AT the end of February 2016
members of a Welsh coffee morning group and learners in several Welsh classes in the area came together to form the Porthcawl Welsh Learners’ Choir – Cor Dysgwyr Porthcawl.
Some of the members had not sung in public since their schooldays, but the choir went from strength to strength under the guidance of their musical director. Mrs Anne Brown, a local music teacher, instilled in the group the discipline and dedication required, to perform in public within a short space of time.
After gaining first place at a regional Eisteddfod competition in March, the choir was invited to compete at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny.
As part of their preparation, the choir organised a concert at Tabernacl Chapel, Porthcawl, in July. This was a successful fundraiser for the Urdd Eisteddfod, which will take place in Bridgend in 2017.
The 30 members of the choir travelled to Abergavenny on August 4 to compete in the Welsh Learners’ Choir category. Five choirs competed in the preliminary round and the Porthcawl choir’s performance gained them a coveted place in the final on the pavilion stage.
In the final there was another incredible performance, resulting in thunderous applause from the audience. Considering they had only formed as a choir six months before and were challenging choirs with far more experience, the choir’s third position was an amazing achievement.
The final adjudication praised “a slick choir, with superb blending of the four voices which took them to great heights in the unaccompanied section”.
The choir is indebted to Anne Brown for her encouragement and enthusiasm to make it such a success. The positive Eisteddfod experience has given members a determination to continue with their Welsh studies and added impetus to perform with the choir in future. The choir has plans to perform again in early 2017, one of their early concerts is planned for Tabernacl Chapel in Porthcawl. Irene Collier