IF folk music is your scene, then you are in for a treat at Ammanford’s Glowyr (Miner’s) Theatre this weekend.
Martha Tilston, 50, hails from Cornwall and has developed a successful musical career with a large and loyal following.
She has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and festivals, recorded and released several critically-acclaimed albums and gained a nomination for BBC ‘Best Newcomer’.
She has also appeared as a guest vocalist for Zero 7, toured internationally and worked with the some of the world’s most inspiring performers, including Damien Rice, Nick Harper, Kae Tempest, and Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera).
Martha will be performing at the Glowyr theatre on Saturday, February 22.
The past few years have seen Martha venture into the world of film making, gaining nominations for Best Arts Film for The Clifftop Sessions and recently releasing her first feature film (with an accompanying soundtrack album) – The Tape – which is garnering much praise and excitement.
With her long-time collaborators and musicians, Matt Tweed and Matt Kelly, she works to entwine raw vocals, sparkling melodies and thought- provoking lyrics with filmic movements and earthy baselines.
To see them live is to connect with longed-for parts of ourselves, according to the publicity blurb.
The Guardian had this to say about Martha – ‘Sharp, original songs that dissect the modern world. She captures both the harshness and enchantment of life’.
Time Out magazine’s verdict was – ‘She has the power to draw an audience into her world, leaving all those present with a smile, and a few issues to ponder, too’.
The support act will be Nathan Ball
Tickets are £18.50 and the show starts at 8pm.
Meanwhile, Carmarthen and District Youth Opera members are busy preparing to stage Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The musical will be staged at The Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen from February 26 to March 1 (7.30pm), with matinee shows at 2.30pm on Thursday, February 27, and Saturday, March 1.
Tickets, price £20 (concessions £15), are now on sale and available online via https://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk, at The Lyric Box office, or by ringing 0345 2263510.
In other news, the countdown is also on to a series of special St David’s Day concerts in west Wales. Events include –
- St David’s Day celebration on Saturday, March 1, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli. Two award-winning choirs, Dunvant Male Choir and Morriston RFC Male Choir, will join forces for what promises to be a memorable evening. They will be joined by two guest soloists – soprano Lauren Elizabeth Williams and tenor James Oakley. The evening will also feature the talented youngsters from Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes school choir. The evening will be hosted bilingually by award-winning BBC Wales journalist and presenter Garry Owen.
- An A Cappella Community Choir Concert in Narberth, on March 8 (7pm). The venue will be St Andrews Church, Narberth, and tickets are £12.50 and £8.50 (concession).
- A concert at Ammanford’s Miner’s Theatre (now known as Glowyr) on Friday, February 28 (7pm). Topping the bill will be Osian Clarke, from Tycroes, a recent graduate of the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. Young harpist Awel Grug Lewis will also perform and the choral element of the programme will be provided by the exceptional harmonies of Côr Lleisiau’r Cwm, led by Catrin Hughes.
- A concert in aid of the Burry Port RNLI lifeboat station at Tabernacle Chapel, Burry Port, on Saturday, March 1 (7.30pm). It will feature three young Welsh tenors – Ceri Davies, Rhodri Prys Jones and local favourite Osian Wyn Bowen. Male voice choirs from Burry Port, Carmarthen, Mynydd Mawr and Dyffryn Amman will also take to the stage.
- Côr Meibion Pontarddulais Male Choir’s St David’s Day concert at Capel Hope Siloh on Saturday, March 1 (7pm). Special guests include soprano Ros Evans, a choir from Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr and Penclawdd Junior Band.
- Pontyberem Memorial Hall will see a St David’s concert on March 7 at 7pm. The concert will feature Gwenda a Geinor, Meibion Elli choir, Lleisiau’r Cwm choir, local schools and soloists James Oakley, Betsan Daniel and Katie George. Tickets are £10 for adults and £6 for children.
Finally, Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre will be rocking to the sound of The Guilty Men on Sunday, March 2, at 7:30pm, as the band visit the town as part of their UK tour.
The Guilty Men are a true modern-day supergroup, featuring five of the finest musicians from the northwest of England, with more than 10,000 gigs, thousands of recordings, and countless radio and TV appearances between them.
Tickets are priced at £18 and can be booked online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk and with the box office on 0345 2263510.
After releasing their debut album “Invisible Confetti” in September, 2024, The Guilty Men are following up their first UK tour with 19 more dates in February/March, 2025.
A new single, “Dangerous Girl” has been released, complete with a video directed by Adam Dean. This follows up “Susan’s Back Drinking”, which was featured as ‘Single of The Week’ on more than 50 UK radio stations. The band’s debut album went Top 50 on the Amazon rock chart.
To say The Guilty Men are experienced would be an understatement!
In 2021, Clive Gregson (Any Trouble) and Neil Cossar (The Cheaters) sat down to write some songs together. Several weeks and quite a few songs later, they decided to expand the enterprise from a songwriting workshop to a full-blown band.
Clive recruited keyboardist Jez Smith and bassist Craig Fletcher from John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest and the lineup was completed with the addition of legendary drummer, Paul Burgess, who has played with 10cc since 1973.
Cut to 2024 . . . and The Guilty Men’s debut album “Invisible Confetti” is ready to roll. A total of 13 brand new songs recorded in the old-fashioned way: everybody playing live in the studio, intent on catching the moment. Most of the songs were laid down in no more than two or three takes… and with four featured lead vocalists, the album covers a lot of musical bases.
The Guilty Men are:
Paul Burgess (10cc, Jethro Tull, The Icicle Works, Camel etc).
Neil Cossar (The Cheaters).
Craig Fletcher (John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest).
Clive Gregson (Any Trouble, Gregson & Collister, Richard Thompson, Nanci Griffith).
Jez Smith (John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest).
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