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Landmarks 1980 - 1999
1980
June 17
At a concert in the New Theatre, Cardiff, the Choir was joined on stage by child star Lena Zavaroni.
August 9
The Choir filmed a section of “The Two Ronnies” show at the Deep Navigation Colliery in Treharris with Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.
October 19-31
The Choir's first tour of Canada with engagements in Toronto, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst, Haileybury, Kapuskasing, Elliot Lake, Pembroke, Ottawa, Brockville and Niagra Falls.
1981
September 25-27
The Choir performed before a congregation of 4,000 people in Strasbourg Cathedral.
1982
September 18
Treorchy became the first male choir to sing at the new St David’s Hall, Cardiff, four days after it was opened to the public.
December 16
The Choir undertook its third visit to Nottingham within a year. For this occasion it was necessary to fly to the city and not travel by coach as normal!
1983
January 9
The Choir appeared on the Leo Sayer Show from the BBC Studios, Shepherd’s Bush, London. Also on the programme was pianist Richard Clayderman.
February 13
The Choir gave its first solo concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, since the Royal Concert of 1966.
April 25
The Choir was reunited with Sir Harry Secombe for a concert at St David’s Hall, Cardiff.
September 11
Choristers were reunited with Tom Jones for a performance together at St David's Hall, Cardiff.
October 1
At a concert celebrating the work of the Viscount Tonypandy in Rhondda Sports Centre, the Choir was reunited with Pendyrus Male Choir, Cory Band, Glyn and Donald Houston, Dewi Griffiths and Cliff Morgan.
1984
April 13
A double-concert was held in Blackpool as the Choir appeared with Ken Dodd at the Opera House before walking to the Winter Garden Ballroom to perform a second engagement!
June 23
The Choir made its first visit to the prestigious York Festival.
July 18
The Choir gave its first performance with the Halle Orchestra under its conductor Owain Arwel Hughes at St David’s Hall, Cardiff.
October 16
It was announced by BBC Radio 4 that the Treorchy Male Choir had been voted one of the top three choirs in the world, alongside the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Vienna Boys Choir.
1985
February
On BBC's "Desert Island Discs”, actor Anthony Hopkins chose the Choir’s recordings of “Myfanwy” and “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”.
September 14
The Choir travelled to the CTS Record Studios in Wembley, London to make a “single” with Patti Boulaye which sadly was never released on sale due to the song being recorded by another artist at the same time.
October 19-November
The second tour of Canada with performances in Barrie, Gravenhurst, Haileybury, Deep River, Pembroke, Kingston, Montreal and the magnificent Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.
1986
June 5
The concert held at Wiggins Teape, Cardiff took place in the presence of HRH Princess Anne.
October 2
The Choir performed its 40th Anniversary Concert in the Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy with a staggering 108 choristers on stage – the largest number since 1963.
October 14
The Treorchy Male Choir tour of Australia sponsored by James Hardie Industries. Treorchy became the first Welsh choir to sing in the magnificent Sydney Opera House (which they filled to capacity on two consecutive evenings) while also performing in Newcastle, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Renmark, Mount Gambier, the Adelaide Festival Theatre and Melbourne’s Victoria Arts Centre.
November 16
A section of the Choir performed at the Grosvenor House, London to celebrate Sir Harry Secombe’s 40th Anniversary in showbusiness. They performed for a capacity audience including the likes of Leslie Crowther, Lulu, Sir Geraint Evans, Viscount Tonypandy, the Beverley Sisters, Jimmy Tarbuck and Ron Moody.
1987
March 27
The Choir appeared in a celebrity concert at St David’s Hall, Cardiff in the presence HRH Diana, The Princess of Wales.
July 5
The Choir appeared in a tribute concert to Cliff Morgan in aid of the Variety Club of Great Britain at City Hall, Cardiff with Max Boyce, Alun Wlliams, Viscount Tonypandy and Helen Fields.
November 30-December 3
The Choir spent four days filming a new Tom Jones show called “Born To Be Me” at St David's Hall, Cardiff and at the Golden Cross public house where tenor soloist Wyn Davies served behind the bar while singing!
1988
April 19
Jennifer Jones resigned as Accompanist following 17 years in the post.
June 14-16
The Choir made a programme dedicated to the song “Myfanwy” with Alun Williams which they filmed on location in Dumfries Street, Treorchy.
October 21-November 3
The Choir performed every night at the “Christie Tyler Furniture Fortnight” with the Cory Band in City Hall, Cardiff. The soloist was Mike Doyle. This became an annual event for the next three years when the Choir joined entertainers George Melly and Ray Allan.
December 7
The Choir appeared on an episode of "This Is Your Life" dedicated to Cliff Morgan at the Teddington Studios, London. Also on the programme were Nerys Hughes, Neil and Glenys Kinnock, Gloria Hunniford, Harry Mortimer, Sir Geraint Evans and Owain Arwel Hughes.
1989
January 29
The Choir returned to St David’s Hall for a concert celebrating the 80th birthday of George Thomas, Viscount Tonypandy. Fellow performers included the Welsh Guards Band, Cliff Morgan, Angela Rippon, Sian Phillips, Max Boyce, Stuart Burrows, Penelope Keith, Peter Karrie and Nerys Hughes.
