Accompanists
Helen Roberts
DEPUTY ACCOMPANIST 2003-2007
ACCOMPANIST 2007-
Helen Roberts was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. She started to learn a variety of instruments at an early age including the flute and violin but soon developed an aptitude for the piano. She joined the West Wiltshire Young Musicians and at the age of ten won the prestigious Honeywell Cup for outstanding musicianship.
While she was studying at the Clarendon School, Helen was in popular demand as an accompanist and during this time played the piano in a command performance at Longleat House at the request of Lord Bath himself.
In 2000, Helen became the principal accompanist for the Silver Ring Choir of Bath, during which time she undertook concert tours of Germany and Holland. Following a concert in 2003 featuring the Silver Ring Choir and Treorchy Male Choir, Helen was invited to become the deputy accompanist to Treorchy Male Choir and joined them on their successful tour of Australia in 2004. One of her proudest moments to date is performing at the Sydney Opera House.
Following four years as a pupil of Fazliddin Husanov, the eminent Russian pianist, Helen graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff in 2007.
Helen was appointed Accompanist of the Treorchy Male Choir in 2007
Janice Ball
ACCOMPANIST 2002-2007
DEPUTY CONDUCTOR 2006-2007
CONDUCTOR 2007 – 2012
Jan Ball was born in the Swansea Valley and began playing the piano and organ as a child. She later followed a Bachelor of Music degree in Musical Composition at the University of Wales, Cardiff where she studied under tutors John McGabe and Patrick Piggott. Following her graduation she taught piano and organ and gained a reputation as a professional accompanist to singers and choral organisations.
A television contract resulted in many guest appearances as an accompanist to a range of well-known singers for HTV Wales and in 1969 she was appointed accompanist and assistant conductor to the internationally renowned Ardwyn Singers of Cardiff. She was also the accompanist of the National Youth Choir of Wales for 20 years.
As an organist she has played at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Washington D.C., the Royal Albert Hall, Valetta Cathedral in Malta, the Sydney Opera House and also in the cathedrals of Russia and Germany. She was also invited to undertake a series of organ recitals in Barbados and Australia. For a decade Jan was the Head of Music at Coleg Glan Hafren in the Welsh capital and now tutors at the University of Wales College of Cardiff, Howells School in Llandaff and also works with the Welsh National Opera Education Programme.
In constant demand as a pianist and organist, Jan, who also holds a pilot’s licence, became the Choir’s accompanist in 2002. She has since undertaken a hugely successful tour of Australia with them as well as performing in some of the UK’s top concert venues. Following a period as Deputy Conductor, she was appointed the first female Conductor of the Treorchy Male Choir in the summer of 2007. Two years later she led the Choir on its fourth tour of Australia and first visit to New Zealand to critical acclaim. Jan resigned as Conductor in 2012.
Rhiannon Williams
ACCOMPANIST 1998-2002
Rhiannon was born in Cardiff in 1976 and raised in Barry, receiving her education through the medium of Welsh. Rhiannon's early career developed as a singer, winning many competitions culminating in being awarded the prestigious title of 1989 National BET Choirgirl of the Year. Solo performances at the Royal Albert Hall, St David's Hall, a recording and TV appearances followed and she achieved her Grade 8 in Singing whilst a part-time scholarship student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She became a member of the National Youth Choirs of Wales, Great Britain and the RSCM Cathedral Singers, where she was successful in obtaining her St Cecelia Senior Award & awarded the David Lloyd Vocal Scholarship on entrance at Cardiff University.
Highly sought after as an accompanist, Rhiannon's professional career began soon after being awarded a part-time scholarship to study piano at The Royal Academy of Music, London, with professor Graeme Humphrey, as a result of two Associated Board prizes. In 1998, she was appointed accompanist to the Treorchy Male Choir and appeared in over 100 concerts, recordings and tours of Australia and America & Canada.
She received Honorary Lady Membership of the Treorchy Male Choir in 2008.
