By Caitlin Fitzsimmons

The road into Senghenydd from the imposing Welsh castle town of Caerphilly snakes along the side of a steep slope that drops into a rocky valley. Lined with red-toned terrace houses in local stone, the village almost clings to the hillside, and though coal mining died out here long ago, the landscape still bears the scars. You may need to pause on the high street to allow stray sheep to cross the road – this is Britain at its most rural.

Senghenydd is home to the Aber Valley Male Voice Choir and though the choir gives concerts all over the world, it is here in the village’s ex-servicemen’s club that the sound is created and honed to perfection. The 61 men, many of them second or third-generation choristers, perform everything from sombre hymns to the Bohemian Rhapsody. Singing in both English and Welsh, their voices swell in four-part harmonies, as rich and complex as an orchestra.

Male voice choirs are a Welsh institution, part of the lives of thousands of working men from Snowdonia to the Rhondda. The choirs grew from the mateship and community spirit forged by the men who worked in the mines of the valleys of South Wales valleys and the quarries of North Wales, and though times have changed they are still going strong.

The choir in Senghenydd practices twice a week, and the men come as much for the camaraderie as they do for the music. You are welcome to visit, whether to attend a concert or for a more intimate experience to simply drop in on a rehearsal. The high proportion of silver hair in the choir ranks might raise concern about whether the younger generation will carry on the tradition. But with nearly 150 male voice choirs in a land of just 2.9 million people, this unique part of Welsh life is in no danger of disappearing.

Need to know
The Aber Valley Male Voice Choir can be found at www.aber-valleymvc.co.uk. The Homecoming Wales website lists 110 male voice choirs in Wales - click on ‘choirs’ on the home page. A train or coach from London to Cardiff or Caerphilly will cost between £16 to £50 return.

This article was first published in Rough Guides Make the Most of Your Time on Earth in September 2007. All rights reserved - please contact Caitlin Fitzsimmons for reprint permissions.