Last week I had the immense honour of interviewing Aled Phillips, founder and director of the award – winning (and BGT semi-finalists!) Welsh male voice choir – Johns’ Boys, in the midst of a UK Tour.

How did the choir start? 

The choir came together in 2016 to perform choral arrangements by two local composers in our village—both of whom were named John! As I walked onto the stage to conduct the concert, I suddenly realized I hadn’t thought of a name… and that’s how Johns’ Boys was born. I still get so many emails starting with ‘Hi John’!

What was the experience of being on BGT (auditions and live semi-finals) like for you? 

BGT was an incredible experience—truly surreal. You never know how the audience will react, so to see everyone on their feet and receive such amazing feedback from the judges was unforgettable. Then, being invited onto national TV and even getting a personal message of congratulations from Calum Scott was unbelievable. The impact was immediate—travelling to London the next day, we saw the numbers rising from Wrexham to Euston at every stop -another million people had watched our audition. It was a moment we’ll never forget!

Aside from BGT, have there been any other highlights for the choir? 

In 2019, we became the first British male choir to be crowned Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod—undoubtedly the choir’s biggest achievement. Winning such a prestigious competition was an incredible honour. Other standout moments include performing at the Last Night of the Proms and the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall—both unforgettable experiences that showcased the choir on some of the world’s most iconic stages

Have there been any major challenges/setbacks?

The shift in running the choir has been incredibly challenging. I was a music teacher for over 15 years, but the sheer amount of work needed to manage the choir meant I had to step away from teaching. Now, my days are filled with organising concert venues, responding to emails from all over the world, booking hotels and transport, and arranging music for new shows and another EP. It’s a huge task, but seeing what the choir has achieved makes it all worthwhile. For the lads, I’d say the biggest challenge is balancing choir with work and family commitments—it’s tricky, but their dedication and passion make it possible-

What’s your favourite song/piece to perform as a choir? 

That’s a tricky one for me to answer because when I listen to the choir in concert, I have three caps on—the conductor, giving direction to the performance; the arranger, who has written the songs; and the manager, watching the audience’s reactions. As a conductor, the best piece to lead is Surge Illuminare—it’s a full workout! As an arranger, I’d have to say our BGT audition arrangement of Biblical, which has had over 20 million views worldwide. And in terms of audience reaction, it’s a close call between Bread of Heaven and Myfanwy, with Angels thrown in too!

What’s next for Johns’ Boys post – tour? 

The choir is currently in the middle of recording our second EP and preparing for our first foreign tour to Canada. Next, I’d love to extend the tour even further! But beyond that, a dream of mine is to create a musical set in a Welsh pub, with a piano in the corner and a jukebox. Picture all the lads sitting on stools, chatting about life in Johns’ Boys! I’ve got it all planned out… now I just need someone to write it—and pay for it!           We’re also starting up a Junior Johns’ Boys Choir to give young people in the area a chance to be part of this wonderful story. It’s not just about inspiring the next generation but also ensuring a strong future for the choir. We want to pass on the passion, talent, and camaraderie that make Johns’ Boys so special.

The Choir will be performing in Wales this year on,

1st March: Brangwyn Hall, Guildhall, Swansea

5th April: Aberystwyth Arts Centre

20th June: Venue Cymru

More information here

In conjunction Abel Selaocoe & the BBC singers concert, was the prepared setup, as the live show recorded for BBC Radio 3 in broadcast of Radio 3 Live concert on Thursday 5th December 2024, at the Milton court Hall.

Presenter Al Ryan gave a triumphant introduction to Abel Selaocoe; South African cellist & singer, as he hit centre stage alongside his band members Fred Thomas (pianist), Alan Keary (electric bass guitarist) & Sidiki Dembèlè (African percussionist), whom all majestically energised the space with traditional South African sounds, rooted deeply with Sangoma & Khoisan cultural infusion. Featuring different layers of tribal rhythms from his vocal cords alone chanting high frequencies of spiritual tranquillity, soothing depths of magical symphonies enmeshed with raw passion, power and precision of harmony, love and identity. The themes of his powerhouse music were all in his song titles; Ancestral Affirmations, Emmanuele, Tsohie Tsohie & Hlokomela to name a few.