February 14
Marion Williams returned to Treorchy after 21 years to become the new Accompanist of the Choir.
March 21
The Choir was honoured to be invited to perform in a pageant to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen at Powys Castle. During the concert they were asked to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Her Majesty.
1990
October 11
The Annual Concert was a “showstopper” in more ways than one in that it consisted entirely of modern arrangements from the Choir’s latest CD which once again illustrated their sheer versatility as a musical organisation.
1991
February 4-6
The Choir recorded and filmed an episode of Sir Harry Secombe’s programme “Highway” accompanied by guest speaker Cliff Morgan. It was the first time for the programme to concentrate on an organisation rather than a town or village.
May 30
The resignation of John Cynan Jones after 22 years as Conductor of the Treorchy Male Choir.
June 17
The death of Founder Conductor and Conductor Emeritus, John Haydn Davies.
July 21
The appointment of John Jenkins as the new Conductor of the Treorchy Male Choir.
October 19-November 1
The tour of Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Maryland and Washington D.C., USA.
1992
January 26
The Choir recorded the soundtrack for a new animation of Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood at the BBC Studios at Swansea where Thomas regularly broadcast his work.
May 23
The Choir performed in the first World Choir Concert along with 8.000 voices in the Wales National Stadium. The guest artists included Dennis O'Neill, Dame Gwyneth Jones and Tom Jones.
July 21
Treorchy became the first British Choir to perform Sibelius’s "Kullervo Symphony" in Finnish at the Welsh Proms in St David’s Hall, Cardiff accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soloists Helen Field and Jason Howard and Conductor Owain Arwel Hughes.
1993
February 8-12
The Choir made a five-day visit to Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. at the invitation of the World Choir Organization. In total 12 engagements were made which included a performance at the graveside of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
May 29
The Choir appeared in the second World Choir Concert with Shirley Bassey, Max Boyce and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
June 16-27
The Choir spent two days at the Abbey Road Studios, London, to record the groundbreaking “Treorchy Sing Queen,” a selection of tracks composed by Freddie Mercury and Bryan May. Soloist for the album was Carl Wayne whose song "Flowers in the Rain" was the first item performed on Radio 1.
1994
March 27
The Choir appeared in the Alun Williams Memorial Concert at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, with Max Boyce, Frank Hennessy, Jeff Hooper, Cliff Morgan, Roy Noble and Dewi Griffiths.
October 1526
The sell-out concert tour of California and Colorado, U.S.A. The Choir performed in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Nevada City, Fresno and Salinas where the Choir met Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine and celebrated her birthday. On leaving California, the Choir also performed in Colorado Springs and Denver.
1995
In tribute to Choir supporter Sir Cennydd Treharne, choristers performed in his Memorial Concert at Llandaff Cathedral, with the eulogy given by former prime minister, Lord James Callaghan.
May 13
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary since the end of World War II, the Choir performed on the Village Green of Little Ditchling. In attendance was the village’s most famous resident, Dame Vera Lynn.
June 14
The Choir provided the vocal Welsh welcome at Queen Street, Cardiff, for the arrival of American superstars Bon Jovi.
1996
March 1
The Choir returned to record “Friday Night Is Music Night” with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Beverley Humphreys and Jason Howard.
July 17
The Choir performed with the Halle Orchestra and Cwmbach Male Choir under the baton of Owain Arwel Hughes at the Welsh Proms in St David’s Hall, Cardiff.
October 20
The Treorchy Male Choir’s 50th Anniversary Concert was held at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.
1997
January
The resignation was announced of John Jenkins as Conductor of the Treorchy Male Choir.
Former Deputy Conductor Andrew Badham was appointed as Conductor of the Treorchy Male Choir.
July 12
The Choir attended the naming ceremony of the magnificent 'Enchantment of the Seas' luxury cruise liner for Royal Caribbean at Southampton Dock. Also performing on board the vessel for the overnight-cruise was Petula Clark.
October 5
The Treorchy Male Choir’s 50th Anniversary Concert was held at St David's Hall, Cardiff. The concert featured performances from guests Dennis O'Neill and Rebecca Evans.
1998
May 15
John Cynan Jones returned to the Choir to conduct an engagement at the Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich, London.
June 7
The Choir appeared in “A Light In The Valley” directed by Mike Bogdanov. Filming took place on the Bwlch y Clawdd mountain where the Choir performed “A Valley Called The Rhondda”.
July
Marion Williams retired as Accompanist of the Treorchy Male Choir and Rhiannon Williams was appointed her successor.
1999
May 20
The Choir performed at Cardiff Castle for a 25th Anniversary Reunion Dinner of the 1974 British Lions.
November 4
The Choir's second tour of Australia was at the behest of Mario Maiolo Productions. The month-long tour consisted of 22 performances with soloist Helen May. They held concerts in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide and provincial towns throughout the country
December 5
The final concert of the Millennium was held at St David's Hall, Cardiff, with the Richard Williams choirs, Mark Burrows, Helen May and Owen Money.
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