October 2018 - ITV/Lottery Focus on Super Sue! |
Hear the choirs sing... |
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The Community work of Goldies Cymru session leader Sue Thomas is featured in the above Lottery ITV video, which will be screened during a break in this Saturday's XFactor! If YOU would like to know more about being a Goldies session leader, please email grenville@golden-oldies.org.uk
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One of the pieces sung by the massed choirs at a concert organised by Grenville in Bath in September was the beautiful CALM ME, LORD - words by David Adam, music by Margaret Rizza. The accompanist was Phil Ridgers with violinist Lizz Lipscombe. Grenville's special guest that night was Mr Aled Jones - A wonderful evening!
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January 2019 - Singing is a great hobby, whether as a new experience or for those who are missing the choir that they used to be with. Whatever your age from 6 to 96, or your singing background, Grenville has a choir for you. Click HERE to find out more! Singing in a 'Grenville Choir' is something very special.
It was announced in September that Grenville's Goldies Charity won the prestigious 2018 National Lottery Awards, Education Category. An amazing achievement! Picture shows Grenville receiveing the award from celebrity Soprano, Katherine Jenkins.
Here Grenville is with Miriam Margolyes at the National Osteoporosis Society's Christmas Concert in 2017
Grenville with Golden-Oldies Patron, Sir Cliff Richard
Grenville recieving his honarary degree from Bath Spa University
The Bath Male Choir in full voice!
Grenville being presented to The Queen.
Dave Myers presented a BBC1 programme featuring the Goldies Charity.
The Golden-Oldies Charity reaches out to brighten the lives of older isolated people across England and Wales.
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WELCOME to the website of Grenville Jones D.Litt, a highly respected charity founder ( Golden-Oldies ) and a musician who has helped to raise over a £million for many local and national charities. Grenville has appeared on TV and radio across the World. He is the founder of 11 choirs, and an author who lives in the City of Bath with Jackie. He has three sons, Daniel, Kieron and Laurie, and six grandchildren. Aged 67, his driving passion is to get people of all ages singing and BELONGING to a group where they can make friends, enjoy themselves and have fun through music. “Singing on prescription” is at the heart of all Grenville does.
2017 was another extremely busy year for Bath's Mr Music. Our picture, top left shows Grenville with Sir Cliff Richard, Patron of his Golden-Oldies Charity. Sir Cliff was appearing at a show in the Midlands back in the Summer and Grenville took along a group of his 'Goldies' who attend the popular monthly session in the town of Uttoxeter. Sir Cliff invited his guest backstage to listen to him at his soundcheck - a truly memorable day for everyone who attended. He has built a UK-wide reputation for encouraging people to sing and enjoy "belonging" to a choir or music group through his many choirs and, of course, his Charity “Goldies”. Grenville was one of ‘THE 100’ judges on the 2o18 BBC 1 series ALL TOGETHER NOW in February and March attracting big viewing audiences. With a busy 2018 schedule of rehearsals, concerts and tours Grenville continues his busy musical life. To add to his achievements, Grenville’s first novel was published in September 2015 shortly after returning from taking a sell-out Come and Sing workshops in Canada. Deep Harmony was the result of 4 years endeavour by Grenville writing (usually) whilst tucked away in the corner of a hotel bar in Countries across Europe surrounded by paper and post-its! Read about the loves and lives of Cornish choir The Verlis Singers in Deep Harmony … STOP PRESS - December 2017 - Deep Harmony has been republished with the additional new chapter for all those readers who wondered "what happened next?" There is also a new cover and it is available from www.amazonbooks.co.uk As founder of the Golden-Oldies Registered Charity (1121600) he started in Bath 11 years ago with four daytime sing-a-long and activity sessions for socially isolated people (Goldies is not a Choir! ) which now runs over 160 across England and South Wales as Goldies Cymru. Sir Cliff Richard is the supportive Patron of “Goldies,” as it has become known, and its open-access sessions are attended by hundreds. Goldies is making a BIG difference to the lives of older people. There are now over 40 session leaders and Grenville’s ambition is to see the charity – under the banner Goldies UK - operating across the UK, bringing joy to thousands of people, reaching older people with learning difficulties as well as those with Alzheimer’s and learning difficulties. In recent months the Charity has started new sessions across Essex, the Midlands, in North Yorkshire and North Devon. A major new Lottery Wales Grant, announced in March 2017 will see an additional 50 daytime sessions added in the next three years. The first all-singing Goldies Charity shop opened in the town of Keynsham in March 2016. Another project driven by Grenville. His choirs include the auditioned mixed-voice choir THE Bath Chorus, the Last Choir Standing and much travelled, Bath Male Choir the non-audition, evening Bath Welcome Choir. He leads a number of Good Afternoon Choirs these are now in Bath, Devizes, Keynsham, Bristol, Yate and Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Frome, Wells and our newest Good Afternoon Choir started in North Somerset in September. In January 2018, due to his continuing work commitments, and after 7 memorable years he stood down as Musical Director of the Norland College Choir. Hundreds of people sing in his choirs and thousands enjoy the Goldies sessions. He has also supported a number of charities in recent years raising thousands of pounds. These include Save the Children, Prostate Cancer, Parkinson's UK, The National Osteoporosis Society, MENCAP and many smaller West Country charities. As you can see above, the British Heart Foundation is the Charity of Grenville's choirs of 2017. Grenville is Patron of the Cornwall Community Choirs Association and also (when time allows) takes “Everyone can SING!” workshops around the UK. He worked last year with the BBC on the Heritage of World War One songs and in particular the songs of Fred Weatherly. In 2016 - Grenville presented a programme for BBC Radio based on the life of songwriter, Fred Weatherly. Fred lived in Bath in the 1900's and was a prolific songwriter, included in his titles was "O Danny Boy" - It is not widely recognised but the most popular song of WW1 was entitled "Roses of Picardy"...written by Fred Weatherly. You can hear this clip by clicking HERE. |
He has an office in Westfield near Bath, where Jody and Nikki keep everything running smoothly. In July 2012 he announced his personal super dream to raise £20,000 to take children from a Mencap group with severe learning issues to Paris and Disneyworld. Nine months on (in February 2013) with the fantastic support of many of the people in his choirs and local organisations he achieved the target. Grenville was also able to send a further £1,500 later in 2013 which funded a trip to Longleat.
Also in 2012 he received an honorary degree from Bath Spa University in recognition of his contribution to music in the community. He attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace at the invitation of the National Lottery where he was presented to the Queen. Through his music and charity work he has been interviewed on radio and TV many times across the World.
In the past he has worked with Gareth Malone on Children in Need, and on stage at concerts produced by himself with Katherine Jenkins, Aled Jones, Alfie Boe, Jamie Cullum, Rhydian Roberts, Lee Mead Russell Watson and Hayley Westenra. Working with Bath Abbey he has produced many sell-out concerts supporting the work of small community groups in Bath.
Grenville’s email is jonesgrenville@aol.com
Victoria Primary School in Penarth, South Wales and Grenville chats to one of the ladies who attend the local Goldies Cymru session. The Charity started by Grenville in the West of England 11 years ago now reaches out to hundreds of older people and young people in Schools across England and Wales.
www.golden-oldies.org.uk