{{Use British English|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Short description|Welsh musician (born 1960)}} {{Infobox person | name = Mal Pope | image = | caption = | birth_name = Maldwyn Pope | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1960|5|18}} | birth_place = Brynhyfryd, Swansea, Wales | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Musician, composer | years_active = 1974–present | spouse = | website = }} '''Maldwyn''' "'''Mal'''" '''Pope''' (born 18 May 1960) is a Welsh musician and composer, who is notable for his contribution to music theatre portraying Welsh national identities and themes. He lives in the village of Mumbles, Swansea. He is known for singing both the Welsh and English language versions of the ''Fireman Sam'' theme.
==Early life and career== Pope was born in Brynhyfryd, Swansea, Wales,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.malpope.com/biog.html |title=Mal Pope |access-date=11 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531100832/http://www.malpope.com/biog.html |archive-date=31 May 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> into a family of teachers.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3F0DK7gRg4GC3NtHDY5xzX8/mal-pope|title=BBC Radio Wales - Mal Pope - Mal Pope|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref> He began learning to play the guitar aged seven and was soon writing songs.<ref name=":0" />
In the early 1970s Pope sent a tape of songs to BBC Radio 1 presenter John Peel, who invited Pope to perform at the BBC. The session resulted in a recording contract<ref name=":0" /> with Elton John's record label named The Rocket Record Company.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/mal-pope/pages/biography.shtml|title=BBC Wales - Music - Mal Pope - Biography|website=BBC|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref> Whilst studying at Christ's College, Cambridge, he spent much of his holidays recording in London. After leaving Cambridge, Pope moved to London and signed to Harvey Goldsmith's management company AMP.<ref name=":1" />
In 1982 Pope started working for BBC Radio Wales in Cardiff as a researcher. He signed a record deal with Larry Page, wrote songs for Cliff Richard and The Hollies, duetted with Bonnie Tyler and Aled Jones, and toured with Art Garfunkel and Belinda Carlisle.<ref name=":1" />
==Radio and television== Pope presented the weekday early breakfast show on BBC Radio Wales, but the show was cancelled amid cuts by the station in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/bbc-radio-wales-nuj-news-16115983|title=BBC Radio Wales cuts weekday news coverage and loses four presenters|last=Wright|first=Benjamin|date=2019-04-12|website=walesonline|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/03/bbc-radio-wales-introduces-new-breakfast-show-with-claire-summers/|title=BBC Radio Wales introduces new breakfast show with Claire Summers|website=RadioToday|date=14 March 2019 |language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref> Pope returned to hosting a daily show on the station in July 2020, presenting the late-night slot, from 22:00-01:00, following the death of Chris Needs. Eleri Siôn took over the slot from 11 January 2021.
Pope hosted ''The Mal Pope Show'', a late-night music chat show for HTV, in the 1990s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7d44e681|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217125906/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7d44e681|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 December 2019|title=The Mal Pope Show[29/10/93] (1993)|website=BFI|language=en|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref> with the show winning a Welsh BAFTA award in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1995/cymru/film-video-sound|title=1995 Cymru Film/Video Sound {{!}} BAFTA Awards|website=awards.bafta.org|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref> He went on to host a late-night talk show on HTV called ''Heaven's Sound'', which won an award at the New York Film and Television Awards in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/mal-pope-collects-swansea-met-1821753|title=Mal Pope collects Swansea Met honorary fellowship|last=WalesOnline|date=2011-07-15|website=walesonline|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref>
Pope sang the theme songs of the children's television shows ''Fireman Sam'' (1987), ''Satellite City'' (1988) and ''Joshua Jones'' (1991).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-wales-south-west-wales-42008584/i-got-250-for-singing-fireman-sam-theme-tune|title='I got £250 for Fireman Sam theme tune'|work=BBC News |language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref>
==Choral and music-theatre career== Pope was the President of the Welsh male voice choir Gwalia Singers between 2005 and 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gwalia-swansea.co.uk/history00.htm|title=Gwalia Singers History 2000|website=www.gwalia-swansea.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref>
His 2005 musical ''Amazing Grace'', based on the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival, and directed by Michael Bogdanov, received acclaim in performances at the Swansea Grand Theatre, the Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre, at the Sherman Theatre, and at Theatr Clwyd in Mold. In 2006 it was performed to standing ovations at the Wales Millennium Centre, the first original Welsh musical to be presented there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theatre-wales.co.uk/reviews/reviews_details.asp?reviewID=1463 |title=Review of Amazing Grace from the theatre dance and drama in Wales web site |website=Theatre-wales.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2020-03-02}}</ref>
In 2007 Pope wrote another musical ''Contender'', about the career of heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Farr. In a highlight scene set during 1937, the title character sings the Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" before his third-round knockout of the Nazi German opponent Walter Neusel,<ref>As named in Pope's [http://www.malpope.com/contender/synopsis3.html ''Contender'' synopsis]</ref> for whom "Deutschland über alles" has been played. ''Contender'' was premièred at the United Nations building in New York,<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/6396667.stm ''Boxing musical given UN audience''] BBC News, Wales, 26 February 2007</ref> followed by seasons at Swansea's Grand Theatre and the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
Pope has sung on religious albums composed by the musician, Phil Baggaley, including ''City of Gold'' in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://philbaggaley.bandcamp.com/album/city-of-gold|title=City Of Gold, by Adrian Plass, Phil Baggaley, David Clifton, Ian Blythe|website=Phil Baggaley|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Pope has also been involved in other albums and concerts including ''Shipwrecks and Islands'', ''Road to the City'', ''Strands of Gold'' and, most recently, ''The Time Project''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Road to the City |url=https://littleroom.com/release/road-to-the-city/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Little Room Music |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Time Project: New concept album co-written by Phil Baggaley to be launched in January |url=https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/news/The_Time_Project/38091/p1/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=www.crossrhythms.co.uk}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.malpope.com Official website] *{{IMDb name|id=1233942|name=Maldwyn Pope}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pope, Mal}} Category:Musicians from Swansea Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:People educated at Dynevor School, Swansea Category:Rocket Records artists Category:BBC Radio Wales presenters Category:Welsh Christians Category:Welsh male songwriters Category:Welsh male singers Category:Welsh composers Category:Welsh male composers Category:British television composers Category:Welsh musical theatre composers