Testimonials

Name: Angharad May

How long have you been a member of Roath Community Chorus?  3 months

What voice type are you? Soprano

Have you been in a choir before Roath Community Chorus?  In my youth, I was in school choirs, just singing in school concerts and Eisteddfods, nothing unusual in Wales! Fast forward to my 20s, I was head chorister in a church choir for a number of years. During this time, I was in-and-out of hospital for long stretches, but being in the choir was a familiar constant that kept me going. When I went back to university, I joined the university choir for a term and sang Mozart’s Requiem in St David’s Hall which was a truly memorable experience. 

Why you love being a member of Roath Community Chorus?  Shackled by anxiety, it took me well over a year to summon the gumption to join a choir. Yet from the very first moment I stepped through the door, I was enveloped in a warmth so wholehearted and genuine that I knew instantly this was the choir for me.

Roath Community Chorus choristers are not just kind, they radiate a generosity of spirit that creates an astonishing sense of community. The director, Ben Pinnow, is a marvel: patient yet incandescently brilliant, wielding an arsenal of  ingenious tricks to coax out the best in us. The accompanist, Judith Rose, is equally extraordinary, a sonic alchemist who conjures arrangements that are both fantastically effervescent and soul-stirring.

This choir has become my weekly elixir; a dopamine-charged oasis that I look forward to. Through the transformative power of music and the priceless sense of belonging, I have found not just a choir, but a sanctuary.

What has been your favourite piece of music you’ve sung with Roath Community Chorus? Everything (I’m indecisive)!

What is your favourite memory of Roath Community Chorus?  Too soon to tell, although I’m sure my first Christmas concert will soon answer this question!

What does Roath Community Chorus mean?  Fantastic arrangements, Belonging, Dopamine hit, Sanctuary & Togetherness.

Tell us an unusual or interesting fact about yourself….  I speak Spanish and Catalan, as well as Welsh and English. I am a bit of a thrill-seeker, love an adrenaline rush from skydiving, paragliding, zip-lining, sky-biking…! I have some qualifications in wine, including WSET, Certified Sherry Wine Specialist, and Cava Educator.

Name: Stuart

How long have you been a member of Roath Community Chorus? 22 years including previous iterations.

What voice type are you? Bass

Have you been in a choir before Roath Community Chorus? Up to the 1960’s Boy chorister at St Cattwg’s Church, Cadoxton, Neath. Cattwg Children’s Choir. 1992 Cardiff Male Choir. Always liked music, known as the “whistling boy” by neighbours at that time. Music was one of my subjects at Neath Grammar School, but struggling with carrying violin, gym bag and satchel, on ‘buses had to drop the violin!

The family acquired a radiogram in the late ‘60’s, with a collection of recordings of Welsh choirs and singers, leading to a love of male Voice Choirs and classical singers.

Why you love being a member of Roath Community Chorus?  Relaxed atmosphere, rewarding experience, singing a wide variety of music under the expert guidance of the music team of Ben Pinnow and Judith Rose.

The best thing about it is it enables my wife (Alto) and myself to sing in harmony and together in the most convivial company.

What has been your favourite piece of music you’ve sung with Roath Community Chorus?  Linden Lea, I sang this as a young boy and was delighted to rediscover it with Roath Community Chorus.

What is your favourite memory of Roath Community Chorus? Concert to commemorate memories of the First World War.

What does Roath Community Chorus mean?  Community

Tell us an unusual or interesting fact about yourself….  Falling off my bicycle, going down a steep hill, as a youngster. As I lay spreadeagled across the road, a little old lady rushed up to me and instead of tending to me, said, “serve you right for going so fast”!