The Aloud Charity announces 10th anniversary documentary series

The Aloud Charity have been working with Orchard Media on Aloud: Dathlu 10 a new documentary series which will provide viewers with a unique insight into the work of the charity. After months of capturing exclusive behind the scenes footage, the first episode in the four-part series will be aired on S4C on Friday 25th November.

Aloud: Dathlu 10 is an observational documentary series on The Aloud Charity – the organisation behind Only Boys Aloud choirs – which this year celebrates our 10th Anniversary. 

Only Boys Aloud was originally launched as a new initiative to get boys of the South Wales valleys interested in singing, breathing new life into the Welsh male voice choir tradition. They gave their first ever performance at the National Eisteddfod at Ebbw Vale and made a huge impact. Since that performance Only Boys Aloud has gone from strength to strength, gaining national recognition when they won third place in ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent in 2013 and over the past decade have been invited to perform at many prestigious events at home and abroad. Only Kids Aloud was later launched to deliver activity for primary school aged young people.

2022 saw the charity expand their reach considerably. This included the launch of Only Boys Aloud choirs in West Wales which enabled the organisation to become a pan-Wales organisation. They also launched a new Only Girls Aloud choir in South Wales. 

Aloud: Dathlu 10 will celebrate the huge legacy and continued success of The Aloud Charity and includes footage from their 10^th Anniversary Gala Concert at St David’s Hall Cardiff which brought together over 300 young people from all over Wales to share the same stage. Cameras have been allowed to record their preparations, rehearsals, recordings, and the concert itself, alongside interviews with choir members and staff.

Carys Wynne-Morgan, Chief Executive of The Aloud Charity said: “It has been a fantastic experience working with Orchard during our 10th anniversary year. They’ve been a part of our lives for the last 8 months and during this time have helped us realise the extent of what has been achieved since the charity’s inception, as well as since we’ve re-invigorated our live activities following the pandemic.

This has been an important part of our celebration year. It will help us show our supporters, as well as the wider public, the work that goes into making our activities happen behind the scenes as well as demonstrate that we’re very much an active charity that makes a huge difference to the lives of the young people we work with. 

Everyone involved in making the documentary has been a pleasure to work with – I just hope that our young people realise that it’s not part of our usual activity to have cameras following us wherever we go!”

Rowena Griffin, Producer of the series said: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with the young people which make up the various Aloud choirs over the last 7/8 months and have been so impressed with their attitude, work ethic and professionalism. We’ve been following their every move – during rehearsals, at their concerts, the Academi and in Lorient – and not once heard a cross word or met with any reluctance to participate in our filming. This is a very special group of youngsters and a true credit to the charity. I’d also like to say a huge thank you to all  The Aloud staff, choir leaders, community leaders as you have made our work very easy. 

I hope you will enjoy watching the series – and hope you think it reflects the hard work that has gone into organising the choirs and the various events of the last year and I hope we have captured the true essence of the choirs and members.”

The series will air on S4C throughout November and December.