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PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934. Wednesday August 9, 2023 My Son My Brother A very special concert will take place in Bath Abbey on Friday November 3 at 7.30pm. Called, “My Son - My Brother”, it will celebrate the life of Kieron Jones who passed away on July 11th just two days before his 47th birthday. Kieron was the middle son of Bath’s music man, Grenville Jones, and Kieron’s brothers are Daniel and Laurie. Kieron lived in Dulwich in London with his wife Marianna, son Artur 14 and Melodie aged 9. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer three years ago and passed away at St Christopher’s Hospice, Sydenham. The concert will support cancer charities. Grenville explains; “All the ticket income and a retiring collection will go to charity and the concert will feature both words and music to celebrate the life and talents of my special son.” Kieron was born in Farmborough and became head boy at Beechen Cliff School. He studied at Swansea University and followed a career in drama and music. In his later years he worked with many senior schools across Denmark with his hugely popular ‘Shakespeare Works’ workshops. The concert on November 3 will feature music from many of the groups linked to the family including the Worship Group from St Phillip and St James’ led by Daniel Jones. Special guests include the brilliant classical pianist, Nurry Lee, violinist Lizz Lipscombe and a celebration choir of 150 voices comprising singers from both Grenville and Laurie’s mixed-voice choirs. The much-travelled City of Bath Male Choir, founded by Grenville 15 years ago, will also perform. Tickets are priced £18 from gac.ticketlight.co.uk ENDS Image shows Kieron in Denmark at one of his Shakespeare workshops.
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Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on +44 7778 282934. Tuesday, November 1, 2022 Bath’s much travelled Male Choir have just returned from a hugely successful visit to Nashville Tennessee. The 50 members of the City of Bath Male Choir arrived in Nashville on Saturday October 22 and stayed Downtown for 8 days. The choir was founded by one of the UKs best-known musicians, Grenville Jones in 2007. Its success in a popular BBC1 Saturday night peak-time series came four years later on a programme called, “Last Choir Standing” where they reached the finals, bringing them World-Wide recognition. The Choir performed at a number of famous venues during their stay, including the historic Ryman Theatre, the Grand Ole Opry and recorded two songs in the famous RCA Studio B, made famous by none other than Elvis! During the week they also sang at two sell out concerts, on Thursday at Gallatin First United Methodist Church as guests of The Chancel Choir, Choir Director Ashley Vance said; “We had so much fun at the concert! The choir sang beautifully and their enthusiasm and kindness was a gift to all of us. We raised over $1000 for our music students. Thank you for a lovely evening, we will have to visit you all in Bath!” On their final evening, as guests of The Nashville Singers, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Director of Music Sloan Yarborough said; “What a wonderful and lovely night of singing together! I told our guys that it was such a treat to have a truly complementary concert experience with Bath Male Choir. Our audience appreciated it and had a terrific time! We need to discuss your kind invitation to Bath. What an experience that would be!” Whilst in Nashville Grenville also met with the Vice President of Tourism Sales for Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp Laurel Bennett, she said; “I'm so glad your trip went well and that I got to meet you in person! Thank you so much for bringing the Bath Male Choir to Nashville!” ENDS Image shows Laurie and Grenville Jones at the Ryman Theatre in Nashville. PRESS RELEASE
Monday 12 September 2022 Sing in the AFTERNOON! If you love to sing and have always wondered what it’s like to belong to a CHOIR, now’s the chance to find out! The new NO-AUDITION Mid-Devon Good Afternoon Choir starts on Tuesday October 4 from 2pm-4pm at Holy Cross Church in Crediton, with a warm welcome to go along and find out more. Bath-based music man Grenville Jones started his Good Afternoon Choirs 12 years ago and there are now 24 across the West. Jon Rawles conducts the new choir. He was born in Bristol, where he gained a choral scholarship at St Mary, Redcliffe under the direction of Anthony Pinel. Jon studied musicology at the University of Durham, directing his own and other college choirs. He then moved to Canterbury where he studied for his post-graduate diploma in piano accompaniment. During