CBC – Dec 8th 2009
Founder and President:- Clifford Bunford celebrates 90th Birthday 10/12/09
Address by CBC member :- Dr Haydn Jones
“Well here we all are on this momentous occasion – in recognition of the 90th birthday of our founder and current President, Mr Clifford Bunford. Valleys born;….a mining family background,….musically gifted,…good looking,…modest,…….but that’s enough about me, lets consider Clifford Bunford !!!
It occurred to me that many of you are not as old as Cardiff Bach Choir and you may not know much about our founder, conductor and current President.
First of all I must congratulate the Choir and its Chairman, Cecil James on their increased efficiency, because when I was in this position a few years back, as we were going into the room for one of our annual dinners in fact, Cecil said “ … would you say a few words about Cliff?” Well this time he gave me about 2 weeks notice so as you can see [waving papers] I have been busy making copious notes! I may be repeating myself, but I work on the basis that if I can’t remember what I said the last time then you probably won’t remember either!
Cliff was born 90 years ago (all but) in Aberfan in a house in Moy Road that was destroyed in the Aberfan disaster. In his childhood he soon showed his musical talent as a boy soprano and he used to sing on stage in the cinema between films. He has a poster at home on which he has equal billing with Merle Oberon. For those of you who have no idea who she was – she was a famous film star! [internet biog…. From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_Oberon ..(ed.)]
A relative of Cliff’s worked in Gregynog – the Mid Wales mansion then owned by the Davies family of Llandinam
[ http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/UniversityConferenceCentre/GregynogHall.aspx (ed.)]
And Cliff used to visit there and sing for Margaret and Gwendolyn Davies who you may know, later gave their collection of Impressionist paintings to the National Museum of Wales [ http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/cardiff/ (ed)]. At the time of Cliff’s visits, these paintings were on the walls of Gregynog Hall. The sisters’ interests in music are also well known. Adverts they placed for staff would often include phrases such as “Footman wanted… tenor preferred.”
Cliff did not serve in the Armed Forces during WW2 because he followed the family tradition and volunteered to become a collier down the pit. He then took an English and Music degree at Cardiff University and was by then a very accomplished pianist and singer. This was followed by a teaching post in Cathays High School for Boys, Cardiff where I was a 5th Form pupil. He was the school’s first ever Music Teacher and almost immediately he formed a mixed choir with his boys and the girls from the Girl’s School next door with which previously we had had no contact whatsoever!
About this time, he was singing in small vocal groups on BBC Radio Wales and also appearing in live television variety shows on the fledgling company T.W.W.. On one occasion Cliff was milking a real live cow in a Country and Western scene. He had put a crib sheet of his words in the bottom of the bucket but when he actually milked the cow the ink was washed away by the milk!
He also took parts for Welsh National Opera and performed widely in concerts and oratorios.
By 1962 he was a lecturer in the music department of Cardiff University and he formed the Cardiff Bach Choir with a nucleus of his musical friends under the aegis of the Extramural Department. Initially the Choir had about 30 members and had an extensive repertoire and sang, it seemed to me, in innumerable languages. After many years of increases in size the Choir combined on many occasions with the University choir of which he was also conductor and with other major choirs to give performances in St David’s Hall, Cardiff.
Choir practice was always enlivened by Cliff’s jokes and stories. I have many personal memories and if I’ve told you these before try and stop me if you can!
For the Royal National Eisteddfod in Barry in the sixties, Cliff trained the Eisteddfod choir to sing Mozart’s “Requiem” and he worked his socks off teaching us the last movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “The Resurrection”. There was no photocopying in those days (and Mr Luff wasn’t around anyway): only ‘cyclostyling the line of your particular voice so you had no idea what the other voice parts were singing. This made it very hard work. Mansel Thomas, a composer, was Head of Music for Radio Wales. He was going to conduct one of the major concerts and had graciously offered Cliff the chance to conduct one of the hymn tune arrangements. However, on the night, Mansel Thomas decided to conduct Arnom Gweina himself and as he hurried on stage he said to Cliff “Have you got the music, Cliff?” Cliff very innocently said “No!”, whilst standing next to a small pile of spare copies.
