About the Snowdown Welfare Male Voice Choir
History
The Snowdown Choir was formed in 1929 by John Yorath, a Welshman, who was the choir-master of St. Peter’s Church Aylesham, and the choir has now been based in the village for 90 years.
The opening of the new Kent Coalfield, at the start of the 20th Century, brought miners from all over the British Isles, anxious to find work. Many were from South Wales and Yorkshire, and they brought with them strong choral traditions. Soon the collieries at Snowdown, Betteshanger, Tilmanstone and Chislet all boasted male voice choirs, and in 1948, all four choirs combined to give a concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London.
Sadly, the Snowdown Choir is now the only one left.
Charity
In its time the choir has given more than 2,000 concerts at venues, as small as Tilmanstone church and as large as The Royal Albert Hall, in towns and villages in England and Wales as well as France, Belgium and Holland. During these events, the choir has raised in excess of £1,000,000 for worthy causes.
Community
Although originally a miners’ choir, the closure of the coalfield means that we now draw our members from all walks of life and from a wide area of Kent. (Some of our singers do a round trip of over 50 miles to attend practices.)
We are proud of the choir’s heritage but also looking to the future, building and developing what is a thriving community choir.