We’ll keep a welcome in the hills…

Last night after work, Mal texted me and we decided to head out for a swift pint. As usual, these things never end there…

By 2300, we’d had about 4 pints across 3 different pubs – the Trader’s near the office, the Vulcan – one of the oldest pubs in Cardiff and the Miller’s in Riverside near to Mal’s flat. We’d headed back to the Vulcan for a swift last pint before heading into Charleston’s for a steak, and as we walked in I heard the traditional sounds of Welsh drunken men singing in the bar. We quickly realised that the singing wasn’t coming from the bar, it was coming from the lounge – a room I didn’t eve realise existed as I’d never seen it used. We grabbed our pints and rapidly headed back to the lounge.

As I walked in they were singing “I bob un sydd ffyddlon”, a beautiful Welsh hymn sung to “Onwards, Christian soldiers”, and one that I have more than a passing familiarity to (thanks to a Welsh church upbringing and plenty of singing in the choir at school). I, of course, being a fellow Welsh drunken man joined in. Those of you who know this hymn will know that the refrain is particulary beautiful as (and pardon my inarticulate layman’s description of what happens) some of the voices break away from the main melody and harmonise out of time (if you know what I mean). When we hit that part, I thought “Damn, these guys are good.” We carried on singing and I actually started wondering who exactly they were. Well it turns out that these men were members of Côr Meibion Pendyrus – the Pendyrus Male Voice Choir based in the Rhondda valley. They’d just finished a concert in the CIA and were relaxing here quickly before heading home. During the hour I spent there drinking and singing, I had 5 people approach me and invite me to join, which I have to admit has stunned me. So next Wednesday, I’ll be heading along to Tylorstown in the Rhondda Valley to see about perhaps joining their ranks.

Who knows, perhaps in a few year’s time I may be touring with the choir!