“They were brilliant” – a statement one would logically attribute to a member of the audience at the end of a Johns’ Boys Choir performance. In fact, this was the reaction of Choir Founder and Director Aled Phillips, in appreciation of the Leeds audience the Choir entertained at Leeds Grand Theatre on Saturday.
There was praise all round: seasoned musical theatre-goers were very taken with the Boys, who flexed their vocal cords with a hugely entertaining programme that included familiar songs, not only from theatre but also from the world of popular music and, by contrast, some drawn from the classical arena.
Joining the Choir was John Owen-Jones, no stranger to the savvy Leeds audience for his commanding lead delivery in The Phantom of The Opera, and with multiple credits to his name, not the least being Les Miserables.
The enthusiasm and energy of both Choir and Owen-Jones were matched by delicious harmonies and sparkling clarity of voice. One might bemoan that the performance was sans orchestra, but we were nonetheless presented with the kind of melodic power that comes from the heart of everyone on stage.
We have come to expect a certain charm, depth and tone from the Welsh, an expectation which was fulfilled throughout the evening, punctuated by surprising sparks verging on brilliance. We left the theatre happy to have been there and delighted to spread the word. We’ll be hoping Johns Boys will visit us again before too long.
If you’re looking for unbounded joy in music, take any opportunity you have to see Johns’ Boys.
Editor’s Note: I’m not sure it’s widely known that the Choir members have jobs and families and yet still manage somehow to give back to communities in the towns and cities they visit. Before their Leeds date, members of the Choir entertained patients and their families and nursing staff at St Gemma’s Hospice and the Children’s Hospital. You can read about their Hospice visit here.
Photography by Maddie Armstrong.
Read more about Johns’ Boys here.
