Mining the Archives Volume 2 – The 50th Anniversary Edition

It was 10 years ago on the occasion of Risca Male Choir’s 40th anniversary that we dug deep into the archives of recordings made at annual concerts between 1987 and 2008. Now, to mark the choir’s Golden Anniversary, it seems apt that we introduce Mining the Archives Volume 2.

As with the earlier collection, most of the items we’ve included here are not recorded anywhere else by the choir. The recordings we’ve chosen stretch more than five years beyond the first compilation now including items from the 2015 annual concert, an event that marked the retirement of Music Director Martin Hodson MBE and accompanist Julie Bevan. Their outstanding contribution to the success and fame of Risca Male Choir is well represented in both volumes of Mining the Archives. 

Two tracks in this new release involve special guest artists: the Welsh mezzo-soprano, Leah- Marian Jones in a moving performance of Schubert’s Ständchen for men’s voices, mezzo-soprano solo and piano, and local euphonium player Jamie Jones in Karl Jenkins’s setting of the Benedictus from The Armed Man. 

These discs also include two works by local composer and long-time friend of RMC, Richard Roderick Jones. Richard has been commissioned by Risca Male Choir on many occasions to write specifically for us, and we’re happy to have these splendid items as part of our archives.

Another piece we’re pleased to include is a setting of the well-known text Amazing Grace. The music was written by Kim Kelley, a Risca musician now living in South Korea with her American family. 

Also featured briefly, is the fine baritone voice of RMC chorister Andrew Jenkins who, in 2018, was the proud winner of the Blue Riband at the National Eisteddfod held that year in Cardiff. 

Any enthusiast for quality music-making knows the value of excellent accompaniment, and represented here are two splendid guest accompanists for the choir - Christopher Knott and Jonathan Watts. They both have the ability, not only to play the notes, but also to demonstrate a musicality that is an inspiration to the choir. Alongside them, Julie Bevan, the choir’s regular accompanist, has been a skilled and very conscientious pianist tackling the most difficult music and supporting the choir throughout her long tenure. Julie’s excellent work can be heard on many tracks in this collection. 

In 2018, young conductor Tomos Gwyn was appointed the new Music Director of Risca Male Choir, and we look forward to the moment when another volume of archived live recordings, led by him, may appear. In the meantime, the choir will continue to work hard at maintaining a high standard of performance presented with that special Risca sound and style, a quality that we hope is apparent on these discs. 

Martin Hodson MBE
Music Director Emeritus