The 141-strong choir that entertained millions of fans to come third in Britain's Got Talent has seven members from Cwmbran. Every Monday the Only Cwmbran Boys Aloud gang meet up in the cafe area of Bron Afon to rehearse. Here they are singing Calon Lan.
The Cwmbran choir is one of eight in Wales that meet up to form Only Boys Aloud. It has around 35 members who travel to Cwmbran from Torfaen, Newport, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent.
I spent an hour last Monday watching them rehearse and chatting to a few of the members.
These young lads must pinch themselves every day. Their incredible story reached another level last week when an invite arrived to appear on the X Factor final later this month.
On Sunday you can see them on the new Kathryn Jenkins show. Last Sunday they sang on the pitch before Swansea played Liverpool. A few weeks ago they appeared on Blue Peter.
Their new album is released on Monday 3 December so the next few weeks include a lot more media appearances including a spot on BBC Breakfast on Monday.
Wyn Davies and Nick Bristow, both from Only Men Aloud, are the Cwmbran choir's captains and I watched them put the boys through their paces. The first half they went through a new song in Welsh they are learning called Anforma Angel (Guardian Angel).
During the break I chatted to Wyn and he said the boys would sing Calon Lan. This is the song that made Simon Cowell say in the final of Britain's Got Talent: “I got emotional listening to a song and I didn't understand a single word of it.”
It was such a treat to see them perform this song in Cwmbran.
Only Boys Aloud will team up with Only Men Aloud this Christmas at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on 22 December and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on 24 December. Tickets are on sale from Orchard Entertainment or the Wales Millennium Centre.
Note- I work for Bron Afon
Posted with Blogsy