About Only Boys Aloud

Only Boys Aloud was started by its father company, Only Men Aloud, to encourage singing among young men across South Wales.

 OBA Launch

Generously supported by Principality Building Society,  The Valleys-Heart and Soul campaign, Arts and Business Cymru and Redrow, the scheme is the realisation of a long-held dream of Tim Rhys-Evans, OMA's founder and Music Director, and has seen 9 brand new boys' choirs being set up and run by Only Men Aloud.

The first major gig for the massed forces of Only Boys Aloud was the televised opening of the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale on July 30th 2010 and saw 150 14-19 year olds join forces with Only Men Aloud to make a massive impact with three standing ovations.

Since then, Only Boys Aloud have performed at the Ryder Cup Opening Concert in front of 15000 people at the Millennium Stadium, they have performed on three occasions at the Wales Millennium Centre, and have performed twice at the CIA with Only Men Aloud as part of their UK Christmas tours. They have also had two BBC Wales documentaries made about them.

The rehearsal venues are spread across a 90-mile area meaning that no one in The Valleys should be more than 15 miles away from any OBA choir.

 

 

 A background to Only Men Aloud

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Only Men Aloud was formed in January 2000 to breathe some young life into what has become an ageing tradition - the Welsh Male Choir.

12 years on and the choir is thriving, proving that this oldest of traditions is still as relevant today as it was in the 1800's. This tradition must ensure that it moves with the times and earns its place at the centre of Welsh cultural life, instead of relying on it's reputation alone. 

In the summer of 2008 Only Men Aloud was voted ‘Britain's Favourite Choir' by the British public at the end of a 6-month televised competition to be BBC 1's ‘Last Choir Standing'. Being seen by over 7 million people every week on a prime-time TV show raised the choirs'profile from being a very busy choir turning out high quality music for a relatively small audience, to a group with a national profile and a new huge fanbase. A bidding war between all four major record labels ensued.

Since winning the title of Britain's Favourite Choir, the choir has released 3 albums. The first-self titled album went gold in the first week of sales and the second, ‘Band of Brothers', went straight to the top of the classical charts and won a Classical Brit Award for the best album of 2009. On their four National UK tours, the choir have sold out some of the biggest and most impressive venues in the country and have an exciting calendar of national and international touring coming up, having already visited the USA 3 times.

The new OBA choirs are in line for a host of similar experiences with and without their father choir, OMA. If you're onboard, hold on to your hats - it's going to be a great ride!