Côr CF1

About us

Côr CF1 is one of Wales' most successful choirs. Since its inception in 2002, under the musical direction of Eilir Owen Griffiths, CF1 has evolved from a youth choir to one of the country’s leading mixed choirs. Their successes include winning the BBC Choir of the Year in 2014, first prize at the Derry International Choral Festival in 2018, the mixed choirs’ competition, and subsequently Choir of the World in the Llangollen International Eisteddfod 2022.

The choir has also won many first prizes in the Côr Cymru competition, and won 12 times at the National Eisteddfod. Côr CF1 was crowned Festival Choir at the 2005 Eryri Eisteddofd, 2019 Llanrwst Eisteddfod, and 2025 Wrexham Eisteddfod.

The choir has had many other exciting opportunities such as singing with Take That and Lulu in 2019 at the Principality Stadium, singing at the official opening of the Wales Millennium Centre in 2004, and singing at Principality Stadium before international matches, including the 2015 Rugby World Cup. CF1 was also invited to sing at the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Conference in Mizoram, India in 2016. They have toured the United States, Canada, Poland, Germany, Italy and Ireland, not forgetting throughout England and Wales.

The choir has also performed in some of the most magnificent venues in the world including Trinity Church New York, Köln Cathedral in Germany and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

The choir appears on Super Furry Animals’ Love Kraft Album, and Cantata Memoria by Karl Jenkins. CF1 has released two CDs to date ‘Côr Aelwyd CF1’ (2006) and 'Con Spirito' (2011), with a third one on the way by Christmas 2025, ‘Cerddwn Drwy’r Tywyllwch’.

Eilir Owen Griffiths

Musical Director

Eilir Owen Griffiths is a choral conductor, musical director, and composer from Wales. With over 25 years' experience in the music industry, he has conductor choirs including CF1, Côr Godre'r Garth, Côr y Drindod, and Côr y Gleision, earning recognition in competitions and concerts nationally and internationally. In 2023 he founded Côr Ifor Bach, who won Côr Cymru on S4C in their first year. Eilir was the musical director of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod between 2011 and 2017, the youngest to hold that position.

He is an associate conductor with British Sinfonietta, and regularly takes part in concerts and musical events across the UK. His work has taken him to Canada, Ireland, Germany, Poland, France, India, and the United States of America. Eilir earned the praise of the judges with the Conductor's prize in Derry International Choir Festival, Ireland, and in the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst in 2019.

As a composer, he has written music for artists and ensembles such as Bryn Terfel, Wynne Evans, Noah Stuart, Claire Jones, Dave Danford, Robyn Lyn, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, British Sinfonietta, and Warsaw Technical University Choir. His first symphony 'Gorau awen gwirionedd' was performed in 2022, and he has also been commissioned to compose for events such as the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Holocaust Memorial Event, and establishing University of Wales Trinity Saint David. In 2008 he won the Composer's Medal at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Cardiff.

He worked at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David between 2005 and 2025, where he developed graduate programmes to train actors, singers, dancers, and directors. In 2021 he set up the Wales Academy of Voice and Dramatic Arts (WAVDA).

Rhiannon Pritchard

Deputy Conductor & Accompanist

Rhiannon graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2009.

She has been awarded many prizes for her work as an accompanist and repetiteur including the Welsh National Opera Seligman Award, the RWCMD Mansel Thomas prize and Accompanist Prize, and Gwobr Goffa Eleri Evans, the accompanist prize at the National Eisteddfod.

Rhiannon is in demand as an accompanist all over Wales, and is an official accompanist for three of Wales’ main musical festivals: The National Eisteddfod, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and the Urdd Eisteddfod. Over the last few years, she has worked with many well-known singers including Sir Bryn Terfel, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Rebecca Evans and Elin Manahan Thomas. She is currently a vocal coach and accompanist for RWCMD’s vocal department, and is also a private piano tutor.

Rhiannon also works with many choirs including the award winning Côr CF1, 2014 BBC Choir of the Year, 2019/2022 S4C ‘Mixed Choir of Wales’, and the 2022 Côr y Byd winners.

She works extensively as a repetiteur and animateur with many different companies that include Welsh National Opera, RWCMD, the BBC, the Aloud Charity, Tŷ Cerdd, Live Music Now, Mahogany Opera, The Forget Me Not Chorus and Music in Hospitals. Within this area, she has vast experience working in many different settings (mainstream, SEND, dementia units, Care Homes, and hospital wards) and with different age groups (primary, secondary, young adults and older people). She also regularly works with the Novello Orchestra and the British Sinfonietta.

Notable productions include Welsh National Opera’s ‘Dead Man Walking’ and ‘Blaze of Glory’, Welsh National Youth Opera’s ‘Kommilitonen’, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s ‘Cunning Little Vixen’ and ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ as well as many Opera Scenes productions, and Wales Millennium Centre’s ‘Tiger Bay’.

Her work has seen her travel to Africa, America, Canada, India, the UAE and Europe.

Richard Vaughan

Deputy Conductor & Accompanist

Originally from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Richard, a graduate from Royal Holloway, University of London, is an accomplished pianist having twice won the National Urdd Eisteddfod of Wales along with winning the coveted pianist of the festival award. He has played across Europe including the British Ambassador’s residence and ‘Church in the Rock’ in Helsinki.

Richard is also the Musical Director of the Cardiff Blues Choir, is a regular accompanist on S4C programmes and is regularly in demand as a session musician. He's worked as a vocal coach with the ‘Big Talent’ school at the Wales Millennium Centre. He has been a professional piano tutor since the age of 15 and continues to teach privately.

Richard has also worked as a Researcher and Musical Assistant on many television productions and as an actor, has starred in the S4C productions ‘Pam Fi Duw’, ‘Maxn’ and ‘2 Dŷ a ni’. He is in regular demand as a voiceover artist, and working as a composer, wrote the music for S4C’s children’s production ‘Herio’r Ddraig’ and the recent S4C film, ‘Pianissimo’. His choral compositions and arrangements are increasingly in demand by choirs from across Wales and beyond.

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Join us

We rehearse throughout the year, and rehearsals are conducted through the medium of Welsh. However we welcome, and have several non-fluent or non-Welsh speaking members.

Throughout the year, CF1 takes part in several concerts, competitions and festivals of all sorts! As well as the singing, the choir often have nights out such as the Summer Party, Christmas Party and social nights throughout the year.

If you’d like more information about joining CF1, then send an e-mail to [email protected]