member Bob Honey (left) with founder conductor Grenville Jones and the Bath Male Choir tour party
Hear Bath Male choir sing in Japanese from their tour CD www.bathmalechoir.org
----------------------------------------------------------------
One of the UKs best-known male choirs will take the taste of Somerset to Japan when they set out on a ten day concert tour on Friday October 31. Bath Male Choir are the first amateur English male choir to perform to audiences in Kyoto and Tokyo.
The City of Bath Male Choir was seen by a world-wide audience when they reached the finals of the Saturday evening BBC One ‘Last Choir Standing’ series. Since that time the choir has performed at prestigious concert venues across Europe.
One of the sponsors of the tour is local farmer and cider maker Bob Honey whose Honey’s Midford Cider is enjoyed around the West Country. The village of Midford is close to Bath and Bob is a member of the choir. The tour jackets have been supplied by locally-based workware brand suppliers Dickies and carry the Midford Cider logo on the reverse.
Said Bob;
‘The boys in the choir are all very proud of our Bath and Somerset roots and during the time in Kyoto we are guests of a Sake brewery. I will definitely be telling them about the delights of Somerset cider.’
Grenville Jones is founder conductor. He leads a number of West Country choirs and is also the founder of the Golden-Oldies Charity. Goldies, as it is fondly known, was started by Grenville six years ago with four daytime singing and activity sessions for older isolated people. By the end of 2014 it will deliver of 100 sessions across Southern England and Wales with 40 dedicated session leaders.
There will be 42 members on the Japan tour party which will include singers and some partners. It has been organised by Bath based World Market Travel. Local financial support has also come from Bath bid and The Charter Trustees of the City. The Mayor of Bath is patron of the choir.
The tour was instigated by Stuart Axtell who lives in Tokyo with his partner, Fumiko Akimoto. Stuart was born and bred in Kingwell, Timsbury, near Bath and moved to Japan in 1991.
Together they run a successful garden design company and on Saturday November 8 the choir will be guests of Yamadera san, the owner of Kingswell Gardens.
Stuart said;
“I have followed the success of Bath Male Choir since their national TV appearances on Last Choir Standing and during visits to Bath in the last few months have met the boys and dropped in on their rehearsals.
“We will have a great day with them when they come to Kingswell Gardens. They will sing in the fabulous concert hall, tour the gardens and I know this will make a memorable final day for them on the Japan tour.”
Cider takes second place to Sake on Sunday November 2 when the tour party will be guests of the Yamamoto Honke Sake Brewery and Museum. The visit has been arranged by Reina Yamamoto who is the wife of the 12th generation brewery owner and her husband Koji.
Reina said;
“We are all looking forward to meeting the members of the famous Bath Male Choir and during the visit to the brewery and museum there will be many opportunities to sing to us.”
On Japan Culture Day Monday November 3 Bath Male Choir will be guests of the prestigious Bacchus Festival which is organised by the Japan Choral Association Kansai Division, the City of Itami and Itami Culture Foundation.
Bath Male Choir will be the first choir from the United Kingdom to sing at the festival which attracts choirs from across Japan.
Yoshihiro Egawa deputy-secretary general of the Japan Choral Association said;
“The visit of Bath Male Choir will have very special significance to our Bacchus Festival and we look forward with great enthusiasm to welcoming their conductor Dr Grenville Jones and his famous male choir. It will be a wonderful experience for our members and the men from Bath.”
After four days in Kyoto the choir then travels by JR Shinkansen train to Tokyo. During their time in Tokyo they will guests of the prestigious British School.
Mr Brian Christian, Principal of the British School in Tokyo said;
“When we learnt of the visit of Bath Male Choir to Tokyo this seemed to link perfectly with our 25 year celebrations.
“Our school community looks forward to welcoming this famous choir and we are particularly pleased that their founder conductor Grenville Jones will be leading a workshop with our choirs during the visit.”
On the Friday evening in Tokyo the choir will perform at St. Alban's Anglican/Episcopal Church.
W. Scott Ponzani is Music Director and Choirmaster at St. Alban's. He said;
"The visit of an English male choir of such reputation will be a unique experience for the members of our community. We look forward to the men, led by Dr. Grenville Jones, sharing their beautiful and energetic music. We anticipate a very special concert."
A tour CD has been produced which has Bath Male Choir singing a Japanese folk song.
Grenville Jones concluded;
“Part of the build up to the tour has been a series of concerts and our next one in on Saturday Sept 27 in the wonderful setting of Bath Abbey. Our guests will be the famous Treorchy Male Choir, themselves seasoned travellers.
“Tickets are almost all sold and full details of all pre tour concerts can be found on www.bathmalechoir.org
Other pre tour concerts are at Nailsea School Theatre with The Euphoria Show Choir on Saturday October 4th and at Devizes Corn Exchange on Saturday October 11th, the final concept before the choir fly out.
ENDS
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
Call Bob Honey – cider maker - on 07774 284499
About … Bath Male Choir
The City of Bath Male Choir was founded in February 2006 by Grenville Jones. This is an auditioned Choir that is making a BIG sound and gaining a huge reputation. You may have been one of the millions of TV viewers who saw them on the BBC’s Last Choir Standing TV show in August 2008. Bath Male Choir reached 5th place and were seen across the world.
Grenville Jones lives in the City of Bath. . His driving passion is to get people of all ages singing and BELONGING to a singing group where they can make friends, enjoy themselves and have fun through music.
He is founder of the Goldies UK Charity which he started in Bath 6 years ago with four daytime sing-a-long and activity sessions for socially older isolated people, taking the first four sessions himself. The charity has grown to the point where it runs nearly 100 across England and South Wales with 34 dedicated session leaders. Sir Cliff Richard is the supportive Patron, and its open access sessions are attended by hundreds. There are now over 30 session leaders bringing joy to thousands of older people as well as those with Alzheimer’s and learning difficulties.
His choirs include the auditioned mixed-voice Bath Chorus, the Last Choir Standing Bath Male Choir (visiting Japan later this year) the no-audition, evening Bath Welcome Choir his Good Afternoon Choirs in both Bath and Devizes, and the Bath Children’s Choir. He is also musical director of the Norland College Choir. Over 500 people sing in his choirs. He also helps a number of charities in concert promotion and planning.
Grenville is Patron of the Cornwall Community Choirs Association and also (when time allows) takes “Everyone can SING!” workshops around the UK. He featured on both BBC Radio and BBC West in August, programmers’ about Bath based songwriter Fred Weatherly who lived it Bath and was the leading songwriter of the early 1900s.
In July 2012 he announced his personal super dream to raise £20,000 to take children from a Mencap group with severe learning issues to Paris and Disneyworld. Nine months on (in February 2013) with the fantastic support of many of the people in his choirs and local organisations he hit the target. Grenville was delighted to send a further £1,500 later which funded a trip to Longleat.
Also in 2012 he received an honorary degree from Bath Spa University in recognition of his contribution to music in the community. Through his music and charity work he has been interviewed on radio and TV many times across the World.
He is currently writing a novel called Deep Harmony. It is about a choir !
