16c Fair
Only Men Aloud, Llandudno, Venue Cymru
LIFE has been hectic for the members of Cardiff-based all-male choir Only Men Aloud ever since they won the BBC singing contest Last Choir Standing last year.
One member Andy Mulligan, who was brought up in Liverpool, but went down to Cardiff to study music and then joined the choir, has compared it to being "in a bubble".
"Especially at the time we were in Last Choir Standing, we were rehearsing a lot more than we would do normally" he said.
"It might be reasonably normal during the week, because we all have jobs and relatively normal lives.
"But at the weekend before the show went out on a Saturday evening, we would rehearse for hours, and then perform live later on, before heading back to Cardiff on the Sunday to watch the re-run.
"It was a bit surreal for those few weeks."
The choir are about to embark on a UK tour, stopping off at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Wednesday, April 29 and are also working on their second album.
They will also in North Wales again on June 28 for Choirs in the Park, part of Rhys Merion's T Gobaith fund-raising festival in the grounds of Gwysaney Hall in Mold.
August 6 will see them perform at the Meirion and District National Eisteddfod in Bala, alongside their Last Choir Standing rival Ysgol Glanaethwy.
Andy, 35, who works a music teacher in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said although he never expected Only Men Aloud to win the contest, as the weeks passed by, he felt any of the final few choirs could go on and win.
"We just went in there, sang, and hoped for the best" he said.
"The standard was so high that I thought any of the last five or so remaining choirs could win it, there was nothing in it.
"The feedback we got off the judges was terrific and although we were pleased to win, I think all the choirs could take something positive from it."
Only Men Aloud! was started in 2000 by Tim Rhys-Evans, who wanted to create a young male voice choir who were unafraid to tackle music not usually performed by traditional male choirs.
The choir consists of teachers , musicians, students, a gardener and a pharmacist, with some of the members taking time out from rehearsals to play rugby and football.
With a repertoire ranging from 15th century to current day, the conductor is eager to show there should be no barriers placed on choral singing and they want to prove to their audience that choirs can be fresh and funky.
"The tradition of singing in Wales is second to none" said Andy.
"This choir likes to singer a richer mix of songs, so we like to do anything from pop to a more classical range.
There's 20 of all together, and we get on really well, it's like being in a football team.
"If we do have a minor disagreement, five minutes later, its forgotten about."
As for the future, Andy, who is engaged to Anwen, want to tour internationally with the choir.
"That would be great, to have the opportunity to perform all over Europe.
"But for now, touring the UK is more than enough and we're looking forward to it."
For further details, call 01492 872000 or go to www.venuecymru.co.uk.
