Risca Male Choir sings on the pitch of the Principality Stadium, Cardiff

(Wales v England) March 15, 2025

When I needed a review for our Website of RMC’s appearance at the Principality Stadium, my immediate thought was to ask 2nd tenor, Cliff Edwards.

Cliff has had a lifetime of involvement with both music and rugby. He was fortunate enough to be a WRU listed referee, a role he fulfilled for 25 years. He boasts having refereed on every first class rugby ground in Wales, with two exceptions: The Old Parish, Maesteg, and The National Stadium! No referees are appointed to referee their own nation. Although Cliff did referee a Welsh invitation side against Sri-Lanka, at the old Strady Park in Llanelli. At the time, Sri-Lanka was classified as an emerging nation. Cliff acknowledges how privileged he’s been to have had such a career. And now, here he is reporting on such an occasion where he and his fellow choristers can stand on the hallowed turf, singing to a crowd of over 73,000 fervent, partisan rugby supporters, including the Prince and Princess of Wales.

(Editor: MH)

Photo by Trevor Baker

A call came from the WRU (Welsh Rugby Union) at the latter part of 2024, inviting the newly crowned National Eisteddfod winners of the Male Choir competition at Pontypridd in August, to be one of the choirs invited to participate at one of the up-coming Six Nations games at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  In fact, the choir was given a choice, it could decide if it was to be the game between Wales and Ireland, or Wales and England! After a poll, it was the choice of the majority that it was to be Wales v England on March 15, the last round of the Six Nations Championship.

This wasn’t the first time that the choir had been invited to be part of the pre-match entertainment. The first occasion being the inaugural international rugby fixture in the newly built Principality Stadium. It was on August 21, 1999 when Wales entertained Canada. The second appearance was when Wales played South Africa in November of 2013.

After receiving the programme of music to be performed on match day from the long standing honorary conductor of the WRU, Haydn James, preparation began. As you would expect, all the classic Welsh “War Horses” were included. Songs such as Calon Lân, Llef (Deus Salutis), Gwahoddiad, Yma o hyd, Hymns & Arias, and of course, the English and Welsh National Anthems.

The match kick off time of 16:45 meant an 11:30 start from choir HQ to get to Cardiff and into the stadium on time. There, RMC was joined by Dunvant Male Choir ready for a 14:00 rehearsal with Haydn James and the Regimental Band Corps and Drums of The Royal Welsh.

Our coach left HQ promptly at 11:30 with 47 choristers and the MD eager to get the day started. We arrived in Cardiff in good time, time enough to have some refreshments. We then met at Gate 3 for security screening and entry to the stadium, for our rehearsal and instructions on the proceedings for the afternoon.

The rehearsal was held under the stand, very near the players’ and officials’ entrance. The combined sound of the two choirs and band was quite overwhelming! Everything went to plan, and after half an hour we were done and escorted to our seats. We were to reassemble at 16:30 in the tunnel ready for entry to the stadium for the pre-match singing. The excited anticipation of the entry of the two teams and the singing of the anthems was palpable.

The noise of the crowd was electrifying! Then, silence fell for a moment as the anthems were announced. For anyone who hasn’t had the privilege of singing their national anthem at one of the world’s greatest sporting occasions is very difficult to explain. The sheer emotional feeling it gives you, feelings of patriotism and pride flow through you, and the realisation of the great privilege, a privilege afforded to a few, hits home. Such a moment will live on in the minds and hearts of those who were there for a very long time.

We were swiftly marched off the field and to our allotted seats to watch the game. I’m not going to say too much about the match itself!  To say that it was “a bad day at the office” for the Welsh team would be an understatement!  It turned out to be the biggest winning margin the English had inflicted on Wales in 144 years, a day when Welsh rugby was put to the sword, and will want to be forgotten!   

However, disappointment on the field of action wasn’t going to stop the enjoyment of those of us who had decided to stay in Cardiff. With our fellow choristers, we were able to enjoy the unique after match atmosphere of the city on International Day.

For some, this was their first experience of such an occasion, for others, another memorable event in the life of a chorister with Risca Male Choir.

Cliff Edwards: 2nd tenor

Photo by Andrew Williams