his time at Canterbury, he accompanied and directed many shows and performances. An accomplished organist, he has played in most Cathedrals throughout the UK and was the accompanist and musical director of a number of shows in Tunbridge Wells. Jon also led the community choir CREATE, helping to support local events and businesses. He has also recently been the director of the choir at All Saints Hove and leading tours to Chichester, Guildford and Rochester Cathedrals, as well as St Paul’s Cathedral London. In his spare time Jon enjoys spending time outdoors keeping active and travelling, especially on the coast, as well as working in local theatres. He is looking forward to leading the new Mid-Devon Good Afternoon Choir at his home Church, Holy Cross in Crediton, a community choir for everyone – no auditions – great music! The Afternoon choirs sing popular melodies in harmony and each choir raises money for a local charity selected by the members. Since returning to singing after Lockdown the choirs have already raised over £13,000 for local charities. Over 1,000 people sing in the Good Afternoon Choir across the West Country. Choir founder Grenville Jones said; “Come along and meet Jon and the Mid Devon Good Afternoon Choir on any Tuesday afternoon from 2pm at the Holy Cross Church. There’s no charge for attending the first rehearsal and bring a friend. “Choirs are great for meeting new friends and enjoying the best hobby in the world!” See www.goodafternoonchoir.org for further information. ENDS Images show leader Jon Rawles and the Good Afternoon Choir singing in Truro Cathedral, pre-covid. Press enquiries to choir founder Grenville Jones on 07778 282934. PRESS RELEASE
Monday 12 September 2022 Singing in the Afternoon If you love to sing and have always wondered what it’s like to sing in a CHOIR, now’s the chance to find out! The new NO-AUDITION Weston super Mare Good Afternoon Choir starts on Tuesday October 4 from 1pm-3pm at Locking Castle Church and there’s a warm welcome to go along and find out more. Bath-based music man Grenville Jones started his Good Afternoon Choirs 12 years ago and there are now 24 across the West of England. Ruth Jenkins will lead the new Good Afternoon Choir in Weston super Mare. Ruth graduated in Music at Birmingham University, specialising in voice and conducting the University Chamber Choir. After training as a Music Therapist at Roehampton Institute, and conducting the Wimbledon YMCA choir, she worked in the NHS for 7 years in clinics and hospital settings. Since training as a teacher at Warwick University, Ruth spent the last 12 years teaching music in schools and sings for her local church. Ruth also conducts the popular North Somerset Good Afternoon Choir every Wednesday from 1pm-3pm at Nailsea Methodist Church. Good Afternoon Choirs sing popular melodies in harmony and each choir raises money for a local charity selected by the members. Since returning to singing in October the choirs have already raised over £13,000 for various local organisations across the West Country. Choir founder Grenville Jones said; “Come along and meet the Weston super Mare Good Afternoon Choir and Ruth on a Tuesday afternoon from 1pm at Locking Castle Church. There’s no charge for attending the first rehearsal and bring a friend. “Choirs are great for meeting new friends and enjoying the best hobby in the world, see you there!” See www.goodafternoonchoir.org for further information. ENDS Images
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934. PRESS RELEASE
Monday 12 September 2022 Singing in the Afternoon If you love to sing and have always wondered what it’s like to sing in a CHOIR, now’s the chance to find out! The new NO-AUDITION Newquay Good Afternoon Choir starts on Thursday October 6 from 1pm-3pm at St Michael’s Church HALL and there’s a warm welcome to go along and find out more. Bath-based music man Grenville Jones started his Good Afternoon Choirs 12 years ago and there are now 24 across the West of England. Andy Farris will be the conductor, he already leads the popular Good Afternoon Choirs in Truro on a Monday from 1pm-3pm in Truro Methodist Church (Parlour) and Falmouth on a Friday from 1pm-3pm at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Andy Farris (pictured) has been involved in choirs for over 40 years starting as a boy chorister at Sheffield Cathedral from the age of 7. Follow on, he was a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Andy went on to do professional work as a member of the chorus at Scottish Opera as well as doing solo concerts in London and abroad. He moved from London to Cornwall and has been working for the Cornwall Music Education Hub as a vocal mentor and assistant conductor of several of their choirs, as