We gave a concert in St. Martin’s Church in Caerphilly with organ accompaniment. For the opening number, Cliff brought the organist in with a flourish and the organist pressed the keys with an equal flourish but no sound ensued as the organist had forgotten to switch the organ on!
On a more serious note, the choir performed in the first Lower Machen Festival – a festival which is still flourishing. We also sang in a church near one of the soprano’s home where in the graveyard is buried Rudolph Hess (I think) who was a Nazi spy captured during the war.
Possibly thanks to Cliff’s previous connections we had several happy weekends at Gregynog, by now owned by the University of Wales, where we had intensive singing sessions culminating in an informal concert on the Sunday. The ladies of the choir were housed in large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and magnificent old plumbing while the basses were in the stable blocks!
The Choir continued singing a varied repertoire but particularly many Bach cantatas and the Bach Passions and B minor Mass, and these major works were accompanied by professional orchestras which gave an added dimension from the choristers’ point of view.
So Cliff finally retired in 2003 and thankfully the Choir has continued to prosper and has survived many serious skirmishes with the National Health Service! Cliff continues to be musically active and conducts a small chamber choir and produces concerts. He was the first recipient of the Joseph Parry prize.
We are all very happy that Cliff is so active and healthy and you may wonder what is his secret of success. You know that they say that behind every successful man is a good wife; – and a surprised mother-in-law! - Well, Cliff has been very fortunate in having Anne behind him as his chief supporter and help-mate and choir accompanist. They say that the secret of a good marriage is to choose the right woman and Cliff certainly did just that. They have been happily married and have two lovely and loving children and now grand-children as well.
I would mention in passing that in these days of two-car families and two-bathroom houses, Cliff and Anne have a two-grand-piano music room!
I don’t know what Anne’s formula is, but one wife kept here husband and herself on a very strict diet. Health foods, umpteen vitamin pills, special drinks and All Bran with every meal! Eventually they died together and found themselves in Heaven where St. David showed them around their own apartment. It had luxury bathroom and Jacuzzi and television. There was High Definition Sky television in the lounge with a state-of-the-art Hi-Fi sound system. There was a beautiful garden complete with gardener. And adjacent, there was a golf course and swimming pool. There were several concert halls nearby with a choice of choirs to conduct. The wife said ‘ “What do you think of this then?” – and the husband angrily replied “If it hadn’t been for your flippin’ diet we could have been here 10 years ago!”
Then there was the other wife who went to the doctor when here husband was 90 years old complaining that he was slowing down and not so active as he used to be. The doctor advised her to sprinkle a spoonful of gunpowder on his cornflakes every morning. This she did and sure enough he lived very happily for several more years. When he died he left a wife and two children, several grand-children, lots of money and a 100ft crater where the crematorium used to be!
One of my definitions of being old was when you had to squint carefully at the condiment set to see which is the salt and which the pepper. Or when you have a bottle of tonic from the doctor and you haven’t the strength to get the cork out of the bottle. Only last weekend one elderly member of my brass band said “I’ve just realised I’m getting old – last night I was watching a blue film on T.V. and I thought ‘Gosh that looks like a comfortable bed’”
Getting old isn’t about counting years, its about attitude and you’ve certainly got the right attitude, Cliff. I hope the Cardiff Bach Choir gives me the honour of asking me to say a few words of appreciation in 10 years time, Cliff, when we can hear you read out your telegram from the Queen.
Meanwhile, on behalf of individual members past and present and the Cardiff Bach Choir in general, I congratulate you on your achievements and thank you for your friendship and for sharing your musical talents with us and enabling us to enjoy so much wonderful and uplifting music and I wish you very Happy Birthday.
(Toast and acclamation from those present. – ed.)
