Our President
We've got a top notch team!
Gerald Davies CBE DL
President
Great news: I am delighted to report that Gerald Davies has agreed to be the President of Croesyceiliog Male Choir.
Howard Hicks, Concert Secretary of the Choir reports:
"Gerald Davies has agreed to become our President; Gerald is of course an Ex Welsh Rugby International and British Lion, a former winger now President of the Welsh Rugby Union and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gwent."Our Vice President
Rodger Appleby
Vice President
Rodger had been the choir's Musical Director since 1994, having previously conducted both Caerphilly and Blaenavon Male Choirs.
Rodger was educated at Jones's West Monmouth School, Pontypool and Hull University. He studied piano under John Wheatstone and George Mantle-Childe, and conducting with Laurence Lennard. For the past 40 years, he has been actively involved in professional music making in a wide variety of contexts. For a while he left the choral scene and concentrated on composing music for Radio Wales, he also made frequent appearances as guest accompanist for celebrity concerts. In this capacity, he has twice toured the United States with Blaenavon Male Choir.
Rodger retired from his post as Director of Performing at Croesyceiliog School in 2003, joining the Gwent Music Support Service as a piano and vocal tutor as well as doing advisory work for Newport LEA in the primary sector. He is much in demand as an adjudicator, regularly adjudicating the Caerphilly Young Musician competition and rounds of the Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year.
About the Choir
The choristers and music team of Côr Meibion Croesyceiliog / Croesyceiliog Male Choir (CMC) have performed , as a group for over 50 years. They have appeared at concerts throughout the UK and also have travelled to European countries . We can boast that we are a choir that includes a fine, talented music team.
CMC is a registered charity, and as such we raise funds, through or concerts, for not only major charities, but also for local 'good causes'.
We have recently undertaken a re-branding exercise, and have now a fresh and exciting look to the choir. The choir is open to men, from all walks of life, if you enjoy singing and would like to join a male choir, come to one of our practice nights and try us out! You'll enjoy it. A very warm welcome will be given to all new members. Cewch croeso cynes.
Practice takes place on a Monday evening at Croesyceiliog Cricket and Rugby Club, The Highway,Cwmbran,Torfaen, practice starts at 7:00 PM
Music Team
Musical Director
Amy Reynolds
Amy Reynolds – Pianist, Repetiteur, Choir Leader and Teacher.
Amy Reynolds, born in Bristol and now based in Cardiff, is a dedicated musician and collaborative pianist. She is a double graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), where she studied under James Willshire and Michael Pollock. Her passion for vocal music, particularly opera, led her to specialise in vocal accompaniment for her master’s degree.
Amy is a piano teacher at The King’s School Gloucester, Clifton College Bristol and Tockington Manor School. She is an accompanist for The Forget Me Not Chorus, a group that supports people with dementia and their families where she recently played for their feature on the BBC ‘One Show’. She is also the musical director for Croesyceiliog Male Choir and accompanist and choir leader for the Aloud Charity. Amy has also worked with the outreach departments of both The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera. As a young professional, Amy is actively working to ensure the future of classical music for the next generation through her teaching and community involvement. Her work reflects her commitment to both music education and performance.
Principal Pianist
Lizzie Bonsell
Described at a young age as an observer, Lizzie would credit much of her growth both personally and professionally to her love for music making. Lizzie has just completed four years at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama studying piano, thoroughly enjoying making wonderful music with her esteemed colleagues and friends. With chamber music at the heart of her practice, particular highlights included working with conductor Tim Rhys Evans with both the RWCMD Chamber choir and the National Youth Choir of Wales as well as regular performances with charity Live Music Now. Since graduating with a first-class honours degree, Lizzie is dedicating much of her time to early years music education through her roles as co-leader of Cardiff Children's Choir, workshop facilitator for organisation Little Notes offering music classes for young children and their parents as well as teaching piano to children around the county. After long teaching days, Lizzie's evenings are often spent behind the piano accompanying choirs around the local area and she is very excited to start work with Croesyceiliog Choir this September. Whether it be children or adults, Lizzie's life work is centred around encouraging "observers" to become "participators" through their love of music.
Deputy Pianist
Ceri Gifford-Berry
Ceri is the choirs deputy accompanist she studied piano and composition at the Welsh College of Music and Drama ,Cardiff and graduated with an honours degree. She completed her Post Graduate Certificate of Education at the University of Wales Institute ,Cardiff.
Ceri began her teaching career in 1999 and was a secondary school music and performing art teacher for 13 years.