well as running other amateur groups around the county. He is delighted to be part of the GAC team and to help to reboot the choral scene in the Truro and Falmouth area after a long year of enforced choral inactivity. The choirs sing popular melodies in harmony and each choir raises money for a local charity selected by the members. Since returning to singing in October the choirs have already raised over £13,000 for various local organisations. The recently featured on BBC South West Spotlight News. Andy Farris said; “Come along and meet the NEW Newquay Good Afternoon Choir on a Thursday afternoon from 1pm at St Michael’s Church HALL. There’s no charge for attending the first rehearsal and bring a friend. “Choirs are great for meeting new friends and enjoying the best hobby in the world!” See www.goodafternoonchoir.org for further information. ENDS Images
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.  PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934. Wednesday 10 August 2022 October celebration for Bath Male Choir Image shows: Bath Male Choir at a charity concert in Bath Abbey conducted by founder Grenville Jones. Back in 2007 Bath music man Grenville Jones had the idea that a new Male Voice Choir would take off in the City. “Everyone said I was barking mad. The many choirs in Bath were all struggling to recruit male singers, so to start a new choir in the City for men – no chance!” Grenville persisted with the idea and promoted hard across the area, reaching out to churches, clubs and pubs with leaflets and flyers. A recruitment drive that saw leaflets given out at Bath Rugby home games started to pay dividends. “Our first meeting was not a rehearsal as such, just a get together in a room at Beechen Cliff School. We had about 15 men turn up including two of my sons who I press-ganged into being there. Rehearsals then moved to Tuesday nights at Beechen Cliff Methodist and slowly but surely the choir grew in size.” Grenville then had a call from a new BBC Saturday night entertainment show called ‘Last Choir Standing’ inviting him to put one of his choirs forward to audition. “I thought we were pretty unique, a NEW male choir with members from all sorts of backgrounds and jobs. I imagined that it might appeal and not long after we were on a coach, and on the way to London. We sang for the judges, three songs at the Cadogen Hall in Smith Square. “The tenor Russell Watson was one of three judges. After we had sung one song we told us that were the Wall of Sound he had been waiting all week to hear! We were chosen from hundreds of choirs and then appeared over a number of weeks, singing on prime-time BBC 1 on Saturday evenings plus some dance ‘moves’ for the big showstopper song at the close of each show.” Bath Male Choir reached the finals and not long after sang at their first major concert in the Banqueting Room at the Guildhall, a packed audience of families and friends, plus many who had voted for them each week on the TV show. The intervening years have seen them establish a reputation as one of the leading UK male choirs. They have sung across the UK, visited Japan, Boston and later this year set off to Nashville. They performed at the Menin Gate in Ypres at the 2018 Remembrance Ceremony and have raised many thousands of pounds for local and national charities. On Sunday October 10th they celebrate 15 years of music making with 65 singers who live across the area. They are returning to the Guildhall for a very special concert starting at 5pm and featuring songs both old and new from their repertoire. Grenville has been joined by his youngest son Laurie, 42 and they now share conducting duties. “We’ll both be in action on the night!” says Grenville. Tickets can be purchased for £15 online from www.bathmalechoir.org or call 01761 472468. A concert not to be missed. ENDS  PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 13 June 2022 One of the UKs most celebrated Male Voice Choirs will perform at Cheltenham Town Hall in a FREE ADMISSION charity concert on Saturday July 30. Bath Male Choir hit the headlines on the BBCs popular Last Choir Standing Saturday night TV show reaching the finals. Since that time the choir has sung across Europe as well as visiting Japan and Boston, in the Sates. Later this year they will travel to Nashville for their 2022 tour. 200 singers from across the 20 Good Afternoon Community Choirs in the South West will also perform at the Town Hall on Saturday July 30. The concert is FREE ADMISSION with a retiring collection for Sue Ryder. Doors open at 6.15pm with the concert starting at 7pm. The Good Afternoon Choirs were started by Bath music man Grenville 12 years ago and there are now 20 across the South West of England with over 800 members ‘Singing in the Afternoon’. Grenville Jones said; “It is going to be a great night of music and of course this will be the first time since the pandemic that all the choirs have come together for a BIG SING. We are absolutely delighted to be back singing again at Cheltenham!” ENDS Image shows The City of Bath Male Choir with conductor Grenville Jones in Bath Abbey. Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.  PRESS RELEASE
