The 2025-26 season of Dolgellau Music Club opens at 7.30pm on Friday, 3 October in Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor with a special concert, the first appearance in the town for many a long year of Côr y Brythoniaid – one of Wales's most famous male voice choirs.

The choir includes several members from the Dolgellau area, and its accompanist (since 1984) Elizabeth Treadwell Jones was herself a pupil of Dr Williams School, whose site is now home to the college; so she had many opportunities at that time to perform in the very same venue.

It's been a busy time for the choir (formed in Blaenau Ffestiniog back in 1964 by its talented conductor Meirion Jones), with a notable highlight recently being a very successful concert in July at Plas Glyn y Weddw, where over £4,000 was raised to support a young lady called Anna Lowri Roberts, who suffers from Battens' Disease, a rare and cruel condition. It was uplifting to see pictures in the media of choir conductor John Eifion Jones (who will be celebrating 25 years in the role next year) presenting Anna with a cheque.

On Friday, 12 September they shared the stage of the Great Hall of Aberystwyth with 'Rhys Meirion and Friends', following a personal invitation from Rhys himself. Looking ahead to 2026, in celebration of John Eifion's quarter-century contribution – no mean achievement – the choir will make a short trip to Scotland, which will include concerts in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Several more plans for 2026 are in the pipeline.

From among the choir on 3 October will come solos by talented members, John Eifion himself not the least of them as winner of the Blue Riband back in 1999 on Anglesey.

This promises to be a powerful and memorable start to the club's 41st season.

Full details of the 2025-26 seven-concert programme can be found at dolgellaumusicclub.org.uk.