It’s a big weekend for Côr Llanpumsaint a’r Cylch, the Llanpumsaint district choir, in Carmarthen.
They are staging a special concert at Tabernacl Chapel, Carmarthen, starting at 7.30pm on Saturday, November 3.
The concert will feature soloists Joy Cornock Thomas, Rhodri Prys Jones, Manon Dafydd Jones and Elin Fflur Jones.
The conductor will be Gwyn Nicholas, with Jeffrey Howard accompanying on the organ.
Tickets are £10 and are available from choir members or at the door.
The soloists are well known on the Welsh concert circuit.
Joy Cornock Thomas is originally from Pembrokeshire, but now lives in Talley near Llandeilo with her husband and baby daughter.
She graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and has since pursued a successful career in singing and also harp playing.
This year, she was successful in the Soprano Solo at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff. This will be her first appearance with Côr Llanpumsaint a’r Cylch.
Rhodri Prys Jones graduated from The University of Wales Trinity St David.
He then joined a post graduate course in Vocal Studies at the Guildhall School of Music. He obtained an MA in Vocal Studies. He returned to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff to pursue an Opera Course and he successfully graduated this summer.
Rhodri has been a very successful in Eisteddfodau at local and national level and is in high demand throughout the country in concerts, oratorios and television appearances.
He has started his professional career with the Welsh National Opera, appearing as Fyodor / Ivanov in The War and Peace by Prokofiev and also as Ramiro in Rossini’s Opera Le Centerentola.
Manon Dafydd Jones lives with her parents on a farm in Cynwyl Elfed.
She is in her final year at Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin and is a very accomplished violinist.
She is a member of the Welsh Youth Orchestra of Wales.
Elin Fflur Jones is from St.Clears and is also a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin.
Elin has been singing from a very young age and has been very successful in Eisteddfodau at National and Local level.
A member of Penybont YFC, she was very successful at the County Eisteddfod which was held at Carmarthen.
Jeffrey Howard, the accompanist and organist for the evening is originally from Cardiff. He graduated from Cardiff University and the Royal College of Music.
A very able accompanist and organist, Jeff is in great demand throughout the country and has worked with many international artists. Until 2017, he was a repetiteur / vocal coach at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
He has recently taken up the post as Director of Music at the St Johns College in Cardiff. He has received many awards, including the Joseph Parry Award for his services to music.
In Llanelli, on November 10, there will be an evening showcasing a whole host of young talented musicians from across South Wales.
This year is the fifth anniversary of the LARS musical organisation which is based in Llanelli.
LARS stands for Loud Applause Rising Stars.
Over the last five years, LARS has helped mentor and nurture talented young singers and instrumentalists from across South Wales, providing them with opportunities to take the stage, along with cash bursaries.
Currently LARS has 14 members aged between 15 to 23. They perform everything from blues and jazz, musical theatre, popular and traditional music to classical and opera.
To mark the fifth anniversary, Loud Applause Productions will be hosting a big Gala Concert titled ‘A Night with the Stars’ at Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre.
The nine LARS Singers performing will be Lauren Fisher, Daisy Owens, Sydney Richards, Jack Owens, Neve Summers, Osian Clarke, Callum Howells, Nia Rees and Stephen Davies.
Sharing the stage with LARS will be the famous Richard Williams Singers from Tonyrefail, under the baton of Margaret May, the daughter of the founder conductor.
Also appearing will be Côr Y Cwm, the award-winning youth choir from the Rhondda.
The highly-popular Callum Howells and Friends from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff will also be featured.
Also on stage will be the young choir of Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes in Llanelli, prize winning trombonist Rhodri Thomas, from Llanelli, and the accomplished compere, TV broadcaster Garry Owen. Accompanists supporting the LARS singers will be Andrew Pike and Ryan Wood.
Tickets are going fast and are available from the theatre box office.
Later in November, Llanelli District Music and Drama Club have a special evening at the Lliedi Suite, Selwyn Samuel Centre on Friday, November 30 (7.30pm).
They will be presenting A Fine Romance, with Tony Jacobs and Catherine Sykes and Jim Barry at the piano.
The evening will feature music and songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
Tickets are £10 (students £5) and are available from Barrie Lewis, Market Precinct, Llanelli, phone 01554-772594 or at the door.
In other news, there’s a concert with a difference coming up in the Gwendraeth Valley.
It will manage to combine the launch of a book about a modern-day Welsh hero with a musical evening showcasing some of our finest singers.
A new book, called ‘The Stories of Grav’ and compiled and edited by the celebrated tenor Rhys Meirion, is being launched on Friday, November 9, in Pontyberem Hall.
After the book launch, Rhys Meirion will be the star player in a concert at Pontyberem Hall, starting at 7pm.
The concert will also feature Elin Fflur, Aled Wyn Davies and Theatr Ieuenctid Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli.
The Pontyberem concert is being sponsored by Castell Howell, the Carmarthen and Cross Hands-based food business.
Tickets for the concert are £15 and £5 for children.
Ticket outlets include:
Neuadd Pontyberem 01269871075
Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli 01269871600
Swyddfa Llyfrau Llafar Cymru 01267238225
Siop y Pentan Caerfyrddin 01267235044
Meanwhile, Crwbin Silver Band are getting ready for Christmas.
Their Christmas Concert will be at Pontyberem Hall on Friday, December 14 (7pm).
The concert will also feature Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth choir and wind band.
Tickets are £8 (children £5) and will be available at the door or from band members.
Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir members are also looking forward to Christmas.
‘Christmas With The Choir’ will be held at 7pm on Saturday, December 1, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.
The choir’s special guests will be Burry Port Town Band and the St John Lloyd School Choir.
The West End at Christmas
Also in December, The West End At Christmas returns to The Lyric theatre with their brand new concert for 2018!
Stars from the West End present a magical evening of entertainment featuring hits from the musicals and the best of Christmas songs.
The talented cast have starred in many West End productions and national tours including Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, South Pacific, Singing in the Rain, Starlight Express, Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked, Godspell, Joseph and Cats . . . to name but a few!
The West End At Christmas will at The Lyric on December 18.
The Kidwelly Festival Ladies Choir will be performing at a Grand Christmas Concert and Vintage Fashion Show at Carmarthen Museum, Abergwili, on December 15 (6pm). Tickets are £10 adults and £5 children. It promises to be a fun night.
Finally, in case you missed the news about Russell Watson last week . . .
There was disappointment for fans of Russell Watson, who was scheduled to bring his new show called Canzoni d’Amore at the Lyric on October 19.
Russell suffered a throat infection and was forced to postpone his Carmarthen appearance under doctor’s orders.
The concert has now been re-scheduled to Tuesday November 27 at the Lyric.
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.co
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