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The latest ‘On Song’ column from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star

Robert Lloyd PR, Media and Marketing Consultancy Blog posts The latest ‘On Song’ column from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star
Robert Lloyd

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The latest ‘On Song’ column from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star

Posted By Robert Lloyd

The members of the Hospital Notes Choir – based in Llanelli but with choristers from all over Carmarthenshire – are getting ready for a big concert this weekend.

Hospital Notes will be joined by Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir for ‘The Greatest Show’ on Friday, September 6 (7.30pm) at The Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli.

It promises to be an entertaining evening, with Côr Meibion Llanelli under the baton of their new musical director Alex Esney.

Alex said: “My first couple of months with the choir have been great fun and we’ve been working hard on some old favourites and some new songs to add to the repertoire.

“The enthusiasm of the choristers is great. We’ve had a few new members – and could do with a few more.

“But the choir produces a great sound and we are all looking forward to a great evening with Hospital Notes.”

The Hospital Notes Choir was founded to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service.

Hospital Notes will perform under the guidance of talented musical directors Andrew Harries and Stacey Harris.

Tickets are just £10 for Friday night’s concert.

September is turning out to be a busy month, with Côr Meibion Porth Tywyn (Burry Port Male Choir) holding their 56th annual concert at 7pm on Saturday, September 21, at St Mary’s Church in Burry Port.

The guests include bass baritone Anthony Stuart Lloyd, soprano Keely Morgan, harpist Rhian Griffiths and accompanist Caradog Williams,

The compere will be Iwan Jenkins. The musical director will be Ryan Lee and the choir’s accompanist will be John Evans. Tickets are available at £10.

There is more information this week on the big Three Welsh Tenors concert coming up in Llanelli.

Y Tri Tenor will perform at a charity fundraising concert at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, on Friday, September 27, 7pm.

The concert is part of Lleisiau Llan choir’s year-long fundraising for the Uganda Dr Vaughan Fund.

The host for the evening will be Carmarthenshire councillor and former TV presenter Glynog Davies.

Llanelli, Wales and British Lions rugby hero Phil Bennett will be the guest speaker.

Lleisiau’r Llan is a ladies choir from Llanelli formed in 1995 in response to a request by a group of friends who wanted to sing and socialise.

The choir’s conductor is Jill Evans and they have two talented accompanists, R Allan Fewster MBE and Julie Humphreys. Glynog Davies and BBC newsreader Huw Edwards are the choir’s honorary presidents.

The choir has raised more than £250,000 for the Breastcare Unit, Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli, Dementia and Kidney Research.

Y Tri Tenor are, of course, Rhys Meirion, Aled Hall and Aled Wyn Davies.

They are all famous tenors in their own right, enjoying successful solo careers.

But when they come together under the banner of Y Tri Tenor you are promised something extra special.

The concert line-up also includes James Oakley, the winner of the singing category in this year’s Llanelli Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year competition.

James is a pupil at Ysgol y Strade in Llanelli.

His previous choirs include – Ysgol Llangennech 2011-2015 and Only Kids Aloud Chorus 2013-2016.

He is currently a member of Côr Adran Llwyth Y Llan, Côr Ysgol Y Strade and Only Boys Aloud.

With the above choirs, James has taken part in a variety of concerts and celebrations in many locations in Wales and further afield over the years, .

James has also performed with the choirs on television programmes including S4C’s Noson Lawen, Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol, Côr Cymru and the BBC’s Songs of Praise.

James has had the opportunity to sing with and alongside Sir Bryn Terfel, Shân Cothi, Alfie Bow, Only Men Aloud, Rhys Meirion and many more talented artists.

Also taking the stage at the Lleisiau’r Llan concert will be Elen Morse Gale, a talented violinist who is a music scholar at Llandaff Church in Wales School in Cardidd, and Gwyr Secondary School Senior Boys Choir, led by Mr Berian Lewis.

The evening will also feature an auction conducted by Mr Brian Richards.

Tickets are £20 and can be purchased by ringing either of these two telephone numbers – 07971116091 or 07805643281.

In November, Côr Curiad Ladies Choir are holding a Masquerade Ball at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli. The event, in aid of Wales Air Ambulance, is on Friday, November 1.

This Côr Curiad’s first major fundraising event for Wales Air Ambulance, hot on the heels of two years of support for Marie Curie Wales.

Tickets are £35 per head. This includes music from Côr Curiad and live entertainment from the fabulous duo Sibling Rivalry, plus a three course meal and dancing until late.

The evening will be hosted by Kevin Johns MBE, of Swansea Sound fame.

You can book tickets by emailing Corcuriad@gmail.com

The team at Loud Applause Rising Stars has announced a couple of new members.

Matthew Lewis is 15 years old and lives in Llangennech. He is a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr. He is a chorister with Only Boys Aloud (OBA), Côr Adran Llwyth y Llan and Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr Choirs and a former chorister of Côr Ysgol Llangennech and Only Kids Aloud. Matthew has also competed at local Eisteddfodau and the Urdd National Eisteddfod.

Some of his highlights include the Ypres and Somme tour with OBA to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele and Hedd Wyn. Matthew was a member of the highly successful Côr Ysgol Llangennech when they won the BBC Songs of Praise ‘School Choir of the Year’in 2015 and later that year appeared with them in the Royal Albert Hall.

In 2016, Llwyth Y Llan were winners at the North Wales Choral Festival, double winners at the National Urdd Eisteddfod in 2015 and runners up in 2016 and 2017.

Matthew has achieved Grade 3 Piano and Euphonium Grade 5 and is focused on achieving singing grades.

Nikkila Thomas is a student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff. She is currently under the tutelage of Elizabeth Atherton. During this time she has been working particularly close with Stevie Wood, a coach at RWCMD and WNO.

Nikkila is an Alto at the BBC National Chorus of Wales. Nikkila started singing at the age of six with The Hywel Girls Choir in Llanelli, and remained a chorister with them for 12 years becoming the senior soloist. She achieved a Distinction in Grade 8 Classical Singing (ABRSM) with Penny Ryan.

Nikkila attended Gower College Swansea where she studied music, law, photography and Classical Civilisations. During her time there she had a scholarship to attend the Swansea Philharmonic Choir, whose musical director is Jonathan Rogers. This gave her the opportunity to widen her knowledge and sing more challenging classical repertoire. She performed with the Swansea Philharmonic Choir Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Nikkila has also performed as soloist with Dunvant Male Choir.

2016 was a significant year for Nikkila. She sang the role of The Youth in Mendelsohn’s Elijah with baritone Gary Griffiths in St David’s Cathedral.

* If you have news about the choral or concert scene in Llanelli, email robert.lloyd01@walesonline.co.uk or rlloydpr@btinternet.com

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