We Are The Men, MVC

The 25-voice-strong chorus, We Are The Men, MVC, will present an eclectic musical world tour with songs sung in the rich tradition of male voice choruses.  Directed by Christopher Roberts—the group’s founder—with accompanist Cathy Bonnett at the piano, this promises to be a “don’t miss” event from a musical group that in 2018 traveled to London, England to perform at Royal Albert Hall.

Bios

Our Choir members represent a true cross-section of our base here on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We perform hymns and other traditional pieces in both Welsh & English. We sing songs from Ireland and Scotland, sea shanties, spirituals, a little opera, English and American folk songs, a few pieces in German and Latin… Well, you get the idea! All in all, when you join us you will be in for a concert of memorable music. We hope you will enjoy our music as much as we enjoy performing it!

Chris Roberts is a native of Coedpoeth, North Wales. He has been involved in vocal and instrumental music since the age of seven, singing in Church as well as in local “eisteddfodau” (music competitions). He has been a High School music teacher since 1978 (where he founded the Wrexham Music School in 1986), and is currently a music teacher in the Monomoy Regional School District. He has also directed various choral groups on the Cape, including his previous leadership of the Cape Cod Chorale. Chris is involved in many musical activities on Cape Cod, and served for four years as the President of the Cape Cod & Islands Music Educators Association.

Chris has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of London, a Master of Music degree from UMass Amherst, and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies form Boston University.

Chris Roberts first established this rich musical tradition here on Cape Cod when he brought together a Male Voice Choir for a concert with the Chatham Chorale in 2002. This initial effort was then followed in April of 2004 by Chris when he led thirty-nine members of the Cape Cod Chorale on a trip to England and Wales for concerts with the Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir in Abingdon, and with Choral Variations in Coedpoeth, Wales.

In March of 2008, the Cape Cod Chorale held “Celtic Celebration” concerts, where Chris again assembled a “Male Voice Choir” from the tenors and basses (along with a few volunteers from other singing groups to help provide the balance and volume needed for this genre) to sing several Welsh selections.  The gentlemen involved enjoyed these concerts so much that we all decided to establish ourselves as an entirely new group, “We Are The Men, MVC”, to continue sharing this wonderful music together. (By the bye, “MVC” stands for “Male Voice Choir”. You know, just in case this little detail was bothering you…)

Still singing together since 2008, our Choir reached an incredible milestone in October of 2018: We were invited by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir to perform in a joint concert of 16 male voice choirs from around the world at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. With over 800 singers, soloists, and the Band of the Royal Welsh Guard to accompany us, we joined our voices with choirs from England, Wales, Australia, Norway, and Sweden in a truly “once in a lifetime” experience.

http: http://wearethemen.org

For your listening pleasure, here are some music samples. Gwinllan a Roddwyd - A nostalgic song from Wales (sung in Welsh) that translates to "This Land of Mine" Down by the Riverside - An American spiritual