Homecoming gig for Only Men Aloud’s 10th anniversary

4th February 2010

Categories: Latest News

Britain’s favourite choir, Only Men Aloud, have joined ‘The Valleys Homecoming’ campaign and are returning to their roots for a special concert in New Tredegar on 28 February 2010.

The choir, who shot to fame after winning BBC1’s Last Choir Standing, will be returning to the conductor Tim Rhys-Evans’s home Chapel, Carmel English Baptist, New Tredegar where they gave their first ever performance in 2000.

‘Only Men Aloud – Back where it all began’ will be the second high profile event held in the region as part of ‘The Valleys – Heart and Soul’ Homecoming campaign. The choir is following in the footsteps of Welsh rockers, the Lostprophets, who kicked off the campaign with a private gig at their old school in Pontypridd in January this year.

Only Men Aloud will also be headlining at the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod opening concert in The Works, Ebbw Vale on 31 July 2010.

The aim of the Homecoming campaign is to persuade people with Valleys links – whether they were born here, have lived in the area or have family ties - to visit the region and see how it has been transformed in recent years.

Valleys Homecoming celebrates some of the great contributions made by Valleys people to sport, music, arts, comedy - as well as promoting the area’s rich culture and heritage, with the overall aim of attracting more tourists to the area.

Only Men Aloud, made up of 20 men from the South Wales Valleys, have toured the US and the UK with a sell-out tour, performed for HRH The Prince of Wales by personal invitation at Buckingham Palace and now want to give something back to The Valleys communities to mark their 10th anniversary.

Tim Rhys Evans, the choir’s founder and music director, who was brought up in New Tredegar, said: “We could have hired the Wales Millennium Centre or St David’s Hall to mark our 10th anniversary but we wanted go back to our roots and to the chapel that was central to my upbringing and where we first performed. Going back to Carmel will be even more relevant, personal and important for us. It’s great that we can team up with The Valleys Homecoming campaign- it’s so important to support this part of the world. The Valleys is an area of incredible warmth and tremendous community spirit and we want to play our part in encouraging as many people as possible to come back and visit. 

"We’re also delighted that we’ll be opening the National Eisteddfod this year.  The fact that the Eisteddfod is being held in the South Wales Valleys makes it even more poignant for us as a choir, and we look forward to raising the roof of the Pavilion when we perform on the Eisteddfod stage.”

The Valleys – Heart and Soul of Wales’ is a three year campaign led by partnership organisations from the Western Valleys, Heads of the Valleys and The Valleys Partnership. The aim is to change perceptions of the Valleys and bring long-term economic benefits to the area.

Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies, said: "We want as many people as possible to follow in the footsteps of the Lostprophets and Only Men Aloud and reconnect with The Valleys. The area has undergone major transformation and is now a flourishing tourism destination waiting to be explored.”  
 
All proceeds from the concert are in aid of the relief campaign in Haiti. Tickets are all sold out. However The Valleys will be putting two pairs of tickets up for auction via its Twitter profile and fan page on Facebook. Follow @LoveTheValleys on Twitter or become a fan of LoveTheValleys on Facebook for more information.

For more information on The Valleys Homecoming campaign visit www.valleyshomecoming.co.uk  

The Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod is held at The Works, Ebbw Vale from 31 July – 7 August.  For more information go to www.eisteddfod.org or www.facebook.com/eisteddfod.  You can also follow the Eisteddfod on Twitter – www.twitter.com/eisteddfod.  Tickets for the 30 July concert go on sale on 1 March, and will be available online and by ringing 0845 122 1176.