Tim Rhys-Evans

Tim Rhys-Evans Celebrating the release of their first ever concert video, in stores September 10, 2010, we caught up with Tim Rhys-Evans, Musical Director of the hugely popular Welsh Choir, Men Aloud.

Tim Rhys-Evans Ten years ago when Tim brought the group together, he never would have imagined just how successful they were going to be.

“Male choirs in Wales is aged and predominantly men in their sixties and seventies. I wanted to encourage younger men to join male choirs to try and rejuvenate the tradition,” he explains.

” It is the whole macho thing, is it cool to sing if you are only a young bloke? It is for those two reasons what was once a hobby has now become a full time job. It has surpassed every expectation, it is much better than I could ever have imaged.

“The choir kind of grew organically. Initially it was guys I went to college with and we just started singing together.

“We now have an audition process with a singing audition and a dance audition and everything. The dynamics of the group have not changed but the performance standards and requirements have. We like to think of ourselves as quite sexy!”

The group skyrocketed into the UK charts after taking out the title of “The Nation’s Favourite Choir” in 2008 with their platinum debut album “Only Men Aloud!” And have since performed alongside such artists as Bonnie Tyler, Bryn Terfel and John Owens. They have also performed on demand for the Prince of Wales and 100 of his guests. “It was very special,” says Tim.

The guys don’t like to pigeonhole themselves into any one genre. “Our music ranges from very early medieval stuff, through to opera to a lot of music theatre and pop and rock as well. What is really important to us is that the way we present it is exciting. It’s good old-fashioned show biz really,” says Tim.

So why all men do you ask? “The boys let their guard down a little bit more with no females around, the banter in rehearsals is often merciless. More like a change room in a gym in the rehearsal room. That comes across on stage, this loaded male energy makes for a really exciting show and that little bit of competition comes across. It’s great fun. ”

The guys are looking to head down under early 2011; dates are yet to be announced. They are hugely excited. So are we.