South Wales Choir’s 230km Ride Backs New Music 2026

Key Points

• Song Cycle 2026 will witness cycling around 230km in three days by two members of Côr Meibion De Cymru, which is the South Wales Male Choir.
• The charity cycle will take place between Wednesday, September 2, and Friday, September 4, 2026.
• The two will start their cycle near Cirencester and end up in Llandeilo, thus connecting two ends of rehearsals of the choir.
• They are going to cross the Severn Bridge into Wales and go through Chepstow, Usk and Abergavenny and after that continue to Bannau Brycheiniog.
• Funds collected will be used to compose a new song for male voice, which will be premiered in spring 2027.
• The path involves some hard climbs and the most difficult climb is reported by organizers as one in Bannau Brycheiniog.
• Côr Meibion De Cymru mentions that their choir has members from Aberystwyth to Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
• Previously they collected over £15,000 for Alzheimer’s Society Cymru in one day with ten bandstand performances in May.
• The progress of Song Cycle 2026 can be followed on the choir’s Facebook page.

Wales (Wales Times) August 31, 2026 – Long Cycle 2026 will see two members of Côr Meibion De Cymru undertake a three-day cycle ride of around 230km to raise money for a newly commissioned male voice work.

The South Wales Male Choir members are scheduled to set off after a rehearsal near Cirencester on Wednesday, September 2, before travelling west and arriving in Llandeilo on Friday, September 4. The fundraising effort is designed to connect parts of the choir’s large geographical area while supporting the creation of new repertoire.

According to a report published by the South Wales Guardian, the cyclists will cross into Wales via the Severn Bridge and travel through Chepstow, Usk and Abergavenny. They will then face steep terrain through Bannau Brycheiniog before reaching the Towy Valley.

The South Wales Guardian report available for this article did not display an individual reporter byline. Its account states that the aim is to raise sufficient funds for a new piece of music for male choir, with a premiere planned for spring 2027.

What is Song Cycle 2026?

Song Cycle 2026 is a fundraising cycling challenge organised around the rehearsal geography of Côr Meibion De Cymru. Two choir members will ride between rehearsal locations across three days, using the journey to seek support for a newly commissioned composition.

The choir is also known in English as the South Wales Male Choir. It describes itself as the only regional male choir in South Wales, with members travelling from a broad area that reaches west to Aberystwyth and east into Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

That spread means the choir’s work involves rehearsals and performances across Wales and England. Weekly rehearsals are held in three locations, while full-choir rehearsals take place monthly in Cwmafan, near Port Talbot.

The fundraising ride will begin with the cyclists joining a choir rehearsal near Cirencester on the Wednesday evening. The event will end when they reach Llandeilo and join the choir’s Friday evening rehearsal in Ffairfach, according to the Brecon & Radnor Express.

How will the 230km route run?

The planned route begins near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, close to the eastern edge of the choir’s membership area. After the opening rehearsal, the cyclists are expected to travel west towards the old Severn crossing on Thursday.

They will then enter Wales and pass through Chepstow, Usk and Abergavenny. From there, the route heads towards Bannau Brycheiniog, the Welsh national park previously known as the Brecon Beacons.

The cyclists are due to stop west of Abergavenny before taking on the section towards Sennybridge on Friday. That stage includes a steep climb and a crossing of the mountains before the riders descend towards the Towy Valley and continue to Llandeilo.

The Brecon & Radnor Express reported that the route incorporates several significant climbs. Organisers have described one of the ascents as among the toughest in Bannau Brycheiniog. The available reports do not name the two cyclists or set out the exact daily distances for each stage.

Why is the choir raising money?

The money collected through Song Cycle 2026 is intended to pay for a new work written specifically for male voices. Côr Meibion De Cymru plans to premiere the commissioned piece in spring 2027.

Commissioning a new composition would add to the choir’s repertoire rather than funding a single existing performance. The choir said the fundraising is intended to help it develop new music while supporting the future of male voice singing in Wales, as reported by the Brecon & Radnor Express.

No composer, title, commissioning amount or premiere venue has been announced in the source reports reviewed. The reports also do not say whether the piece will be sung solely by Côr Meibion De Cymru after its premiere or made available to other male voice choirs.

Those details may be confirmed later if the fundraising target is met and the commission moves ahead.

Where will the choir perform in 2026?

Song Cycle 2026 takes place during a wider programme of concerts and rehearsals for Côr Meibion De Cymru. Its 2026 schedule includes performances in Southampton, Llandeilo, St David’s Cathedral, uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff, Newport, Cirencester and Chippenham.

The South Wales Guardian listed the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff among the venues on the choir’s programme. The Brecon & Radnor Express also referred to a Cardiff performance, although it did not repeat the venue name.

The concert programme reflects the same geographical range highlighted by the cycling challenge. It includes dates in South Wales alongside appearances in English locations where members and supporters are based.

What previous fundraising has the choir completed?

Côr Meibion De Cymru has previously raised funds for charitable causes. In May 2026, the choir raised more than £15,000 for Alzheimer’s Society Cymru by performing at ten bandstands across South Wales in a single day.

According to the South Wales Guardian, the performances took place across South Wales. The Brecon & Radnor Express reported that the programme stretched from Pembrokeshire to Cardiff and required singers to travel between venues throughout the day.

That earlier event was a charity fundraiser, while Song Cycle 2026 has a different purpose: raising money to commission a new piece of music for the choir. Both events, however, use activity across the choir’s regional footprint to bring attention to its work.

How can people follow Song Cycle 2026?

Supporters and music followers are being encouraged to track the riders’ progress through the official South Wales Male Choir Facebook page. The choir is expected to post regular updates during the challenge.

The published reports do not provide a separate fundraising link, donation platform or target amount. People wishing to support the initiative should therefore check the choir’s official social-media updates for confirmed information about the ride, fundraising arrangements and any changes to the planned route.

What is the background to this development?

Côr Meibion De Cymru operates across a particularly wide catchment area for a regional choir. Its members are drawn from areas extending from Aberystwyth in west Wales to Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in England, while its full rehearsals are held in Cwmafan near Port Talbot.

Song Cycle 2026 has been planned to physically connect that dispersed membership area. Beginning near Cirencester and ending at a rehearsal in Ffairfach near Llandeilo, the 230km route represents the distances involved in the choir’s regular activities.

The development also follows the choir’s May fundraising campaign for Alzheimer’s Society Cymru, which raised more than £15,000. Rather than supporting an external charity, the September cycle ride is focused on the choir’s future repertoire through the proposed commission of a new male voice composition.

How could Song Cycle 2026 affect choir members and local audiences?

If the fundraising target is achieved, the direct effect for choir members would be the development of a new work for male voices and a planned spring 2027 premiere. The commission could give existing singers a new piece to rehearse and perform as part of the choir’s programme.

For audiences in South Wales and at the choir’s venues in England, the event may draw attention to upcoming performances and to the proposed 2027 premiere. It may also offer supporters a way to follow a fundraising challenge that links locations associated with the choir’s rehearsals and membership.

The practical outcome will depend on the amount raised, the appointment of a composer and the eventual arrangements for the new work. Those decisions have not been announced in the reports available at the time of publication.