On song
CÔR Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir are to hold their popular Christmas concert on Saturday, December 1, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli at 7pm.
The choir’s special guests will be Burry Port Town Band and the St John Lloyd School Choir.
The choir’s guests, the Burry Port Town Band, have had a long and very successful association with Côr Meibion Llanelli.
The band has a long and colourful past, with the first historical mention of the band, originally named the Elliots Smelting Works Band, found in 1896.
Since 2001, the band has six times claimed the title of Welsh League Champion Band of Wales, four times won the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and three times represented Wales at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall in London, competing against the country’s top 20 bands.
The band has a new conductor in Gareth Robinson, who took up the baton in the spring.
Gareth made his conducting debut with Burry Port Town Band at the SEWBBA Spring Championship in April this year where the band claimed Second Prize in the First Section Contest.
Côr Meibion Llanelli, meanwhile, are launching a major recruitment drive.
On Saturday, September 22, the choir will travel to Brailes on the Warwickshire/Oxfordshire border. And at the end of October and the start of November, the choristers will be embarking on a mini tour of the Isle of Wight. Dyffryn Tywi evening will be Tinopolis
As mentioned in last week’s column, TV company boss and founder the popular Voskresenije (Resurrection) Ron Jones. Tickets are £7 and are Choir of St Petersburg are available from 01269 860996. on their way to West Wales. They will Proceeds from the evening will go be performing at St Mary’s Church in towards St Maelog Church and the Kidwelly on Wednesday, October 10 chemotherapy unit at Glangwili (7pm). Hospital in Carmarthen.
The choir is a Russian a cappella On Saturday, October 13, Côr ensemble of eight singers (two Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will join sopranos, two altos, countertenor, Carmarthen Male Voice Choir for tenor, bass and basso profondo). The their 60th anniversary celebration conductor is Jurij Maruk. concert at the Lyric Theatre in
The repertoire of the ensemble Carmarthen. includes Russian Sacred Music as Crwbin Silver Band will be performing well as folk music. at the National Botanic Garden
Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi Male of Wales in Llanarthne as part of Voice choir members are looking the “Big Bands, Brass Bands and forward to events in September and Concert Band Bonanza” on Sunday, October. September 30 from 11am to 1pm.
On Sunday, September 30 (7pm), On Saturday, September 29, Crwbin Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will be Silver Band will be performing at staging a special concert at St a Gala Concert at Salem Chapel, Maelog’s Church in Llandyfaelog. Llangennech with BBC Radio Cymru’s
The choir will perform alongside a Beti George, Lleisiau’r Llan guest choir from Cornwall, the Ladies Choir, Côr Ysgol y Strade and Tamar Valley Male Choir. Other guest soloist Ffion Haf Jones artists include soprano Llio Evans, On Saturday, October 20, at 3pm, with guest accompanist Kim Lloyd Crwbin Silver Band will be taking Jones. part in a Parade and Service in
Guest singer Llio Evans hails from Llanarthne for the statue unveiling of the famous village on the island of World War Two hero DT Davies. Anglesey, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. In other news, Côr Meibion Dinefwr Male Voice Choir will be With her sparkling vocal tone holding their annual concert at and charming stage presence, Llio Capel Newydd, Llandeilo, on Saturday, particularly revels in coquettish and October 27 (7.30pm). comic roles. The special guests will be Côr
The president for the Côr Meibion 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. Proceeds will go towards the choir’s funds.
Guest tenor Osian Wyn Bowen is from Burry Port.
Currently he is an undergraduate student, studying under English National Opera Tenor Jeff Stewart at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
On Saturday, October 13, there’s a special concert at Pontyberem Memorial Hall (7.30pm).
Sinfonia Cymru and 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.
In October, one of Carmarthenshire’s finest will be returning ‘home’ for two special concerts. John OwenJones is a Burry Port boy who has gone on to be an award-winning West End and Broadway star.
He will play Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on Wednesday, October 3 and the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, on Sunday, October 7.
John has played the lead role in The Phantom Of The Opera more than any other West End actor.
John has released six solo albums.
The independently released Hallelujah (2006) and on the Sain Records label John Owen-Jones (2009) and Unmasked (2011) and Rise (2015); and two compilation albums – Bring Him Home (2017 Sain records) and the Japan-only compilation Music of the Night (2015 Sony Records Japan).
In October, Carmarthen will also see another big name singer roll into town. Russell Watson will be performing his new show, Canzoni d’Amore, at the Lyric on October 19.
Having sold more than seven million albums worldwide, Russell Watson is firmly established as the UK’s best-selling classical crossover artist of all time.
Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www. rlloydpr.co.uk. If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, the contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@btinternet.com