You Raise Me Up by Only Boys Aloud

[dude]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TBJcv3FdsU&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

[Cole Parker]

Simply marvelous.

I don't know where the songs this group sings come from, but they're all inspirational.

C

[Jeff Ellis]

The majority of what they sing consists of Nonconformist hymns sung in Welsh, together with Welsh popular songs such as Sosban Fach (also on Youtube). You Raise Me Up is a favorite solo piece for Brit choristers.

Welsh male voice singing grew out of poverty. If a group of men want to make music (think late 19C slate workers and miners) then it is infinitely cheaper to set up a choir than an orchestra. They were and are immensely talented and popular as this young group prove today. Only Boys Aloud are a group of 14 to 19yo boys from the valley where I grew up. Their style follow a very powerful tradition in Wales of hymn singing at rugby matches. If you think Boys Aloud are powerful consider what 30,000 men can do at a rugby match!

Here they are singing it in Welsh... the change of language alters the balance towards a more Welsh style, believe me :-)

[Jeff Ellis]

I found this "explanation" of the origins of the choir. Spread the word ... Wales has produced something special again. It's nearly as special as Torchwood (sorry Pecman! I stand corrected.)

[dude]

One of my favorite singers.... OK my favorite singer... Damian McGinty is a young man from Derry in the north of Ireland. This is from two years ago when he'd just turned 18 and Ryan Murphy had yet to bring him in for seventeen episodes of Glee. He shares an apartment with his (business?) partner in Hollywood, Cameron Mitchell whom he met during the Glee Project competition in which he beat out 39,999 other competitors for the spot on Glee. He and Cameron have formed a record label, Walled City Records aimed at promoting young talent.

That's not Welsh he's singing in but Gaellic.

[The Pecman]

I found this "explanation" of the origins of the choir. Spread the word around the world... this is one of the best thing Wales has produced.

I think that would be Torchwood!

[Jeff Ellis]

Damian McGinty! what a find! Thank you dude.

[Chris James]

Just another look at Damian McGinty, that magical voice in Celtic Thunder:

I would guess many of us are so tired of the horrid sound coming out of the American music scene that the performers mentioned in this thread are like a breath of fresh air. Magnificient groups like Only Boys Aloud, Libera, and soloists like Darian McGinty and Declan Galbraith bring our attention back to good music.

[Jeff Ellis]

Also try YT searching for PCCB

Each year they do a TV show (in France) working with very famous French singers.

This is my favorite... the blond is so involved in what they are achieving

[Gee Whillickers]

Wonderful stuff. I'm really enjoying these links.

[Bruin Fisher]

Only Boys Aloud (allowed?) were finalists in the TV talent show 'Britain's Got Talent' and were very impressive. I'd have liked them to win (instead of the performing dog that won as I recall). Another entry in the show, and they got through the auditions and I think as far as the semi-finals, were a male ballroom dance couple called Sugar Dandies and they used the same song as Only Boys Aloud are singing in the clips in this thread. It's a rather different interpretation but nice to watch:

[dude]

This couple is great and the backstage crew outed themselves on national TV as well... this could never happen in America. Bravo!

[Bruin Fisher]

I suppose in the interest of clarity I should mention that the 'backstage crew' you refer to are a couple known as Ant and Dec, a very highly paid presenting team who started their TV careers as child stars. Both are happily married to women, live near each other and are close friends in real life as on TV. They are sufficiently comfortable in their skins to joke (and share in the jokes made by others) about them being a gay couple, but it's only jest, I'm afraid.

[Chris James]

Only Boys Aloud is a wonderful place for young boys to develop their talents, but it comes at a price:

http://www.pinknews....cyber-bullying/

It is so sad to read something like this and realize this poor boy is being persecuted for just being himself. I agree with the point of the article, bullying needs to be stopped. If that means tracking down and denying a bully use of the internet so be it. Perhaps the police involvement will assist, but it is going to take an extreme amount of public pressure to come up with a solution.

Until then I hope Morgan surrounds himself with fellow singers and continues to produce such fine music. These boys have become cultural ambassadors for Wales to the rest of the world. What a fine way to grow up.

[Merkin]

I applaud that Morgan is willing to discuss his experience openly. As he says “I think It’s so important to speak out because then people can help you. If you just keep quiet then no-one can help. I’m so glad I did because positives have come from it.” One of those outcomes is a Welsh Factor-led antibullying campaign that appears to be a direct result of his speaking out.

The importance of allowing daylight to illuminate the dark places we sometimes find ourselves in cannot be underestimated. Many bad things that flourish in the dark cannot tolerate the light.

[dude]

FYI, I wondered which lad Morgan was and came up with this:

http://www.starnow.c.../morganwestcott

God bless him for speaking out!

Added: Go to YouTube Search and type in Morgan Westcott for some really nice videos!