Choirs and rock band to perform at North Wales Police 50th anniversary concert

Choirs and a rock band will take centre stage at a special concert this weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of North Wales Police.

Organised by the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO), the concert will be staged at the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre on Saturday, October 5, at 7.30pm.

It will feature the acclaimed Côr Meibion Colwyn who have won several awards at the National Eisteddfod since their formation over 130 years ago and Côr Alaw, a choir formed by former pupils at Ysgol Bod Alaw in Colwyn Bay.

Bringing their own brand of music to the stage will be the Racoons, an energetic rock and roll quartet from North Wales..

Tom Jones, who served in North Wales Police for 30 years and who now acts as NARPO Liaison Officer in the area, said: “It is a very special year for the North Wales Police and there have been several events to commemorate the half century.

“This concert promises to be a very special evening indeed with two excellent choirs and a rock band playing their versions of well-known songs.

“Proceeds from the evening will be donated to the Police Remembrance Trust, a charity formed in 2018 to ensure all those police officers who lost their lives on and in the line of duty are never forgotten.”

Tom said police officers have maintained law and order in the region for over 160 years but North Wales Police as we now know it was officially formed on April 1, 1974.

During its existence North Wales Police have had 10 Chief Constables. The first was Sir Philip Myers who held the position until 1982. The current Chief Constable is Amanda Blakeman who was appointed two years ago.

Recognising the 50th anniversary on the North Wales Police website Ms Blakeman wrote: “North Wales Police has changed in several ways over the last 50 years, changes which have been necessary to maintain and improve our policing services.

“Technology has advanced to transform how we work today and assist us in solving crimes quicker – officers can view images and retrieve information at the touch of a button, we’ve invested heavily in the latest Drone technology and our fleet have modernised with electric vehicles being introduced onto the roads.”

Côr Meibion Colwyn dates back to the 1890s – the earliest known reference appears in the Colwyn Bay and Welsh Coast Pioneer newspaper in August 1899 announcing a garden fete at St. Paul’s church.

The Colwyn Male Voice Party, the choir’s original name, were described as winners of numerous prizes at local Eisteddfodau and, under the direction of Theophilus Jones, sang before Queen Victoria at the Crystal Palace shortly before her death.

The choir has disbanded and reformed several times over the years and the present Côr Meibion Colwyn was formed in 1972 with Gwilym Davies as conductor.

Since then the choir have taken part in countless concerts, competed many times and regularly travelled overseas.

Côr Alaw is a mixed choir from Colwyn Bay made up of current and former students from Ysgol Bod Alaw.

The choir has performed with other choirs, including Côr Meibion Colwyn, to raise money for local and national charities and are conducted by Dilwyn Price who will also compere the evening.

The Racoons are a dynamic blues, indie rock and roll band from North Wales with their own unique take on the cover songs they perform. The band comprises four musicians who individually draw influences from an eclectic range of genres performing music they are passionate about and love playing.

The band was formed by vocalist Chris Renshaw and guitarist Mark Dickson in 2019 after they discovered the bands potential whilst jamming together after work. Following a couple of highly successful pub gigs the band recruited professional drummer Wayne Francis and Hez Evans on bass and have been entertaining audiences all over North Wales and beyond ever since.

Tickets for the concert cost £5 and are available online at the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre website or the Box Office on 01745 330000.