Andrew Jenkins – Baritone Chorister

Winner of the coveted Blue Riband at the National Eisteddfod, Cardiff, 2018

Andrew lives in Newport, Gwent, and has been singing as long as he can remember. During his studies at Crosskeys College Andrew sang with the college choir and took part in many musical events as a soloist. He possesses a natural baritone voice of a beautiful quality. He enjoys singing a wide range of music from music theatre to operatic items.

Andrew has been a member of Risca Male Choir for many years and has regularly performed as soloist with the choir, particularly in the Christmas theme shows. Andy also sang as a soloist in St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, the Mariacki Basilica in Krakow, St Thomas’s Church, Leipzig and in the cathedrals at Ghent and Arras on tour with Risca Male Choir. He can be heard on many of the choir’s CDs. Andrew has also been a soloist with a number of local Choral Societies and Male Choirs. 

In 2004 he won the baritone solo competition at the National Eisteddfod when it was held in Newport, eliciting high praise from the adjudicators. Since then, he has been a regular prize winner at local Eisteddfodau including many triumphs at the Abergavenny Eisteddfod.

In August 2018 at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay, Andy won the bass/baritone competition and went on to be awarded the Blue Riband – the absolute pinnacle of his already impressive Eisteddfodic career. Part of his prize was a trip to sing in Melbourne at a number of St David’s Day concerts in March 2019. 

For local mixed choir, Gwent Chorale, Andy has performed as a soloist in Stainer’s Crucifixion, Fauré’s Requiem, Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, Verdi’s Nabucco, The Pirates of Penzance and Mozart’s Missa Brevis in Bb. At the end of 2017, Andy released a CD called Jenkins the Voice, comprising recordings of live performances made over recent years and featuring Risca Male Choir on some tracks. 

Andy continues to study with Martin Hodson.