The 'FRON' Male Welsh Choir to Sing Free Concert at St. Bart's, 8/23

The "FRON" Male Welsh Choir will sing a free concert at St. Bartholomew's on Tuesday, August 23 at 12:30 pm as part of their US summer tour.

The FRON Choir was founded in 1946 in Froncysyllte, a small village in the Vale of Llangollen in Wales. Originally formed to compete in the first International Eisteddfod (Welsh vocal competition), the choir has become regular participant in this competition. The choir gained notoriety in the UK when Universal Music Group signed them to release the album Voices of the Valley. This album was released in November of 2006, and peaked at number 9 on the UK album chart. It became the fastest selling classical record of all time, achieving Gold status in three days and has since sold over half a million copies. A second album was released in December 2007 called Voices of the Valley - Encore which reached number 11 in the UK chart.

At St. Bart's, the choir will sing works of Franck, Owen and Schubert as well as traditional Welsh and Irish folksongs. The choir will be joined by the Irish soprano Margaret Keys in works of Malotte, Schubert and Rutter. The choir will be conducted by Leigh Mason. The concert is free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be taken.

The Summer Festival of Sacred Music takes place at St. Bart's, located at the corner of Park Avenue and 51st Street. Subway: 6 to 51st Street. For more information, call (212) 378-0222 or visit our website for the complete schedule.