On song
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IT’S time to heap a bit of praise on our Carmarthenshire theatres this week . . .
In the hurly-burly of the concert calendar, it is easy to forget the sterling contribution made by our three theatres - The Lyric in Carmarthen, The Miners’ in Ammanford and Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli.
All three come under the banner of Theatrau Sir Gâr - look them up on that new internet thing; there’s always something to catch the eye and tempt you off the sofa.
Local theatres and live events everywhere deserve our support. Adopt the mantra, Use It Or Lose It!
This week at Ammanford Miner’s Theatre there is a treat for those of us who appreciate a little nostalgia.
The Siren Sisters will be performing at 3pm on Saturday, July 6.
They are a blonde, brunette and red head combo, crooning tunes from the 30s, 40s and 50s.
Think blue birds, white cliffs and apple blossom . . .
They follow in the footsteps of the Andrews, Boswell and Dinning Sisters.
The poster declares ‘this titillating trio will have you tapping your toes and humming along to the nostalgic tunes of yesteryear’.
At Ffwrnes Theatre on Tuesday, July 9, there is a ‘Cluster Concert’ for schools from the Llanelli area.
The show, which starts at 6pm, features children from Coedcae Secondary School and Bynea, Bigyn, Halfway, Maes Y Morfa, Pen Rhos and Stebonheath Primary Schools.
The popular Concerts and Cakes initiative returns to The Lyric in Carmarthen at 1pm on Wednesday, July 24.
Concerts and Cakes helps bring people together regularly to provide a forum for the sharing of high quality live music.
Each session is delivered in cabaret style and begins with an informal participatory music session led by Live Music Now musicians, followed by tea and cakes.
Live Music Now is the UK’s leading musicians’ development and outreach charity.
They provide exceptional live music experiences to people with limited access to the arts, due to disability, illness or social disadvantage.
Participants benefit from the amazing therapeutic, social and emotional benefits of engaging with live music - an experience that transforms and enriches lives.
You can find out more about Live Music Now on their website - www. livemusicnow.org.uk
Feedback on the Concerts and Cakes idea has been great, so do pop along.
There will be a chance to see the Live Music Now team again when they visit Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli at 1pm on August 28. Make a note in your diary!
The Stage 8 Theatre School will be taking over Ffrwnes Theatre on July 27, 28 and 29 to stage Hairspray Jr.
Picture the scene . . . it’s 1962, and Tracy Turnblad has one big dream – to dance on the popular “Corny Collins Show.
When she finally gets her shot, she is transformed from social outcast to sudden star.
In balancing her newfound power with her desire for justice, Tracy fights to dethrone the reigning Miss Teen Hairspray, Amber von Tussle, and integrate a TV network in the process.
With the help of her outsized mom Edna, and guest DJ Motormouth Maybelle, the rhythm of Tracy’s new beat just might prove unstoppable.
The intimate surroundings of Stiwdio Stepni in Ffwrnes Theatre will provide the setting for An Evening with the Songbirds, 7.30pm on July 27.
Songbirds are a trio of local ladies with their unique and exciting sound.
They promise to bring you an evening of eclectic music from the charts, the movies and the world of musical theatre.
You can be serenaded in a relaxed cabaret style as they showcase some magnificent melodies and heartwarming harmonies from ballads to belters. The ticket price includes a glass of prosecco!
For those, who appreciate their music with the volume cranked up a few notches, Ffwrnes Theatre will stage another ‘Cadno Music Live Presents . . .’ evening at 8pm on August 3.
Full details of the show line-up will follow in due course.
Top harmony group Blake will be back at The Lyric on September 26 (7.30pm) as part of their Live in Concert Tour.
Their latest (and seventh) album went straight into the charts at No1.
Blake have performed Classical, Opera and Crossover for more than 10 years, giving each song a beautiful and unique Blake sound.
Songs from all the greats – including Morricone, Barry, Bernstein and Bizet – will feature in this brand-new tour.
Legendary 70s folk-rock pioneers Lindisfarne will be at The Lyric on October 5.
The classic six-piece line up of long-time members is fronted by original founder-member Rod Clements on vocals, mandolin, fiddle and slide guitar.
With a repertoire of unforgettable songs like Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home and a reputation for live performance second to none, Lindisfarne’s power to galvanise festival and concert audiences remains undimmed and is guaranteed to get the crowd on its feet and singing along.
In other news, 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.
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 Llandyfaelogbased 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.
Trio are a male vocal group from Snowdonia - formed by renowned pianist/accompanist Annette Bryn Parri in 2012. The group gave its first public performance at Galeru Caernarfon in June 2013. The standing ovation at Galeri led, not only to a number of concerts in 2013 and 2014, but also to the release of the group’s first CD in August 2014.
Their songs are often heard on Radio Cymru programmes. They appeared in a Noson Lawen (S4C) programme dedicated to Hogia’r Wyddfa, one of Wales’s most popular groups, a group that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013.
Since then, Trio have appeared on Pnawn Da (S4C) and Heno (S4C). Trio are Emyr Wyn Gibson, Bedwyr Gwyn Parri and Steffan Lloyd Owen.
The Gwyl Cerdd Dant Cymru fund-raising Gala Concert is 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 (RWCMD) in Cardiff. Also on stage will be five singers from Loud Applause Rising Stars, including Nikkila Thomas and Ysgol Y Strade pupils Lauren Fisher, James Oakley, Daisy Owens and Jack Owens.
If you have news about the choral or concert scene in Llanelli, email robert.lloyd01@ walesonline.co.uk or rlloydpr@ btinternet.
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