Stereophonics: Cwmbach choir's gig after store meeting

A choir performed on their biggest stage for Stereophonics fans after frontman Kelly Jones bumped into an old teacher in a supermarket.

Cwmbach Male Choir director Mike Thomas used to teach at Jones's school, the former Blaengwawr Comprehensive in Aberaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The pair met while shopping and Jones agreed they could work together after hearing the choir was celebrating its centenary in 2021.

"It's been a dream," said Mr Thomas.

He explained how the band's management got in touch to ask them to perform last year but that had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

Then, two months ago, they received a request to perform at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, on Friday and Saturday, where they sang the Welsh national anthem in front of about 60,000 fans each night.

"I didn't sleep for five weeks," said Mr Thomas, a former deputy head and crafts teacher.

"But once we did the sound check I was 10 feet tall.

"The sound we made from the very, very start... all my apprehension went out of the window.

Kelly Jones invited the choir to perform after bumping into his old teacher in a supermarket

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"To get an experience like that as a choir was just amazing."

Welsh icon Sir Tom Jones also performed at the gig. It was broadcast on BBC TV on Saturday evening and is available to view on iPlayer.

Recalling the chance meeting with his former pupil, Mr Thomas said Jones just came up to him and said: "Lovely so see you. How are things? How are you keeping?"

"My son who was with me at the time... he couldn't speak for a day afterwards because he'd been in the presence of one of his major heroes," said Mr Thomas.

"I said Cwmbach [choir] were celebrating their centenary the following year [2021]... and I said I think it's time now that we get together and we do a concert together, imagining that it would be in a hall somewhere."

Choir members Rob Davies and Mike Thomas

Choir chairman and second tenor Rob Davies said it was "electrifying" performing on stage with the other "boys", aged between 24 and 89.

"It made every nerve ending in your body stand on end," he said.

"And when we hit that last part of the national anthem, well, I mean, if you're a Welshman and you have that passion in your heart, you're not going to get better than that."

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