80 Years in the making…
In 2027, Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir celebrates its 80th anniversary. From our beginnings in a small village in North Wales to international concert stages, our story has been shaped by a love of singing, lasting friendships and the support of the communities around us.
It began in 1947, when the first Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod brought singers and dancers together from countries still recovering from the Second World War. Inspired by its music and its message of friendship, the people of nearby Froncysyllte decided to form a choir of their own.
On 19 August, a public meeting at Seion Chapel set that ambition in motion. Local piano teacher Lloyd Edwards became our first conductor, with Menna Hughes as accompanist. Young men from the village youth club joined their older neighbours to help make up the 60 voices required to compete. In July 1948, the Fron stepped onto the Llangollen competition stage for the first time.
Thirty years after our formation, we achieved a memorable double: winning the male voice competitions at both the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1977. Further Llangollen victories followed in 1987, 1994 and 2018. On that last occasion, founder members Dennis Williams and Gren Gough were still among the singers, connecting seven decades of choir history in a single performance.
Llangollen also brought a friendship with a special place in our story. In 1955, the Fron and our village welcomed a choir from Modena whose members included a young Luciano Pavarotti, singing alongside his father. Seventy years later, in October 2025, we travelled to Modena to take part in a concert celebrating what would have been Pavarotti’s 90th birthday. Music had brought our communities together once again.
For many people, their introduction to the Fron came through Voices of the Valley. Released in 2006 after music manager Daniel Glatman heard us singing at a wedding, the album reached number nine in the UK album chart and went on to achieve platinum status. Further recordings, Classical BRIT nominations and concert tours followed, bringing the sound of our choir to listeners far beyond Wales.
Yet the everyday life of the Fron is just as much a part of this history. It is found in rehearsals, in the patient work of learning a new piece, in the welcome given to a new chorister and in the friendships that grow through singing together. Behind every performance are musical directors, accompanists, volunteers, families and supporters whose contributions make it possible.
As we approach our anniversary, we remember with affection everyone who has helped shape the choir, especially those whose voices we no longer hear beside us. Their dedication has given each new generation something to build upon.
We also have plenty to look forward to: new music to learn, audiences to meet and singers to welcome. Our Welsh musical heritage remains at the heart of what we do, and sharing it is a pleasure we want others to experience.
Whether you have followed the “The Fron” for decades or have only just discovered us, we invite you to be part of our 80th anniversary. Join us at a concert, share your memories or come along to a rehearsal.
There is still much more of our story to sing.