Soprano Sian on song to take top honour at awards
THE Dunraven Welsh Young Singer of the Year competition provided a magnificent musical extravaganza at Maesteg Town Hall on Saturday evening.
There was beautiful singing and brilliant pianists Ryan Wood and Sian Davies again accompanying those who had no accompanist.
All at the hall were delighted to welcome back one of the competition’s vice-presidents, the worldclass soprano Rebecca Evans, along with international singer Gary Griffiths, plus David Jackson, artistic director of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
In charge of proceedings was compere Beverley Humphreys.
Sian Dicker is the new Dunraven Welsh Young Singer of the Year 2017. Her lovely soprano voice and her bubbly personality won her the £2,500 prize, which will help to pay for her studies.
She also received the beautifully-crafted Bryan Davies Trophy.
Also Jack Edward Cox, from Radyr, Cardiff, won the 11-14 age section and Llinos Haf Jones, from Ysgol Bro Morgannwg, won the 15-18 section.
Both of them received a gift of £100 and £400 toward their school’s music department, plus the Bry- an Davies Trophy.
Runners-up in the 19+ category received £500 and the other runners-up received £50 and £50 for their schools.
There was much sus- pense as the judges discussed and argued over who were the worthy winners, although tension was eased as we were again entertained by Maesteg Gleemen, for they opened the evening, led by MD Alun Hodges and accompanist Suzanne Hodges.
Many thanks to David Brace, who is chairman of the Dunraven Group for the prize money, which was donated by him and his wife. He continues Alun Hodges’ dream to foster young talent and encourage the performance of classical music by young singers.