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About In November, 1998, Côr Meibion De Cymru commemorated the 80th Armistice Anniversary, performing before Heads of State including HM The Queen, in Ypres. This was a fitting end to a year that had already included welcoming President Nelson Mandela to Cardiff Castle to receive the Freedom of the City and County of Cardiff. A highlight in 1999 was performing before the Choir’s Royal Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales, in their late President’s home town of Neyland, especially as HRH Prince Charles referred to Côr Meibion De Cymru as "My Choir" !
In addition to its performance schedule, Côr Meibion De Cymru places high on its list of priorities the promoting of young musicians. Many have gone on to establish their reputations in the concert halls and opera houses of the world. The list includes: Catrin Wyn Davies, Bethan Dudley, Rebecca Evans, Helen Miles, Patricia and Doreen O’Neill, Elen ap Robert, Neal Davies, Geraint Dodd, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Darren Jones, Jeremy Huw Williams, Jason Howard and Bryn Terfel. This encouragement of young musicians is also well served by the Choir’s organisation of the Texaco Young Musicians of Wales Competition. The Officers and Committee of the Choir continue to make plans for further major overseas tours as well as taking the "Sounds of Wales" to venues throughout the United Kingdom. In September 2000 Welsh North American Gymanfa Ganu Grand Concert was held in Ottawa where Côr Meibion De Cymru were the invited guest choir. This event was followed by a Trans-Canadian tour by the Choir with concerts in Victoria, Vancouver, Vernon, The Jack Singer Hall in the Art Centre Galgary and the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto.
In 2002 the choir visited Singapore and Australia giving concerts in Queensland, Ipswich, Brisbane Cathedral, Sydney Town Hall, Orange, the Great Hall in Canberra Government Buildings, the Garden Floriade, Newcastle and the main concert hall at Sydney Opera house. In March 2004 the choir undertook a tour to Georgia, USA with concerts in Atlanta, Savannah and Macon. 2007 has already been a very busy year for the choir and more to follow as we proudly celebrate our 25th anniversary.
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The Choir has already toured on several occasions to the USA, Mexico, Canada, France, the Benelux Countries and Monaco, an impressive record for a choir that was formed in 1982. Regularly performing with leading orchestras and military bands, the Choir extends its initial touring commitment by singing in a number of prestigious venues throughout the United Kingdom. These venues have included in the UK our mother cathedral of St.Davids Pembrokeshire, Llandaff, Brecon, Hereford, Winchester, Salisbury and Southwark in London. In Europe the cathedrals of Chartres, Notre Dame, Amiens, Ypres, and Hertogenbosch, Calgary in Canada, Brisbane in Australia, the amazing Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles and San Diego. Concerts have been given in The Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Portsmouth Guildhall, The Colston Hall in Bristol, The Congress Hall in Ottawa and the Great Hall of Parliament in Canberra and not forgetting many times at our own St. Davids Hall and Millennium Centre in Cardiff. We have sung in The International Centre and The Wintergardens theatre in Bournemouth and Blackpools famous Tower Ballroom. Disneyland in California and Disneyworld in Florida and in the huge U.S.Pacific Fleet Naval base in San Diego. The Arts Centre in Tijuana, Mexico and in the Hollywood Bowl. We have taken part in many military ceremonies held in The Menin Gate, The Thiepval Monument and D Day National events on the landing beaches of Omaha and Utah and most recently in St. Johns Church, Cardiff and the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London for services remembering September 11th.
