On song
HERE comes summer – and with it one of the most popular events of the season in Burry Port.
Burry Port Town Band will stage an evening of ‘Music from the Stage and Shows!’ at the Memorial Hall on Saturday, July 20, 7pm.
The concert will feature the Senior Band, the ever-growing Junior Band and a very special guest artist, Samuel Wyn-Morris.
Samuel is already a familiar name on the West Wales concert circuit. He’s a 22-year-old proud Welshspeaking Llanelli boy. He is a former head boy at Ysgol y Strade in Llanelli.
In 2017, Sam graduated from the prestigious Guildford School of Acting (GSA) with a First Class Honours Degree in Musical Theatre.
In 2018, he made his professional debut at The Old Vic in London.
While training at GSA, he was one of the few chosen as a nominee for the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship.
In his graduating year, Sam played leading roles in Guys and Dolls, Catch Me If You Can and Forbidden Broadway.
As a part of a 100 strong-choir, he performed at the prestigious BBC Maida Vale studios and the Royal Festival Hall in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, a show which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 2.
Since graduating, Samuel has pursued his ambition of performing in London’s West End and he hopes 2019 will be his breakthrough year.
He is proud of the fact that he was the first and founder member of LARS (Loud Applause Rising Stars).
One of his highlights with LARS was in 2018 when he performed at the Second World War Liberation Commemorations in the city of s’Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands.
Samuel has appeared on TV in the Noson Lawen programme, Heno and Prynhawn Da. He is also a popular guest soloist, having performed with Pendyrus Male Choir, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir, Noteworthy, Morriston Ladies Choir and the Morriston Orpheus Choir.
Burry Port Town Band musical director Ceri John said: “The band are looking forward to entertaining our audience back home in Burry Port and sharing the stage with Samuel Wyn-Morris.
“We will be featuring some of the best loved music from the stage and shows, all celebrating the musical diversity of today’s modern brass band. This show will have something for everyone.”
The senior band are delighted to share the stage with the youngsters of the Burry Port Junior Band.
The youngsters are rehearsing in earnest for their performance, planning to bring some of their youthful fun and enthusiasm to the concert.
The evening will be all under the control of a skilful compere in the shape of Gwendraeth Valley actor Ioan Hefin, a favourite with the audiences at the Memorial Hall.
Ioan is known for a wide range of acting performances, both on television and film. His film appearances include Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Apostle (2018) and The Watcher in the Woods (2017).
Tickets will be available on the door for £12.50, or at a special early bird rate of £10 if you buy in advance from band partners – Premier Store, Burry Port and Elgan Jones Butchers, Burry Port.
This weekend, there’s an opportunity to hear Mendelssohn’s Elijah.
Côr Glandulais, Pontarddulais, will be staging the oratorio at Siloh Chapel on Saturday, May 18 (7pm).
The performance will also feature Llangennech Primary School Choir and Mold and District Mixed Choir. Guest soloists will be Gail Pearson, soprano, Susan Thomson, contralto, Richard Allen, tenor, and Gary Griffiths, bass.
The guest organist will be Huw Tregelles Williams and the conductor will be Alun Tregelles Williams.
Tickets, starting at £10, are available from Côr Glandulais members and Margaret Thomas, 01792 883117.
Looking further ahead, the Gwyl Cerdd Dant Cymru this year is being held in Llanelli.
Fundraising is gathering speed to ensure its success. Recent weeks saw a three-night series of Noson Lawen events at Llanelli Leisure Centre.
The chair of the Gwyl Cerdd Dant Llanelli a’r Cylch is Catrin Hughes, who is also a music advisor and trustee of the Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity.
In support of their fundraising, LARS is organising a big Gala Concert at Llanelli’s Greenfield Baptist Church on Friday, July 12.
The evening offers a feast of choral music and there will be four choirs -
Côr Lleisiau’r Cwm and Harmoni, both under the baton of Catrin Hughes, Côr Meibion Llanelli and Côr Ysgol Dewi Sant.
The concert will feature some excellent young soloists, including award-winning tenor Osian Bowen from Burry Port, now studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
Also on stage will be five singers from LARS – Mezzo soprano Nikkila Thomas, who is at the RWCMD in Cardiff, and Ysgol Y Strade pupils Lauren Fisher, James Oakley, Daisy Owens and Jack Owens. They will be accompanied by Catrin Hughes and Andrew Pike.
The organiser are anticipating a big demand for tickets, which are available from choir members, Cadno Music in John Street, Llanelli, or by contacting tickets@loudapplauserisingstars.co.uk or Cerith Owens 07854 303918.
In other news, Bridget Radford’s two choirs, Lleisiau Hardd and Lleisiau Hardd Bach, will be staging their annual concert at St Mary’s Church, Burry Port, on Friday, July 12, 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 and available from choristers.
The choristers from Llandyfaelog-based Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi are getting ready for their annual concert.
It will be at the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly on Saturday, October 12, 7pm. The choir will be joined by Gwendraeth Valley’s Côr Meibion Mynydd Mawr.
The evening will also feature special guests Pantel and Trio. The compere for the evening will be Eirian Wyn.
Later this month, we see Athena, Steffan Rhys Hughes and the choir from Ysgol y Strade in Llanelli perform at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on May 24. Athena, Wales’s first female classical crossover trio, features three sought-after Welsh artists, Gwawr Edwards, Sioned Terry and Ellen Williams. Their debut album, ‘Encore’, was released at the end of 2018.