ON SONG
IT’S recruitment time for The Phil Harmonics, the Llanelli-based rock and pop choir, and there is a general invitation for enthusiastic singers to attend taster sessions to experience life as a ‘Phillie’.
A choir spokesman said: “It’s hard work and requires a lot of commitment. But it’s fantastic fun – and you will be part of a wonderful ‘family’ who raise money for good causes.
The Phil Harmonics have made their entrance onto the West Wales music scene gradually over the last few years. The group was set up by Sarah Mair Richards, Phil Thomas and Pauline Yudowitz.
Choir rehearsals are at The Stradey Park Hotel and the choir members are grateful for the hotel’s continuing support.
The Choir is for 18–80-year-olds who want to be part of a very exciting group which is very different from traditional choirs. The music repertoire is very up-beat and fun.
Anyone interested in attending the choir’s rehearsals or joining can contact Pauline Yudowitz on 07706796677; email philharmonics01@gmail.com
As mentioned in last week’s column, the popular Voskresenije (Resurrection) Choir of St Petersburg are on their way to West Wales. This is the choir’s second visit to the area.
They will be performing at St Mary’s Church in Kidwelly on Wednesday, October 10 (7pm).
The choir is a Russian a cappella ensemble of eight singers (two sopranos, two altos, countertenor, tenor, bass and basso profondo). The conductor is Jurij Maruk.
The repertoire of the ensemble includes Russian Sacred Music as well as folk music.
Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi Male Voice choir members are looking forward to events in September and October.
On Sunday, September 30 (7pm), Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will be staging a special concert at St Maelog’s Church in Llandyfaelog.
The choir will perform alongside a guest choir from Cornwall, the Tamar Valley Male Choir.
Other guest artists include soprano Llio Evans, with guest accompanist Kim Lloyd Jones. Llio Evans hails from the famous village on the island of Anglesey, Llanfairpwllgwyngllgogerychwyrndrobwlll
With her sparkling vocal tone and charming stage presence, Llio particularly revels in coquettish and comic roles.
The President for the Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi evening will be Tinopolis TV company boss and founder Ron Jones.
Tickets are £7 and are available from telephone number 01269 860996.
Proceeds from the evening will go towards St Maelog Church and the chemotherapy unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.
On Saturday, October 13, Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will join Carmarthen Male Voice Choir for their 60th anniversary celebration concert at the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen. Crwbin Silver Band will be performing at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne as part of the Big Bands, Brass Bands and Concert Band Bonanza on Sunday, September 30 from 11am to 1pm. On Saturday, September 29, Crwbin Silver Band will be performing at a Gala Concert at Salem Chapel, Llangennech with BBC Radio Cymru’s Beti George, Lleisiau’r Llan Ladies Choir, Côr Ysgol y Strade and soloist Ffion Haf Jones On Saturday, October 20, at 3pm, Crwbin Silver Band will be taking part in a Parade and Service in Llanarthne for the statue unveiling of World War Two hero DT Davies. In other news, Côr Meibion Dinefwr Male Voice Choir will be holding their annual concert at Capel Newydd, Llandeilo, on Saturday, October 27 (7.30pm). The special guests will be Côr Meibion Llandybie Male Voice Choir. The conductor will be John Williams, the accompanist will be Sara Morgan and the chairman for the evening will be Eifion Davies. Other special guests include tenor Osian Wyn Bowen, soloist Martha Harries and accompanist Gareth Wyn Thomas. Admission is £8 and £3 for children and students and proceeds will go towards the choir’s funds. On Saturday, October 13, there is a special concert at Pontyberem Memorial Hall (7.30pm) when infonia Cymru and soloist Caroline Pether will breathe new life into well-known classics.
The concert will feature Eric Whitacre’s October Suite, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40, Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The conductor for Sinfonia Cymru will be Jonathan Bloxham.
He is the Assistant Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Artistic Director of Northern Chords Festival.
Sinfonia Cymru is made up of musicians in the early stages of their careers and is the first and only orchestra of its kind to be revenuefunded by the Arts Council of Wales.
In 2013 Sinfonia Cymru embarked on a major project to develop and launch a new way of working for chamber orchestras. With funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the orchestra established Curate; a collective of orchestral musicians, administrators and other young creatives who come together to express their artistic ideas and develop their own projects.
Over the last three years, Curate has developed the flagship UnButtoned and Unease events in collaboration with Bafta Cymru-winning musician Tom Raybould, the orchestra’s classical pub gig ‘Quartet’ with Fizzi Events, and a live Silent Film event at Chapter Arts Centre.
2014 was Sinfonia Cymru’s busiest year, performing 44 concerts to over 13,000 people and working with actor Richard Harrington (star of S4C’s Y Gwyll/Hinterland), harpist Catrin Finch alongside young conductor Ben Gernon, worldrenowned baritone Bryn Terfel, and on an experimental collaboration with theatre director Tom Morris at The Bristol Proms.
The orchestra also played a major role in the Emerging Classical Talent in the EU project; an International collaboration that brought together a number of European partners and culminated in Sinfonia Cymru’s Small Nations Big Sounds Festival, which it delivered in partnership with RWCMD.
In 2015, Sinfonia Cymru performed with BBC Young Musician winner Laura Van der Heijden and with violinist Rachel Podger on the orchestra’s first all-baroque concert.
Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www.rlloydpr.co.uk If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, the please contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@ btinternet.com