Michael Schade's voice has been hailed as ringing, exceptionally elegant, silken, translucent, sensuously ethereal, glorious, and dynamic. The Mozart tenor of choice on international stages in Europe and North America, he is equally at home in New York, Vienna, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, Salzburg, Dresden, Tokyo and London. His passion for his art form embraces recitals, operas, concerts and recordings.

In January 2007, Michael was named a Kammersänger by the Austrian government, the first Canadian to be so honoured. Originally bestowed by the royal courts, the title Kammersänger, or chamber singer, is awarded to distinguished singers who have made a significant career in Austria.

The Burlington Welsh Male Chorus is honoured to have Michael Schade as a patron.

The Burlington Welsh Male Chorus congratulates Micheal on his 2016 appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Raised in the rich musical tradition of South Wales, Jason Howard has, over two decades, established himself as one of the UK's leading performers on the international operatic stage. As a child he competed in many eisteddfodau in Wales, both as a pianist and singer. At the age of 17, he joined Dowlais Male Choir, eventually becoming their baritone soloist, a musical grounding that proved invaluable. Upon leaving his first career as a fireman, he studied at Trinity and the Royal Colleges of Music with John Wakefield and Norman Bailey respectively. He commenced his career at the Scottish Opera, subsequently singing with all the major UK opera companies and orchestras. In the past fifteen years he has pursued a vibrant international career and has sung to critical acclaim throughout Europe, North America and the UK.

Outstanding in French and Italian repertoire, Verdi featured highly in the late 1990s and 2000s and Jason sang the baritone roles in Attilla, La Traviata, Don Carlos, Macbeth, Nabucco and Il Trovatore. Just a few highlights include his debuts at Covent Garden, as Marcello in La Boheme, the Paris Opera, as Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro and Chicago Lyric Opera as Adam Brant in Mourning Becomes Electra. More recently he starred as Wotan in Wagner's ring cycle at Strasbourg and also returned to the musical as Emile De Becque in the Tony award winning production of production of South Pacific in the US, Canada and UK. He has just finish a run of that show and La Traviata at WNO and next season makes his debut in Barcelona as Wotan.

After appearing as the guest soloist of the 2012 Annual Concert, Jason was asked to be become a patron of the Chorus.  The Burlington Welsh Male Chorus is honoured to have Jason Howard as a patron.

Dr. Haydn James is a conductor/arranger with many years experience in the world of choral music. For twelve years, he conducted The Dylan Singers, and for the following thirty years was Musical Director of The London Welsh Male Voice Choir; also, for five years Haydn travelled to Wales to direct The South Wales Male Choir, one of the largest choirs in the Principality. During this time, he has appeared at most of the UK’s major concert halls, and has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and the Falklands. Haydn was the first conductor of an exciting new young male chorus, Eschoir, and regularly appears as guest conductor with a number of mixed and male choirs.

As Musical Director for the Welsh Rugby Union, Haydn has led the singing at more than 120 international matches at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium (previously known as The Millennium Stadium), as well as at a variety of Rugby Union, Rugby League, NFL and FA Cup Finals in Cardiff, Twickenham, Wembley and elsewhere. He has directed Melody Music’s British and Irish Lions Male Choir on tours to Australia (2001 & 2013), New Zealand (2005) and South Africa (2009), and has conducted nine massed choir festivals (the ‘1000 Voices’) at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as at similar events in Cardiff, New York, Sydney, Toronto and elsewhere.

A committed supporter of Hymn-Singing Festivals (the Gymanfa Ganu), Haydn has directed festivals throughout Wales and England, has conducted five Festivals in Canada and two for the North American Festival of Wales, in Vancouver and Florida. He led the first such festival to be held in Sioux City, Iowa

As a choral arranger, Haydn’s work has been performed and recorded by many of the top male choirs in the UK and elsewhere, whilst some of his arrangements have been performed at Royal Albert Hall festivals of male choirs.

After conducting the BWMC in June 2018 for the pre-match performance and Welsh anthem at Wales vs South Africa rugby match in Washington, DC, USA, Haydn was asked to be become a patron of the Chorus.  The Burlington Welsh Male Chorus is honoured to have Dr. Haydn James as a patron.