Marion Williams
GUEST ACCOMPANIST 1967-1971
ACCOMPANIST 1989-1998
On becoming the Choir's third Accompanist in January 1989, Marion Williams came home in more ways than one. A native of Treorchy, she first came into contact with the Choir during the late 1960s while a student. She accompanied the Choir under the baton of John Cynan Jones at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales in Bala in 1967 where they were awarded the First Prize in the Chief Competition for Male Choirs, and she received the accolade of a special commendation from the adjudicators for her brilliant performance at the piano. In 1970 she became the Choir's Assistant Accompanist, a position she held for a year before leaving the Rhondda to take up a teaching post in Kent.
Nineteen years later and she returned to the Treorchy family. Over the next nine years she accompanied the Choir in 215 concerts, including three overseas tours to the United States of America, numerous EMI recordings, radio and television broadcasts and hundreds of rehearsals. She also gave an unforgettable performance of the piano solo from Beethoven's Choral Fantastia with the Choir and orchestra at St David's Hall where a very young Katherine Jenkins was playing the violin at the time.
Marion accompanied the Choir during some of its most traumatic years and without her dependability and total dedication to the organisation, it is unlikely the Choir would have continued to flourish. It was Marion who provided the rock of foundation for the Choir during the upheaval of John Cynan Jones's untimely resignation in 1991 and again when John Jenkins resigned in 1997. Despite the uncertainties and difficulties, there remained one constant, and that was Marion's sheer professionalism and support at all times. Marion Williams received Honorary Lady Membership of the Treorchy Male Choir in 2008.
Jennifer Jones
ACCOMPANIST 1971-1988
Jennifer Jones succeeded the late Tom Jones as Accompanist of the Treorchy Male Choir in 1971 and during the next seventeen years appeared in over 450 engagements. During this time Jennifer also appeared as a solo harpist and on occasions conducted the Choir in concert.
Jennifer was educated at Tonypandy Grammar School, The Royal Academy of Music in London and the Cardiff College of Education. While at the Royal Academy she studied the piano under Denis Murdock, and also followed a course of studies on the harp. She returned to the Rhondda to work as a peripatetic harp teacher in schools throughout the area.
During her tenure as Accompanist, Jennifer accompanied the Choir on its tours of Canada in 1980 and 1985, Strasbourg in 1981 and Australia in 1986. She also appeared on each of the Choir’s annual EMI recordings and performed on countless television and radio broadcasts.
Jennifer relinquished her position with the Choir in 1989 and became the Musical Director of Ynyswen Male Choir. She returned to Treorchy as Guest Conductor from 2005 to 2007 and was presented with Honorary Lady Membership of the Treorchy Male Choir in 2008.
Tom Jones
ACCOMPANIST 1946-1971
Tom Jones joined the pre-war Choir in 1938 with his friend John Haydn Davies. The partnership was reunited at the forefront of the Treorchy Male Choir when it was reformed in 1946 and Tom carried out the role of Accompanist for the next twenty five years.
At the National Eisteddfod, Aberystwyth, Tom gained a personal tribute from the adjudicators for his playing of the flowing accompaniment in Schubert’s setting of Psalm 23, “Glywsoch chi’r piano?” ("Did you hear the piano?") said Mr Matthew Williams.
It was the first of many accolades Tom would receive for he accompanied the choir through seven of its eight National Eisteddfod victories, all five of its Miners' Eisteddfod victories and almost every semi-national eisteddfod entry. He also appeared on many of the early commercial recordings produced by Qualiton.
His unobtrusive efficiency at the piano over the years contributed in no small measure to the success of the Choir. He and John Haydn Davies worked in complete harmony in every sense of the word. A man of few words, Tom was an unassuming person and endeared himself to audiences and choristers alike. Originally a collier, he later became an insurance agent and studied piano in his leisure time. He was a Life Member of the Treorchy Male Choir.