Choristers up close - Mike Briggs
Mike Briggs
Section - Tenor 2
How did you come to join Risca Male Choir?
I was a member of Cwmbran Male Voice Choir for about 15 years and sang alongside my friend and brother-in-law, Dave Barry, a fellow 2nd tenor. Things weren’t going so well for the choir and we decided to leave and join Risca. Dave went first, and I followed a week later. Risca had built up a very enviable reputation during the 80s and 90s and offered us a more challenging singing pastime. We certainly had no regrets making that move. Sadly, Dave has now had to retire from RMC due to ill health, but I’m still there flying the flag!
How long have you been with our choir, and what are the things which have helped you stay?
I joined in 2001 and so have now been with Risca for 20 years. I thought our 2nd tenor section was a particularly good one, and there I have remained for all that time. The boys have been great to sing with, and I have enjoyed working alongside Dave Barry, and more recently, Dave Tutton and Dave Jones (AKA Dai Pavarotti!). Yes, the three tenor Daves!
I have also enjoyed the wide range of musical styles we’ve covered, and the challenges we’ve met through such a testing repertoire. The fast pace at which we work appeals to me, and keeps me on my toes!
What music do you particularly enjoy singing and why?
I really enjoy our Welsh items, but not being a Welsh speaker, I find the language difficult to learn! However, with those good choristers already mentioned around me, the job has been made easier. Of the Welsh items I’ve enjoyed, the lovely hymn tune Gwahoddiad comes to mind, and more recently Y Tangnefeddwyr. I always enjoy singing Calm is the sea and the spiritual arranged by Bryan Davies, Where shall I be?
I must admit, I also enjoy singing our Christmas repertoire, especially when we perform a full concert of them as part of our themed concert cycle.
Have you had any memorable musical moments that gave you pride and satisfaction?
RMC has had so many very special events and concerts, it’s hard to pick a few! These are the ones that come quickly to mind. Performances of works by Verdi, his opera Nabucco, and his magnificent Requiem that we sang with Crosskeys College Choral Society (now Gwent Chorale) were very memorable. Singing at the Mariacki Basilica in Krakow, and in the nearby Auschwitz Concentration Camp were both very moving occasions in different ways. Then there was the very challenging Carbon 12 for Welsh National Opera. What an experience, as tough as it was!
One memory that has just sprung to mind was when we were on a tour to East Anglia and we visited The Maltings at Snape, the concert hall that Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears inspired. We were shown around by the husband and wife caretakers who invited us to sing on the stage. We chose Calm is the sea, and gave a magnificent show of it in the unique acoustic of the building. It was really spine tingling!
Tell us briefly about your life outside of choir.
I’ve had many interests outside of choir, particularly involving sport. I played tennis at Allt-yr-yn Tennis Club, badminton at Newport Athletic Club, and golf at Newport Golf Club. I love swimming, and walking, and in the past, I have surfed! I have enjoyed many foreign holidays, especially cruises where we visited the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. We have travelled to San Francisco to meet friends who we met during a Cwmbran MVC tour to California. We hired a camper van which I really enjoyed driving and visited Yosemite National Park during our trip.
I particularly enjoyed a recent holiday to Lanzarote with all the family.
After serving an apprenticeship with Lovell’s Garage in Malpas, Newport, I ran my own garage, MRB Motors, in Mill Street, Newport. There, I undertook general car repairs, but also specialised in classic car restoration, working on cars such as MGs.
I’ve been married to Poppy for 47 years. Her real name is Rosalind, but she’s been known as Poppy since childhood!
We have two daughters, Caroline and Kate. Both are keen tennis players and play at Allt-yr-yn Tennis Club. We have two grandchildren, Millie and Erin who live close by. Erin enjoys tennis and has recently taken to surfing, and I’m so pleased she’s done so, following in my footsteps. Millie is also doing likewise in that she follows me with her love of singing! She has been a member of Bassaleg School Choir and the Gwent Youth Choir. In addition, she attends “Stagecoach” Performing Arts School. We’re so proud of them both. My sister, Ann Barry, has always been a supporter of Risca Male Choir and enjoys attending our concerts.
This is a family of girls as you can see, with Poppy coming from a family of ten children, eight of whom were girls!!
A final thought, if you have one
Risca Male Choir has been a very important part of my life, and I want it to continue to do so for as long as possible. It satisfies me socially and musically and has done so for those twenty years that I have now been a part of the family that is RMC.
We have survived the pandemic and are happily rehearsing back at our HQ in Risca. Things are still not completely normal and we always strive to keep safe when we sing. But the spirit of the choir is still strong as we continue to make music under the marvellous direction of our still very new conductor, Tomos.
