CHOIR ON TOUR 2026
Thirty-five singers, several long-suffering WAGs and HABs, plenty of luggage — and hopefully all the right notes! Welwyn Garden City Male Voice Choir is officially on the road to Belgium for our 2026 tour.
Thirty-five singers, several long-suffering WAGs and HABs, an alarming amount of luggage — and, hopefully, all the right notes!
Against all expectations, Welwyn Garden City Male Voice Choir left bang on time at 8.30 this morning. We suspect our excellent timekeeping was heavily aided and abetted by our lovely WAGs and HABs, who successfully herded the choir onto the coach!
Passport control was completed without anyone being detained for crimes against passport photography, and we’re now heading for Le Shuttle.
There has already been some entertainment on board too, with Bob keeping everyone occupied with a coach quiz. Congratulations to Alistair and Gill, who took the honours with an impressive score of 25½ points.
We’ve also had an early welcome from Belgium, with Theo declaring:
“Belgium is waiting and shivering for that British musical invasion!”
And there’s another reunion to look forward to later, as Ali and Stew complete the final stage of their four-day cycle ride to Ghent and meet up with the rest of the choir.
Wish us bon voyage — and watch this space for music, mischief and updates from Belgium! 🎶🚌🍻
Follow along for more from Choir on Tour 2026!
The choir has made it to Le Shuttle and the next stage of our Belgium adventure is underway.
With passport control successfully negotiated and everyone still accounted for, there was even time for a little entertainment before boarding — including some rather impressive balloon creations!
Next stop is France, before we continue onwards towards Ghent and our reunion with Ali and Stew as they complete their four-day cycle ride.
Day 2 – Antwerp! 🎶 🍺 🍫
After battling terrible traffic on the way into Antwerp, some of us set off on a walking tour of the city. We met the legendary Lange Wapper, saw the original city gate and just had time to grab a quick bite before heading to our first concert venue: the magnificent St Paulus Church.
What a setting! The church is currently undergoing a €3 million restoration, so we performed in the nave — but even that was breathtakingly beautiful.
The acoustic, with its one-second reverberation, took some adjustment as the singers heard their own sound echoing back at them. Nevertheless, the choir performed magnificently.
The concert included several tour premières: What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?, Myfanwy and Be Still My Soul.
A particular highlight was Bruckner’s Locus Iste, sung in the round, with carefully extended pauses allowing that glorious acoustic to do its work. A truly spine-tingling moment.
We rounded off the evening with a traditional Belgian stew at De 7 Schaken — “The Seven Chessboards”, a name referring to the seven great families of the region. Delicious food and a well-earned chance to relax after a memorable first performance. 🍺
Today was filled with sightseeing, laughter, good food and the joy of singing together in a glorious setting.
Tomorrow, the mood will be very different.
We travel to Ypres for what promises to be the most poignant day of our tour: visiting the Welsh Cemetery to remember those who never came home, singing in the magnificent cathedral and finally gathering beneath the Menin Gate to take part in the Last Post ceremony.
It will be a day of remembrance, reflection and music — and one we know will stay with us for a very long time. 🎶🌹
A day we will never forget
Today was an emotional roller coaster.
We began at Tyne Cot Cemetery—a profoundly moving reminder of the human cost and utter senselessness of war. Standing among row upon row of graves and the names of thousands who have no known resting place was deeply sobering.
At the Welsh Memorial, we paid tribute to the Welsh soldiers who gave their lives. Singing Myfanwy, Be Still, My Soul and Only Remembered in their honour was an intensely moving experience. The words and music carried a different weight in that place.
We then had the privilege of performing our second concert of the tour in the magnificent St Martin’s Cathedral in Ypres, where an appreciative audience of around 300 people gave us a wonderfully warm reception.
The day ended with its most poignant moment: singing beneath the Menin Gate during the Last Post ceremony, commemorating all those who fell and never returned home.
Seeing the Hertfordshire Regiment among the thousands of names recorded on the memorial gave the occasion a particularly moving connection to home.
The men gave the performance of their lives, imbuing every word and every note with meaning, dignity and emotion.
Some performances are about entertaining an audience. Others are about something far greater.
Tonight, we sang in remembrance.
We will carry this day with us for a very long time.
— Cass
These photographs capture a moment that will remain with Welwyn Garden City Male Voice Choir for many years to come.
Following our participation in the Last Post ceremony, the choir gathered beneath the Menin Gate alongside the ceremonial buglers and others involved in this deeply moving act of remembrance.
Surrounded by walls bearing the names of thousands of servicemen who have no known grave, we were reminded once again of the enormous sacrifice represented by this extraordinary memorial.
To be invited to sing in such a significant place, and as part of a ceremony observed every evening since 1928 apart from during the Second World War, was an immense honour.
We came to sing in remembrance—with dignity, gratitude and respect. These photographs preserve a moment when music, memory and shared respect brought everyone together beneath the Menin Gate.
It was a privilege that none of us will ever forget.