Choir bids fond farewell to stalwart chorister

It was with very heavy hearts that on Wednesday 7th May 2025 the choir members bade a fond farewell to our oldest and stalwart chorister.

Albert Roberts, 2nd Tenor

Born in Denbigh on 10th June 1934, Albert celebrated his 90th Birthday on 10th June 2024.  The usual ‘Penbblwydd Hapus’ (Happy Birthday) was sung to Albert at choir practice and, as usual, he joined in singing ‘Happy Birthday to Me’.  He relished being the choir’s ‘Elder Statesman’.

Albert would have celebrated his 91st Birthday in June 2025 but, unfortunately it was not to be. Following a period of hospitalisation and care at home Albert sadly passed away on 15th April 2025.

At his funeral on 7th May 2025, the choir gave him a rousing and quite emotional ‘sending off”, not only joining in the two congregational hymns, ‘Gwahoddiad’ and ‘Cwm Rhondda’, but also performing the very moving ‘Deep Harmony’.

 

A loyal, very popular and well liked choir member

Albert loved being a member of the choir. He must have done because he was a chorister with us for around twenty-five years!  He enjoyed the banter and fun as well as the music.

A life well lived

Clwyd Wynne, the choir’s Deputy Musical Director and long standing friend of Albert, delivered the Eulogy at his funeral. Here are a couple of extracts from it.

It would be impossible to share all of it because,  as anyone who knows Clwyd Wynne would tell you, that despite him being a shy and reserved person he never uses one word when twenty-one would do!!!  The extracts do give an insight into Albert’s past life.

 

On his early life and area of expertise

‘Having been brought up in the poaching capital of Denbigh, Albert’s father taught him all the tricks of the trade and took him out with him when he was in his teens. He would also meet the bus at the bottom of Henllan street to sell rabbits for his aunty Mrs Plumley who had a shop on Henllan Street. This became a lifelong passion and he used it to supplement his income, providing rabbits etc to many of the towns inns and cafes.  Rodney said his father was his best friend and teacher and he would often accompany him on his poaching trips which provided the family with a meal and made some money by selling to a select clientele. He described walking for miles at night in the fields and setting traps, occasionally catching a pheasant, by accident. They would ride their bikes to Saron and Nantglyn without lights. He would take coffee “to keep us awake” and a tot of Whiskey “to keep us warm inside”.

Once he committed himself to something he always did it to the best of his ability and poaching was no exception. He did not believe in spending money when you could do it yourself and even make some money so he made would make nets and sell them to other poachers and he bred ferrets selling them for £5 a time.’

 

On Albert’s timing when singing

‘He especially loved the well-known Welsh hymns and anything with “a bit of go” in them. He made great efforts to learn the words but did sometimes get carried away with the “hwyl” and would come in too early or finish too late. I did say at one of the last concerts he sang in, after he had carried on after the choir had stopped that he had achieved his ambition of being a soloist.’

 

Farewell Albert

Albert was a real ‘Denbigh Character’ as we say and is sadly missed by his friends in the choir and the many other friends he had.

The choir sends it’s sincere condolences to Albert’s family.

Thank you, Albert, for your company, the laughs we had and your many years of loyal service to Denbigh & District Male Voice Choir. Your ‘choir shoes’ can never be filled by anyone else. Rest in Peace.

 

You can see an album of photographs of Albert by clicking on this link Albert Roberts 2nd Tenor