Variety concert featuring Welsh choir at St Canice’s Church in Kilkenny

There will be a fantastic evening of music and celebration later this month when a Welsh Choir join forces with The Unity Singers and the CBS James Street Trad Band at St Canice’s Church.

The Côr Meibion Dowlais Male Choir can trace its roots back to the late 1800s and continued until the 1950s. At some points, the Choir boasted over 100 members, but towards the 50s, it was much reduced and eventually disbanded.

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The present Choir was re-formed in 1965 by 13 men keen to see a revival of choral music in Dowlais, and that number rose to 120, reflecting the enthusiasm of the early days. Today the number of choristers registered is 45 and we are constantly looking to recruit new members, to ensure that the Welsh choral tradition lives on.

Over the years, the Choir has travelled extensively to many countries, including America, Canada, Northern Cyprus, Holland, France, Bulgaria, Ireland and Italy.

The Choir has also made a number of television appearances and also had the honour of performing for and before Diana Princess of Wales.

In 2010, the Choir had the privilege of singing for HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall when they attended the Armed Forces Day in Cardiff. Earlier this year we performed with the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff.

On the night CBS Trad Band, which was established in 2017 with a view to providing an opportunity for musicians in the school to play and enjoy making music together, will also perform. The band has gone from strength with new members joining each year. The band perform throughout the year at various school events, festivals and concerts.

The third group to perform on the night are The Unity Singers which have been entertaining Kilkenny audiences since it was formed back in 1967 by the late Jimmy Bateman.

The variety concert was originally planned to take place before the pandemic so the organisers are delighted that it is finally taking place.

The concert will take place at 7.30pm on May 19 at St Canice’s Church. Tickets are €10 and are available at the door or from any member of The Unity Singers.