Abel Selaocoe & his band played six tracks on the night, all which exuded angelical, sensational as well as hypnotising melodies, taking you into a trance effect with the various instrumental sounds from his magnificent band, alongside Abels’s combination of Sangoma grunts and Mongolian throat singing effects which effortlessly blessed the space.

Abel Selaocoe has a raw talent which is undoubtedly stimulating, guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, with his uniquely diverse & varied heightened sounds effect, where when you close your eyes your senses amplify in his culturally empowering & enriching classical music, both satisfying and rewarding to hear as you see pure enthusiasm, joy & soul driven fulfilment whenever he plays.

BBC singers were conducted by Grace Rossiter, with the choir presenting nine songs during the night also, additionally adding to the melodic background & enhancing the atmosphere when their angelic vocals, creating to the ambience of the rich sounds from Abel Selaocoe & his band.

The entire concert was profound, carrying sentimental weight due to the depths of passion, love, deepness, grace & charisma, as he poured his mastery of libation in different ways to reflect his inner artistic genius. Reminding us all how perfection once mastered in any craft can be equally abstract and therapeutic simultaneously. The multiple streams of creativity explored without fully understanding all the words created a blissful & beautiful dynamic which only became more exciting, warming & demure throughout the performances.

Overall, the venue was perfect at capturing the entire essence of the African fusion of Abel, his band & the performance quality of the BBC singers, especially with the corporation of having audience participation neatly intertwined during various moments, making the concert a collective experience that was buoyant, jovial and deepening. I trust Abel Selaocoe tours will reach new ears in the new year to ensure more individuals get to experience his unique voice activation without reverb nor auto tune. Mind-blowing & extraordinary performance.

(4 / 5)

I missed a rare, exciting Cardiff date at Fuel, we got the punk icon Lene Lovich here. I got to see here in Bristol the next night. Things were off to a ropey start when a somewhat familiar figure said to me I didn’t look the type to come to a goth event. What ever that means. God forbid an artist and journalist make discoveries!

The warm-up from Das Fluff was odd, fun and stirring. Dawn Lintern, the band’s writer and arranger melds with her long-time collaborator Christian Ruland. Lintern often delivered acidic vocals often funny and the spirt of punk never waning. Songs choice were stuffed with the ghosts of awful, past band members, a highlight was a left-field spin on quick footed drug addicts in Berlin. You never quite knew what was next. Ruland plays groovey keys and a modified theremin was a nice touch. The overall ambient vibe clashed with harsher rock protests, Das Fluff was everything it needed to be.

An all over giddy feel fell when Lene Lovich arrived after a break. With both American and English heritage, she has had an impact both sides of the pond. I can see her set going down well in New York. She often gets her freak on, with head gear looing like a veiled Dune extra, Vivienne Westwood and the darkened pigtails of fellow musical icon Meredith Monk. With a Number 3 hit with Lucky Number, she has made a mark especially in the punk era of yesteryear. Before the songs, surreal words and high vocalisations are the usual expectation.

Goth aside, ska in funky moments, fuse her songs with grit and poetry. The mood is abstract, yet each song was highly danceable, few songs were the slow ballad sort. Say When is another highlight, though the songs span decades and in her mid seventies, there is no sign of retirement. A mighty band also lifted things in to the air, some new members rubbed elbows with veteran musicians. Often a good time, the only slight was a uneven moment when it felt like a fight was going to occur in the concert goers, thankfully not.

Lovich’s voice is a fairly typical punk growl, I would like to hear more of her range, the little skats before songs show promise. Often the music is fiercely political, fed up and also thrilled to just to be here.