Some of the finest voices from West Wales will be venturing the other side of the Loughor Bridge this weekend for a special fund-raising concert.
Côr Meibion Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir will be starring in a concert at All Saints Church, Oystermouth, at 7.30pm on Friday, February 15.
The ‘boys from the Bont’ are record-breakers, having won the Blue Riband choir title an amazing 17 times at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
They will be under the musical direction of Clive Phillips for a concert which aims to raise cash for the organ restoration fund at the United Reformed Church in Mumbles.
The choir will be joined on stage by Llanelli’s great junior ambassadors of song, the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, under the baton of one of the longest-serving musical directors in the land, John Hywel Williams MBE.
Also featuring on what is a stunning bill will be the heavenly voices of the Angelicus Celtis choir, still revelling in their amazing TV appearances last year.
This year promises to be yet another busy year for Angelicus Celtis and the Hywel choirs as they will be taking part in special performances of The Passion Of The Christ, to be performed on Good Friday, April 19, and Easter Saturday, April 20.
The Passion of The Christ will be a blend of varied choral and vocal works, blended with narration and theatre to be held in South Wales over Easter weekend 2019.
This unique performance will present a dramatic retelling of the story of the life and crucifixion of Christ bringing together associated choir and vocal ensembles blending music and poetry from Bach, Barber, Jenkins, Mozart, Webber, Telemann, Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Browning, Emily Dickson, Langston Hughes and Mary Oliver to name but a few.
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 have started.
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
Other diary dates for the Hywel choirs and Angelic Celtis include –
June 1, Last Night of the Proms at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.
December 14, Christmas Fantasia at Ffwrnes Theatre.
Meanwhile, the countdown is very much ‘on’ to a whole series of concerts and events to mark St David’s Day.
The team at Access Wales are holding a Cawl a Chân at St Peter’s Civic Hall, Carmarthen, on Friday, March 1.
The price is £5 for a bowl of cawl and £1 for a tea or coffee with a Welsh Cake or Bara Brith.
Food is served between 11.45am and 2.30pm.
The ‘boys’ of Llandyfaelog-based Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi will be performing at a Cawl a Chân at Carmarthen Golf Club as part of their St David’s Day celebrations.
The evening of entertainment, cawl and Welsh cakes takes place at the golf club at 7m on Friday, March 1.
The evening will also feature Y Brodyr Gregory, the famous Gregory brothers Adrian and Paul.
Y Brodyr Gregory are one of the most popular entertainment acts in Wales and regularly perform on TV and radio.
The ‘boys’ of Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir will be helping the chairman of Llanelli Rural Council raise money for charity when they perform their St David’s Day concert.
The concert will take the form of a Cawl a Chân evening at The Diplomat Hotel in Llanelli on Thursday, February 28 (7pm).
The chairman of Llanelli Rural Council Councillor Sian Caiach has chosen three charities to support during her year of office – Breakthro’ Llanelli, Llanelli Railway Strike Riots 1911 Commemorative Committee and Wales Air Ambulance.
The evening will also feature special guest soloists, with more details being released next week.
Tickets, at £12 each, are available from Llanelli Rural Council, Vauxhall Buildings, Llanelli
Tel. 01554 774103 Email: enquiries@llanelli-rural.gov.uk
The Miners’ Theatre in Ammanford will be staging a St David’s Day Concert on Friday, March 1 (7pm).
The popular Cor Meibion Dyffryn Amman will share the stage with three highly-talented young musicians from the Ammanford area – clarinettist Catrin Soons and the beautiful voices of Neve Summers and Osian Clarke. The guest accompanist will be Joseph Cavalli-Price.
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 world-famous 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.
In other news . . .
Burry Port Male Voice Choir are planning a joint concert with Snowdown Choir from Canterbury at St Mary’s Church, Burry Port, on Friday, July 12.
Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi have fixed the date for their popular annual concert.
It will be on Saturday, October 12, at the Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly.
The choir will be joined by Mynydd Mawr Choir and guests Trio and Piantel, with compere Eirian Wyn.
Future events for Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi also include a scheduled performance at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales, Llanarthne, on Sunday, November 17.
Lovers of the popular S4C Sunday evening show Dechrau Canu, Dechrau Canmol will be delighted to learn that the programme’s Easter special is being filmed in Llangennech.
The evening will be hosted by BBC newsreader Huw Edwards, a native of Llangennech, and will be held at Salem Chapel, Llangennech, on Sunday, March 24, with doors open at 5.30pm.
The conductor will be the celebrated organist Allan Fewster MBE.
Over in Swansea, the soloists from the Llanelli-based Loud Applause Rising Stars stable of singers will be performing at a charity concert in aid of the Mumbles Lifeboat and West Glamorgan Crimebeat on Saturday, April 6 (7pm start).
The concert is being held at All Saints Church, Oystermouth, and will also feature the world famous Morriston Orpheus Choir and guest compere Mal Pope, the TV and radio personality.
Back in Llanelli, there’s a special concert at the Thomas Arms on Friday, February 22.
It features Kirsten Orsborn, who is the Official Sweetheart of The Royal Marines and The Royal British Legion.
Kirsten is from the Neath Valley and is one of the UK’s best and most versatile international female vocalists, performing an extensive repertoire of music from Swing, Jazz, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Twist, Motown, Soul, right through to Disco, Dance and Pop.
You can expect contemporary songs – and a trip down memory lane.
Looking further ahead, Côr Meibion Llanelli have added another date to their 2019 list of engagements.
On Saturday, October 5, they will be performing at The Queen’s Hall in Narberth to help the refurbishment appeal for one of the most popular concert venues in West Wales.
The guest star for the evening will be tenor Trystan Llŷr Griffiths and the concert will also feature the Accapella Youth Group, led by Molara.
Mid Wales Opera return to Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli at 7.30pm on Wednesday, February 27.
They will sing Puccini’s Tosca.
Power and passion collide in this breathtaking masterpiece.
Trapped in a life and death struggle against the corrupt police chief Scarpia, the diva Tosca and her artist lover face the ultimate sacrifice.
Puccini’s lavish score takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster ride from tender love story through powerful brutality to ultimate tragedy. The opera will be performed in English.
The busy ladies of Côr Curiad Choir in Llanelli are looking forward to another big year of charity fundraising.
The choir’s main event this year will be on Saturday, April 6, at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli.
Their special guest will be TV star and X Factor winner Sam Bailey and her band.
The evening will also feature Ysgol y Strade pupil Martha Morgan and Angharad Elise Thomas, who runs her own drama company called The Hive in Llanelli.
All proceeds from the Llanelli Côr Curiad concert will go to Marie Curie Wales.
The popular SA15 Stage School return to Ffwrnes Theatre from April 24 to 27 with the musical Annie.
Finally, Friday, June 14 (7.30pm) sees Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli hosting the Les Musicals Live Concert Tour.
Jonathan Ansell (G4 Frontman) and Jai McDowall (Britains Got Talent – Winner) have joined forces to create a dramatic a spine-tingling concert.
This vocally dynamic evening showcases even more smash-hit songs from the greatest musicals of all time, brought to you by two of the world’s finest voices.
Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www.rlloydpr.co.uk
If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, then please contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@btinternet.com
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