Llanelli Star

On song

- With ROBERT LLOYD

AS one year comes to a close, it is time to start looking at what’s in store for 2019.

There will be plenty of concerts scheduled around St David’s Day, March 1, and details of events will appear here as and when they land on the On Song desk.

It’s timely to insert a reminder here to all concert organisers – please send news of your concert dates to the following email address – rlloydpr@btinternet.com. Advance notice of concerts helps other concert organisers avoid embarrassi­ng clashes and helps readers to plan their concert-going calendars.

Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli always stages a hugely-popular St David’s Day concert. This year it will be held on Saturday, March 2.

The concert will feature the worldfamou­s Morriston Orpheus Choir, conducted by Joy Amman Davies, and Côr Lleisiau’r Cwm, under the baton of Llanelli’s Catrin Hughes.

Sharing the spotlight will be two highly-talented young singers from the Loud Applause Rising Stars stable – mezzo soprano Nikkila Thomas, from Llanelli, and tenor Osian Clarke, from Tycroes.

The host for the evening will be radio and television personalit­y Garry Owen.

Tickets are on sale now from the Ffwrnes Theatre box office and on the Theatrau Sir Gar website.

The Morriston Orpheus hardly need an introducti­on, but for the benefit of those of you who don’t known their history and reputation the choir was formed on April 23, 1935, by Ivor E Sims and in its early days concentrat­ed primarily on competitio­ns and local concerts.

In 1937, the choir achieved its first success at the Royal National Eisteddfod in Machynllet­h, going on to win at the National on six further occasions. The choir does not presently sing in competitio­ns, preferring to concentrat­e on concert performanc­es.

Over the years, successive musical directors have developed and broadened the repertoire.

Variety is now the hallmark of the choir’s performanc­es, which include arrangemen­ts by Alwyn Humphreys, musical director from 1979 to January 2005 and now the choir’s conductor emeritus.

Within the UK, the choir is in constant demand, with around 25 engagement­s a year, including concerts, TV and after-dinner performanc­es. The choir regularly undertakes concert tours overseas and in 2004 undertook two tours to Taiwan and to Abu Dhabi and Oman.

In April 2007, the choir returned to the UAE, performing in Dubai en route to a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand.

In October 2008 the choir visited Geneva to perform a charity concert. During their stay they also visited and sang in the control room of the European Organisati­on for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Highlights of previous overseas tours have included four appearance­s at British Military Tattoos and Concerts in the former West Berlin, participat­ing at the Internatio­nal Choral Festivals in Nancy, France, and Toronto in Canada, representi­ng Wales at Expo ’92 in Seville, Spain, and becoming, in 1996, the first British choir to perform at the Internatio­nal Choral Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

In 2005, the choir appointed its first female musical director Sian Pearce to replace Alwyn Humphreys, who had decided to retire after serving the choir since 1979.

Sian left the choir in 2007 and Joy Amman Davies (who, in 2004, had been made a life member of the choir in recognitio­n of her outstandin­g contributi­on and commitment as accompanis­t) was appointed musical director.

The big concert this weekend is the Christmas By Candleligh­t special being held at St Mary’s Church, Burry Port, on Saturday, December 22 (7pm).

The concert will raise funds for Burry Port Lifeboat Station.

It will feature acclaimed soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, Gary Griffiths and Osian Wyn Bowen.

Tickets are £15 and are available from Cadno Travel or from the following phone numbers – 0779541541­1 and 0790089315­0.

Elin Manahan Thomas is one of the most exceptiona­l sopranos of her generation.

Since releasing her début album Eternal Light in 2007, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenm­ent, she has performed at many of the world’s most prestigiou­s venues and festivals, and with leading orchestras and conductors.

Baritone Gary Griffiths is a Burry Port boy.

He made his Royal Opera House stage debut in 2017 singing the role of Solanio in Keith Warner’s WNO production of The Merchant of Venice. He also made his Teatro di San Carlo (Naples) debut in concert, singing Arthus in Le Rois Arthus.

The winner of the Welsh Singers Competitio­n in 2012, Gary was a finalist representi­ng Wales in the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where, in 2009, he won the prestigiou­s Gold Medal Competitio­n.

In other concert news, here are two more events coming up before Christmas:

■ Llandyfael­og-based Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi are looking forward to their Christmas events. They include - Thursday, December 20, Gwernllwyn Care Home, 6.30pm.

■ The West End At Christmas will be at The Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen on December 18.

Finally, here’s a diary date for next year . . .

There’s early notificati­on of performanc­es of The Passion Of The Christ, to be performed on Good Friday, April 19, and Easter Saturday, April 20.

The acclaimed voices of the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, Angelicus Celtis and friends will present The Passion of The Christ, a blend of varied choral and vocal works, blended with narration and theatre to be held in South Wales over Easter weekend 2019.

The passion will include opportunit­ies for solo singers, duet, trios, small group chorale and main choir and different roles associated with the life and crucifixio­n of Christ.

Auditions for these singing opportunit­ies will be held in the Llanelli area during the weekend of January 19.

If you are interested in learning more about the auditions for The Passion of the Christ, please register your interest by contacting Jeremy Williams at jeremywill­iams@me. com

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

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