Founder and President:- Clifford Bunford celebrates 90th Birthday 10/12/09
Address by CBC member :- Dr Haydn Jones
“Well here we all are on this momentous occasion – in recognition of the 90th birthday of our founder and current President, Mr Clifford Bunford. Valleys born;….a mining family background,….musically gifted,…good looking,…modest,…….but that’s enough about me, lets consider Clifford Bunford !!!
It occurred to me that many of you are not as old as Cardiff Bach Choir and you may not know much about our founder, conductor and current President.
First of all I must congratulate the Choir and its Chairman, Cecil James on their increased efficiency, because when I was in this position a few years back, as we were going into the room for one of our annual dinners in fact, Cecil said “ … would you say a few words about Cliff?” Well this time he gave me about 2 weeks notice so as you can see [waving papers] I have been busy making copious notes! I may be repeating myself, but I work on the basis that if I can’t remember what I said the last time then you probably won’t remember either!
Cliff was born 90 years ago (all but) in Aberfan in a house in Moy Road that was destroyed in the Aberfan disaster. In his childhood he soon showed his musical talent as a boy soprano and he used to sing on stage in the cinema between films. He has a poster at home on which he has equal billing with Merle Oberon. For those of you who have no idea who she was – she was a famous film star! [internet biog…. From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_Oberon ..(ed.)]
A relative of Cliff’s worked in Gregynog – the Mid Wales mansion then owned by the Davies family of Llandinam
[ http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/UniversityConferenceCentre/GregynogHall.aspx (ed.)]
And Cliff used to visit there and sing for Margaret and Gwendolyn Davies who you may know, later gave their collection of Impressionist paintings to the National Museum of Wales [ http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/cardiff/ (ed)]. At the time of Cliff’s visits, these paintings were on the walls of Gregynog Hall. The sisters’ interests in music are also well known. Adverts they placed for staff would often include phrases such as “Footman wanted… tenor preferred.”
Cliff did not serve in the Armed Forces during WW2 because he followed the family tradition and volunteered to become a collier down the pit. He then took an English and Music degree at Cardiff University and was by then a very accomplished pianist and singer. This was followed by a teaching post in Cathays High School for Boys, Cardiff where I was a 5th Form pupil. He was the school’s first ever Music Teacher and almost immediately he formed a mixed choir with his boys and the girls from the Girl’s School next door with which previously we had had no contact whatsoever!
About this time, he was singing in small vocal groups on BBC Radio Wales and also appearing in live television variety shows on the fledgling company T.W.W.. On one occasion Cliff was milking a real live cow in a Country and Western scene. He had put a crib sheet of his words in the bottom of the bucket but when he actually milked the cow the ink was washed away by the milk!
He also took parts for Welsh National Opera and performed widely in concerts and oratorios.
By 1962 he was a lecturer in the music department of Cardiff University and he formed the Cardiff Bach Choir with a nucleus of his musical friends under the aegis of the Extramural Department. Initially the Choir had about 30 members and had an extensive repertoire and sang, it seemed to me, in innumerable languages. After many years of increases in size the Choir combined on many occasions with the University choir of which he was also conductor and with other major choirs to give performances in St David’s Hall, Cardiff.
Choir practice was always enlivened by Cliff’s jokes and stories. I have many personal memories and if I’ve told you these before try and stop me if you can!
For the Royal National Eisteddfod in Barry in the sixties, Cliff trained the Eisteddfod choir to sing Mozart’s “Requiem” and he worked his socks off teaching us the last movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “The Resurrection”. There was no photocopying in those days (and Mr Luff wasn’t around anyway): only ‘cyclostyling the line of your particular voice so you had no idea what the other voice parts were singing. This made it very hard work. Mansel Thomas, a composer, was Head of Music for Radio Wales. He was going to conduct one of the major concerts and had graciously offered Cliff the chance to conduct one of the hymn tune arrangements. However, on the night, Mansel Thomas decided to conduct Arnom Gweina himself and as he hurried on stage he said to Cliff “Have you got the music, Cliff?” Cliff very innocently said “No!”, whilst standing next to a small pile of spare copies.
