"I joined the BBC in 1983 as a producer/director in the religious programmes department in Cardiff. My very first programme as producer came from Beaumaris Church and was one of the Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol series. This was actually the forerunner of Songs of Praise and then consisted of choirs singing hymns in the church together, with one solo item.
During my preparation for this programme I met Canon Meurig Foulkes, the parish priest in Beaumaris Church at the time, and asked him if he knew of any likely soloist we could use. The choirs who were appearing were already lined up. He mentioned one boy in the church choir who had a good voice - and that his name was Aled Jones. He said he was so good that he had recently started singing in Bangor Cathedral choir.
Canon Foulkes gave me Aled's phone number and I rang his mother who worked in a local primary school. We arranged for me to visit them at their home, but Mrs Jones was then quite nervous about a 'BBC person"' visiting them!
Whilst Aled played football on the lawn, I listened to a tape recording his parents had made of him singing. His exceptional voice struck me immediately and I had no hesitation in inviting him to take part in the programme.
The recording was to take place some months later. His mother explained that she and her husband were not musical and that they had only just discovered their son's talent. She was quite concerned that, as Aled was 13 and growing up quickly, his voice would break soon. Although I had explained that we only needed one song, she asked if we could record two songs so that "at least we'll have two songs in order to remember his voice..." I agreed and so we chose Pie Iesu and Panis Angelicus.
By the day of the recording, Aled had been receiving voice lessons but my boss, the presenter of the programme, told me off for agreeing to record two songs instead of one. He couldn't believe I was using a complete three-camera outside broadcast crew for doing an extra recording just to please Aled's mother! He gave me strict instructions only one solo item was to be used in the programme, but I was so taken by Aled's voice I managed to squeeze both songs in during the editing process.
The day after transmission, I was summonsed to my boss's office and told off for disobeying him and including both of Aled's songs. I said I'd done it because I liked his voice. He disagreed with me and said I was to do what he told me in future.
Some months later a colleague of mine, BBC music producer Hefin Owen, contacted me and asked me if I'd recently recorded a good boy soprano. He was about to do a recording of Jeptha in St David's Hall, Cardiff. The voice of the boy soprano who was meant to be singing the part of the angel had broken just a few weeks before recording with the BBC Chorus and Wales Symphony Orchestra. I rang Aled's Mum, and she said, if I agreed to be around during rehearsal and recording (because Aled 'knew' me), then she was willing for Aled to do it.
Although at short notice, Aled learnt the whole part thoroughly and sang with great presence in St David's Hall. Members of the BBC Chorus and Wales Symphony Orchestra were about to record in the Holy Land. Aled was invited to join them. Voices from the Holy Land was the album they recorded and of course this was Aled's first big hit."
Read more about Aled's life and career.More about the author of this article.
your comments
Dr Stephen Booth, ex Dir. L.C.M.C
Having directed church music for three decades, I once put the TV on and it was Aled singing from Palestine or somewhere, after a couple of lines singing, I 'zoomed in' wondering, if it were a boy, why hadn't I heard this boy before? His performance was exquisite and supremely confident. I am so proud he is very much still around and more, that he is a model & practising Christian. Richest blessings on you Aled.
Wed Mar 11 16:31:57 2009
Wil, Wrexham.
Final of BBC Radio Chorus of The Year 1984 at the old Llandudno Theatre. Finalists, Rhos Male Voice Choir and Nelson Arian Glee Union. Aled Jones sang, accompanied by BBC presenter Chris Stuart, during the break while we awaited the decision of the judges. He sang "Where e'er You Walk" and "Pie Iesu" to rapturous applause.
Mon Nov 26 10:34:04 2007
John Owen from Beaumaris.
I well remember one of Aled's' first concerts in St. Marys Church in Beaumaris,However I go back further than that, to his grandfathers days. He too was a fine base baritone, also his uncle Wally, who with a small crowd of his contempories would practice singing in the lunch break in Saunders Roe. I worked in the same office as Jack his grandad, he used to tell me stories about his own father, who went by the name of "Jack oil lamp". He again was a fine singer, and was trained, if my memory serves me right, by Osbourne Roberts, the husband of Leila Megan,who will be remembered as one of Wales' finest opera singers.
Mon Jun 6 21:28:05 2005
Dr Aled Jones from Beaumaris
I remember the Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol programme as I was on it at the same time. There were two Aled Jones' in that programme - I read from the Bible and the now famous singer (and presenter and dancer!) sang.
Thu Dec 23 16:06:11 2004
