Johns’ Boys has marked its 10th anniversary with two sold-out concerts at William Aston Hall in Wrexham, joined by a 37-piece orchestra and Johns’ Boys Juniors.
The Welsh male voice choir, based in Rhos, Wrexham, drew packed audiences across both nights, with supporters travelling from Germany and the United States.
The concerts brought together Johns’ Boys, the orchestra and Johns’ Boys Juniors – aged nine to 18 – with crowd favourites including Nessun Dorma, Calon Lân and Angels. New song To This Very Moment was also warmly received.
Over the past decade the choir has reached the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent and performed across the UK and overseas. The release says Johns’ Boys is also the first and only British male voice choir to win the Pavarotti Choir of the World title.
Founder and conductor Aled Phillips said the weekend had surpassed expectations.
“It was an incredible couple of nights and quite overwhelming to see two sold-out audiences celebrating 10 years with us,” he said.
“We had people travelling from Germany and even the United States. One gentleman had come all the way from America without a ticket, so we had to spin a few plates and thankfully managed to find him a seat!”
“One of the things I was most proud of was seeing the Juniors up there. There were understandably some nerves, but they handled the occasion brilliantly.”
“We want to inspire the next generation and give young people experiences like this. Performing in front of those audiences alongside Johns’ Boys and a 37-piece orchestra is something they will never forget.”
Plans are being explored to include the Juniors and orchestra at selected dates on Johns’ Boys’ 2027 UK and Ireland tour. Demand is already high, particularly in Ireland, with the Dublin concert close to selling out, while larger venues in Wales, Ireland and London are also being considered.
Aled Phillips added: “We like to do things a little differently. We are proud of the traditions of Welsh male voice singing, but we are also contemporary and want to try new things.”
“Bringing together the choir, Juniors and orchestra was an exciting mix and where possible we would love to take elements of that into next year.”
“We are always thinking about what comes next. The dream one day would be to perform at the STōK Cae Ras in Wrexham. To bring everything home and perform there in front of a huge crowd would be very special.”
Before the tour, Johns’ Boys will perform at Durham Cathedral on 14 November and Chester Cathedral on 19 December.
The 2027 schedule includes concerts in Newtown, Wells, Liverpool, Rhyl, Belfast, Dublin, Harrogate, Swansea, Bristol, Coventry, Huddersfield, London, Wrexham, Cardiff, Salisbury, Worcester and Oxford. Highlights include Rhyl Pavilion on 6 March, Huddersfield Town Hall on 3 July, Union Chapel in London on 16 July and a return to William Aston Hall for two concerts in September.