We gave a concert in St. Martin’s Church in Caerphilly with organ accompaniment. For the opening number, Cliff brought the organist in with a flourish and the organist pressed the keys with an equal flourish but no sound ensued as the organist had forgotten to switch the organ on!
On a more serious note, the choir performed in the first Lower Machen Festival – a festival which is still flourishing. We also sang in a church near one of the soprano’s home where in the graveyard is buried Rudolph Hess (I think) who was a Nazi spy captured during the war.
Possibly thanks to Cliff’s previous connections we had several happy weekends at Gregynog, by now owned by the University of Wales, where we had intensive singing sessions culminating in an informal concert on the Sunday. The ladies of the choir were housed in large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and magnificent old plumbing while the basses were in the stable blocks!
The Choir continued singing a varied repertoire but particularly many Bach cantatas and the Bach Passions and B minor Mass, and these major works were accompanied by professional orchestras which gave an added dimension from the choristers’ point of view.
So Cliff finally retired in 2003 and thankfully the Choir has continued to prosper and has survived many serious skirmishes with the National Health Service! Cliff continues to be musically active and conducts a small chamber choir and produces concerts. He was the first recipient of the Joseph Parry prize.
We are all very happy that Cliff is so active and healthy and you may wonder what is his secret of success. You know that they say that behind every successful man is a good wife; – and a surprised mother-in-law! - Well, Cliff has been very fortunate in having Anne behind him as his chief supporter and help-mate and choir accompanist. They say that the secret of a good marriage is to choose the right woman and Cliff certainly did just that. They have been happily married and have two lovely and loving children and now grand-children as well.
I would mention in passing that in these days of two-car families and two-bathroom houses, Cliff and Anne have a two-grand-piano music room!
I don’t know what Anne’s formula is, but one wife kept here husband and herself on a very strict diet. Health foods, umpteen vitamin pills, special drinks and All Bran with every meal! Eventually they died together and found themselves in Heaven where St. David showed them around their own apartment. It had luxury bathroom and Jacuzzi and television. There was High Definition Sky television in the lounge with a state-of-the-art Hi-Fi sound system. There was a beautiful garden complete with gardener. And adjacent, there was a golf course and swimming pool. There were several concert halls nearby with a choice of choirs to conduct. The wife said ‘ “What do you think of this then?” – and the husband angrily replied “If it hadn’t been for your flippin’ diet we could have been here 10 years ago!”
Then there was the other wife who went to the doctor when here husband was 90 years old complaining that he was slowing down and not so active as he used to be. The doctor advised her to sprinkle a spoonful of gunpowder on his cornflakes every morning. This she did and sure enough he lived very happily for several more years. When he died he left a wife and two children, several grand-children, lots of money and a 100ft crater where the crematorium used to be!
One of my definitions of being old was when you had to squint carefully at the condiment set to see which is the salt and which the pepper. Or when you have a bottle of tonic from the doctor and you haven’t the strength to get the cork out of the bottle. Only last weekend one elderly member of my brass band said “I’ve just realised I’m getting old – last night I was watching a blue film on T.V. and I thought ‘Gosh that looks like a comfortable bed’”
Getting old isn’t about counting years, its about attitude and you’ve certainly got the right attitude, Cliff. I hope the Cardiff Bach Choir gives me the honour of asking me to say a few words of appreciation in 10 years time, Cliff, when we can hear you read out your telegram from the Queen.
Meanwhile, on behalf of individual members past and present and the Cardiff Bach Choir in general, I congratulate you on your achievements and thank you for your friendship and for sharing your musical talents with us and enabling us to enjoy so much wonderful and uplifting music and I wish you very Happy Birthday.
(Toast and acclamation from those present. – ed.)