Choir Concerts: The Beaufort Male Choir took part in the 150th anniversary celebrations of St Ambrose’s Church in Kidderminster last week. They ran through their wide repertoire, including old favourites and new songs, before an appreciative audience in a full church.

The other choir at the concert, the Kidderminster Valentines – a ladies choir of over 70 voices – joined them in closing the show with Speed Your Journey, Rhythm of Life and Morte Christe. A few days later the Choir guested on The Afternoon Show in the Metropole Abertillery. It was hosted by Peter Karrie, the star of Phantom of the Opera, and he joined the Choir as soloist in numbers such as Bui Doi and a medley from Les Miserables.

All this leads up to the highlight of every male choir’s year, the Annual Concert at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre on Saturday, September 27, at 7pm. This year the Beaufort is delighted to have Rhys Meirion as their guest artist. Rhys is considered by many to be Wales’ leading tenor. His latest album, Celticae, features some of the best known classics from Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Another recent album was Benedictus,a duet album made with his great friend and fellow North Walian, Bryn Terfel.

Rhys left a successful career as a headteacher to train as an operatic singer. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and has gone on to play many leading roles in English National Opera productions, such as Rodolfo in La Boheme and Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly. He has also taken leading operatic roles with other companies in Australia, China, Germany and Lithuania. He has appeared in concerts over the world and in this country, including the opening night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

The soloist at last year’s highly successful Annual Concert was Jason Howard, and the Beaufort Choir is fulfilling its pledge to bring outstanding artists to Blaenau Gwent. Tickets for this year’s concert, which cost £10, are available from choristers and from the Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre.