Male voice choir bring town centre to a standstill with stunning flashmob

Nation.Cymru staff

A male voice choir surprised shoppers stopping them in their tracks as they performed three songs in the middle of the town as part of an organised flashmob

Aber Valley Male Voice Choir brought smiles to the faces of Caerphilly on Saturday, as they surprised shoppers with an exclusive performance right in the centre of town.

20 members of the choir gathered outside of Castle Court and performed songs including Any Dream Will Do and Sweet Caroline. Completely unaware of the surprise, the choir’s flashmob brought shoppers to a standstill as they sang in harmony.

The performance was brought to Caerphilly in collaboration with Bute Energy, who announced last week that construction of the Twyn Hywel Energy Park is now officially underway.

Located roughly 2km north-west of Caerphilly, the energy park will see 14 wind turbines installed on Eglwysilan Common. It will generate around 92.4MW of clean, green energy – enough to power around 81,000 households every year.

Twyn Hywel Energy Park will deliver more than just renewable energy as Bute Energy has committed to ensure that hosting communities benefit from the development for generations to come. Its contracted suppliers have signed up to a Social Value Standard – meaning that 2% of their contract value will be invested back into local communities, supporting a variety of projects, organisations and groups in the area.

Aber Valley Male Voice Choir are already benefitting from social value delivery through the redevelopment of their website thanks to the skills and time committed by one of Bute Energy’s suppliers – Cardiff-based company, Grasshopper Communications.

This weekend’s performance demonstrates the positive relationships actively being made in the community, and the power of the investment coming to the area.

Speaking on the event, Biba Chuta, Social Mobility Partner at Bute Energy commented:

“By listening to local people and building relationships over several years, we’ve gained a real understanding of what matters most in the area surrounding Twyn Hywel Energy Park. That insight is shaping how we work with our suppliers, helping direct their expertise and time to support the groups and initiatives that will benefit most.

“Seeing construction begin marks an important milestone for the people of Caerphilly, particularly in terms of the opportunities it is unlocking for local communities.

“It’s about ensuring this energy park leaves a lasting legacy, with real value for local communities now and for generations to come.”

Clare Jones, Managing Director at Grasshopper said:

“We’ve been delighted to work with Aber Valley Male Voice Choir as part of our commitment to delivering social value through our work on the Twyn Hywel Energy Park project. Our creative team has collaborated closely with the choir to design and develop a new website that will help promote its activities, reach new audiences and encourage a new generation of singers to get involved.”

“The choir plays an important role in preserving the rich tradition of male voice singing in the Valleys, and it has been a pleasure to support them in continuing that legacy for future generations.”

J Geraint Evans from Aber Valley Male Voice Choir commented:

“We were delighted to perform for the people of Caerphilly over the weekend and bring the community together to enjoy our music.

“The support we have received from Bute Energy and Grasshopper Communications in recent months has been fantastic. As one of Wales’ busiest choirs, we have performed both locally and internationally, so having support with our website means that we can continue to reach new audiences professionally and continue showcasing our harmonious Welsh voices to the world.”

As well as the Social Value Standard – Twyn Hywel Energy Park will offer an annual Community Benefit Fund of £704,000 to the local community, with £140,000 released early this year to support community priorities ahead of the project becoming operational.

During construction, the development is expected to support more than 300 jobs. In partnership with Big Issue Recruit, the onshore wind developers have already supported the appointment of a dedicated jobs coach in Caerphilly, helping local people overcome barriers to employment. The initiative aims to support people from nearby communities into roles connected to the project.

Bute Energy is holding a community drop-in session at 2pm at Nelson Rugby Club on June 26, 2026. This is an opportunity for local people to meet the team building the energy park, what to expect during construction and share ideas about how grant funding could be invested in the area.