Powys choirs pay moving tribute to fallen soldiers at Menin Gate

Rhayader & District Male Voice Choir joined by friends from Builth Male Voice Choir made a poignant visit to Ypres, Belgium on Tuesday, October 27.

The group sang at the Menin Gate Memorial in tribute to those who lost their lives during the First World War.

The choir's performance formed part of the daily Last Post ceremony, providing a moving musical contribution as visitors gathered to remember the fallen.

“Singing beneath the memorial's imposing arches was a profound honour for us and an experience we will remember for a very long time,” said a spokesperson for Rhayader & District Male Voice Choir.

The choir gave moving renditions of Calon Lan and Cwm Rhondda, conducted by Musical Director Jonathan Pearce and accompanied by harpist Lynda Pearce.

The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing commemorates more than 54,000 soldiers of Britain and the Commonwealth who died in fighting around Ypres and have no known grave. Unveiled in 1927, its walls bear the names of the missing. Since 1928, buglers from the Ypres Fire Brigade have sounded the Last Post beneath the memorial every evening, with the tradition interrupted only during the German occupation in the Second World War.

The choir also visited the Welsh National Memorial Park where a rousing rendition of Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was sung in remembrance of service men and women of Welsh origin who served during the Great War.

To listen to the choir singing at the Menin Gate visit www.rhayadermvc.co.uk.

The Choir are also on the lookout for new members and would love to hear from you if you are interested.