WELSH harpist Catrin Finch and Irish fiddle virtuoso Aoife Ní Bhriain will take the stage at Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre on Thursday, October 10 (7.30pm), as part of their UK tour.
Dublin native Aoife Ní Bhriain is one of Ireland’s foremost traditional fiddle players and a classical violinist of international stature who straddles both the classical world and her Irish traditional heritage.
From across the Irish Sea and the west coast of Wales, harpist Catrin Finch has also built an impressive classical career and ventured into uncharted musical territory, most notably through her award-winning international collaborations.
Finch and Ní Bhriain create a spellbinding musical dialogue where traditional and contemporary elements converge in a breath-taking celebration of musical synergy, taking listeners on a captivating journey on the wings of the bees across the Irish Sea, inspired by the cultures of their home countries.
Both are incredible virtuosos of their respective instruments, who started young and trained hard with great dedication to achieve the highest world-class standards of their art.
Both went through rigorous classical training and grounded their careers in the classical world.
Given her family heritage, it was inevitable that Aoife would also become a master of the Irish tradition; and given her fearless and inquisitive nature, it was equally inevitable that Catrin would seek artistic satisfaction beyond the confines of the classical world.
“Audiences just want to come away from a performance having been moved,” Catrin said.
Finch and Ní Bhriain’s debut album ‘Double You’ hit No1 in the iTunes Classical Charts and the World Music Charts Europe and is nominated for Best Album in the sixth RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.
Running through their stories – as individual creatives, remarkable women, and now as an inspirational duo – are universal themes of identity, self-belief and the courage to be who you really are, to find yourself, particularly when others expect you to conform.
Theirs is a story of being brave enough to follow your own path. From fighting against cancer and embracing sexuality, to being courageous enough to express their full creative potential, both Catrin and Aoife have been forging their own paths of challenge and discovery.
Tickets are priced at £22 and can be booked online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk or with the box office on 0345 2263510
A special feast is in store this weekend for those with an appetite for choral music.
Llanelli Chamber Choir will perform Franz Joseph Haydn’s oratorio ‘The Creation’ at St Elli Church on Saturday, September 28 (7pm).
Widely regarded as one of Haydn’s greatest compositions, this three-course masterpiece of western classical music tells the story of how God created the world, based on the book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
While ‘The Creation’ is traditionally performed by a full symphonic orchestra, chorus and soloists, the audience will experience a slightly different version, as the Llanelli Chamber Choir’s musical director Piet Zorn has added a pinch of Viennese fragrance to the mix by using a blend of instrumental ingredients.
A flute and a clarinet, a trumpet and a french horn, two timpani, a grand piano and a string quartet will accompany both the Llanelli Chamber Choir and four fine soloists – Morgan Summers (soprano), Jade Fouracre-Reynolds (alto), Burry Port’s Osian Wyn Bowen (tenor), and New Zealander Kieran Rayner (baritone).
Since their founding in 2021, Llanelli Chamber Choir have established themselves as one of the pillars of the local music scene.
Past performances include John Stainer’s ‘The Crucifixion’, Gabriel Fauré’s ‘Requiem’ and Carl Orff’s famous masterwork ‘Carmina Burana.’
Piet Zorn is very proud of his choristers and the hard work they have contributed to bring this performance to life, aiming to give to the audience yet another memorable moment in the musical landscape of Llanelli.
Tenor Osian Wyn Bowen is a firm favourite with west Wales audiences.
An alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), Osian studied under renowned vocal coach John Fisher and tenor Adrian Thompson. Osian was a Scottish Opera Emerging Artist for their 2022/23 Diamond Jubilee Season.
Having made his debut at Welsh National Opera in 2019, Osian has gone on to work regularly at many of the UK’s leading opera houses.
Recently Osian has sung the roles of Rinuccio Gianni Schicchi and Remendado Carmen for Scottish Opera, Venditore di Scarpe Il Tabarro and covered Ferrando Cosi Fan Tutte for Welsh National Opera, Ferrando Cosi Fan Tutte and both The Animal Vendor and Marschellin’s Hausofmeister Der Rosenkavalier for Garsington Opera.
Competitively Osian is a previous winner of the Morriston Orpheus MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year in 2019, a Geraint Morris Memorial Award Winner, a finalist in both the 2020 & 2022 Welsh Singers Showcase Final and a recipient of the Mansel Thomas Memorial Award for Music.
Upcoming engagements include, singing the role of Tamino in The Magic Flute Spring 2025, Obadjah in Elijah for Opus 84, in 2025, and the 10 Tenors concert at Christmas.
The featured ensemble members for the performance of ‘The Creation’ are – David Wheeler, Cellan Morgan, Gareth Hamlin, Imogen Holborn, Louise Baylis, Rachel Thomas, James McBeth, Mihai Stoican, Sian Davies and Aden Yip.
Tickets are £15 and are available from the email address chamberchoirllanelli@gmail.com or by phoning 07535 166956.
You can find out more about the Llanelli Chamber Choir on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090227216918
There’s a big night coming up for Carmarthen Amateur Operatic Society (CAOS) on Friday.
The team from CAOS will be presenting ‘The Past, The Present and The Future’ – an evening journey through the past, present and future of musical theatre.
The concert is at The Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen on Friday, September 27 (7.30pm).
Special guests will include West End star Samuel Wyn-Morris, who comes from Llanelli.
Sam is best known for his work in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les
Miserables.
Tickets are £15 and are available at The Lyric box office or from the Theatrau Sir Gar website – https://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk
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