Monday, June 13th, 2022 Devizes’ popular Good Afternoon Choir will present a charity concert at Devizes School Hall on Friday July 8th at 7.30pm. The choir is led by Bath’s ‘Music Man’ Grenville Jones with over 70 enthusiastic members who are busy preparing their programme for the concert which will support Julia’s House Children’s Hospice, a local charity chosen by members of the choir. They have already raised £1,618.54 with their fundraising events since January this year. Special guests will be the Pewsey Belles Ladies Choir. The Good Afternoon Choirs were started by Bath-based music man Grenville Jones 12 years ago and there are now 20 across the South West of England with over 800 members ‘Singing in the Afternoon’. There are no auditions to join and members of the Devizes Good Afternoon Choir come from all around the area, they meet every Friday afternoon from 2-4pm at St Andrews Church in Long Street. Everyone is welcome to come along and meet Grenville and the choir. There’s no charge for your first rehearsal “come and meet us on a Friday,” says Grenville. Tickets for the concert are priced £8, and are available from Devizes choir members or from 01761 472468. There will be a retiring collection for Julia’s House Children’s Hospice and doors open at 7.00pm, with the concert starting at 7.30pm. ENDS Image shows : The Pewsey Belles Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.  PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934. Monday, May 23, 2022 Festival Concert Date The popular Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir will again be performing at this year’s Keynsham Festival on Friday July 1. The evening of song will be at Keynsham Parish / St John’s Church starting at 7.30pm. Admission is free with doors open from 7.00pm and there will be a retiring collection for the Festival who, of course celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Special guests will be the Uke-aholics, a lively Ukulele band from Thornbury at the invitation of Good Afternoon Choir founder and conductor Grenville Jones. Said Grenville; “I met the Uke-aholics at a concert recently in Bristol. They are a super group of folk and this will be a night of fun, songs with lots of chances to join in.” The Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir meet every Wednesday at the Methodist Church from 2pm-4pm – there are no auditions and with 23 Afternoon Choirs across the West of England, 100s love ‘Singing in the Afternoons’. “Love to sing? Come along and meet us any Wednesday,” says Grenville. ENDS  PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934. Monday, May 23, 2022 Abbey date for Broadway STAR MALMESBURY Abbey will be the venue for a very special concert evening on Saturday July 2. The guest soloist is Rebecca LaChance. An acclaimed American actress, Rebecca relocated to the UK after performing opposite Michael Ball in the title roles of Mack and Mabel at the Chichester Festival Theatre and on tour throughout the UK. She has performed on stage across the World, on Broadway and the West End. Her appearances include Patty in School of Rock (West End), Anne Vaux in Treason (Cadogan Hall), and the lead role of Carole on the 1st US National tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Rebecca has also performed in cabaret venues in New York and London. The concert is hosted by the popular Malmesbury Community Choir who will be joined by the Bath Welcome Chorus, a combined choir of over 100 voices. This will be something of a family affair as the Malmesbury Choir conductor is Laurie Jones and the Welcome Chorus Choir is led by his father Grenville Jones. Grenville is well known through his many radio and TV appearances and his numerous music projects across the West of England. “It is going to be a very special evening and we are delighted that Rebecca is our guest. Both choirs have been rehearsing for the concert these past few weeks and I’m looking forward to sharing conducting duties with my father on the night,” said Laurie. Tickets are £18 and available from choir members, online from www.grenvillejones.biz or call 01761 472468. ENDS Image attached is Rebecca LaChance |
Image shows Kieron leading one of his Shakespeare workshops at a school in Denmark
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