Choir Only Men Aloud are returning to their roots for a special concert in New Tredegar on February 28 2010.
The choir, which shot to fame after winning BBC1’s Last Choir Standing, will be returning to conductor Tim Rhys-Evans’s home Chapel, Carmel English Baptist, in New Tredegar, where they gave their first ever performance in 2000.
‘Only Men Aloud – Back where it all began’ will be the second high profile event held in the region as part of ‘The Valleys – Heart and Soul’ Homecoming campaign. The choir is following in the footsteps of Welsh rockers, the Lostprophets, who kicked off the campaign with a private gig at their old school in Pontypridd in January this year.
Only Men Aloud will also be headlining at the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod opening concert in The Works, Ebbw Vale on July 31 2010.
Tim Rhys Evans, the choir’s founder and music director, who was brought up in New Tredegar, said: “We could have hired the Wales Millennium Centre or St David’s Hall to mark our 10th anniversary but we wanted go back to our roots and to the chapel that was central to my upbringing and where we first performed.
“Going back to Carmel will be even more relevant, personal and important for us. It’s great that we can team up with The Valleys Homecoming campaign- it’s so important to support this part of the world. The Valleys is an area of incredible warmth and tremendous community spirit and we want to play our part in encouraging as many people as possible to come back and visit
The aim of the Homecoming campaign is to persuade people with Valleys links – whether they were born here, have lived in the area or have family ties – to visit the region and see how it has been transformed in recent years.
“The Valleys – Heart and Soul of Wales” is a three year campaign led by partnership organisations from the Western Valleys, Heads of the Valleys and The Valleys Partnership. The aim is to change perceptions of the Valleys and bring long-term economic benefits to the area.
Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies, said: “We want as many people as possible to follow in the footsteps of the Lostprophets and Only Men Aloud and reconnect with The Valleys. The area has undergone major transformation and is now a flourishing tourism destination waiting to be explored.”
All proceeds from the concert are in aid of the relief campaign in Haiti. Tickets are all sold out.
However The Valleys will be putting two pairs of tickets up for auction via its Twitter profile and fan page on Facebook.
For more information on The Valleys Homecoming campaign visit www.valleyshomecoming.co.uk