Welsh male voice choir takes singing to new heights with 100mph stunt

Nation.Cymru Staff

A Welsh male voice choir has become what is believed to be the world’s first to perform while hurtling down a 100mph zip line.

Côr y Penrhyn’s members visited Zip World at Penrhyn Quarry to perform a rendition of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold while riding the iconic ‘Velocity’ zip line.

Côr y Penrhyn, originally formed from workers at the slate quarry in the 1880s, are no stranger to high profile performances, having sung alongside Damon Albarn at Glastonbury and at Niagara Falls. 

The choir now has around 70 members of all ages, and regularly perform both in the local community, around the UK, and internationally.

Zip World first opened at the quarry in 2013, beginning with eight employees. Since then they have grown to have over 500 team members at their north Wales site, with seven other Zip World locations around the UK.

Côr y Penrhyn also performed at the original opening ceremony, with their feet firmly on the ground, but Zip World founder Sean Taylor said this time they wanted to do something different.

“Côr y Penrhyn came here, they sang for us right at the very start of the zip world story…” Sean explained. “I said well why don’t we do something a little bit different.”

Arwel Davies, the choir’s conductor, said the idea was “very, very nuts”, but “the whole idea was ‘what do we do next?’ and we thought, ‘Let’s have the flying choir’. ”

They choir began singing at the top of the zip line, before getting kitted up and riding the 1.5km wire over the quarry, with the stunt captured by videographer Ollie Axon.

Sean shared that Penrhyn Quarry was the largest man-made hole up until 1950, and Arwel added: “This choir actually was born from the quarry itself, around the 1880s to create the first Penrhyn Male Voice Choir.

“There are close to 70 in the choir altogether. Today it’s more about commemorating the 13-year partnership with Zip World.”

Of the 50 members who took part, one was former quarry worker Elfyn Bullock, 51. He said it was “something I’ll never forget. What an experience.”

Another, Raymond Roberts, added after finishing the adrenaline-inducing ride: “As the eldest member of the choir, at 85, not bad, eh?”

As well as the Velocity zip line, Zip World is home to the gravity-fuelled Quarry Karts, the zip-coaster Aero Explorer, and the family-friendly zip wire ‘Quarry Flyer’.

Zip World has continued to invest in its north Wales operations in recent months, completing a £250,000 refurbishment of its Tyn-y-Coed Hotel in Capel Curig in June.

The company said the improvements are part of wider efforts to enhance the visitor experience and encourage more people to explore the region.

More information on Zip World is available on their site here.

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