SINGER Aled Jones will be making a welcome visit to Carmarthen to perform at The Lyric Theatre on Thursday (November 14).

The show is billed as Aled Jones – Full Circle.

Aled Jones was the boy treble who captivated the world with his angelic voice.

Selling more than seven million albums, Aled was the original, classical crossover star. His recording of Walking in the Air, from the animated film The Snowman, firmly established him as a household name and he has become an integral part of the nation’s festivities.

Equally at home on the classical stage, or starring in musical theatre productions in London West End, his credits include lead roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

As a singer, Aled is in demand globally and has performed in the world’s most iconic venues, from London’s Royal Albert Hall to the Sydney Opera House.

A favourite with the Royal Family, he even gave a private performance to King Charles III in Kensington Palace. He is an award-winning television broadcaster and radio presenter who’s interviewed hundreds of A-List stars over the years.

He heads up BBC’s Songs of Praise and his own Saturday and Sunday morning shows on Classic FM.

Now, after 40 years in the business, he’s looking back on a remarkable career with a one-man show, that will feature never-before-heard music, tales from the decades and for the first time, his story told in his own words.

Meanwhile, there’s a busy schedule of events coming up at Pontyberem Memorial Hall.

Welsh folk singer Dafydd Iwan will be bringing his band to the hall this Friday, November 15, (7pm).

Tickets are £20.50 and are available through the TicketSource website – https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/

On Saturday, December 7, there is a Triple Tribute evening, featuring The Valli Boys, The Take That Show and a Neil Sedaka tribute act. Tickets are £15.50 and it starts at 7pm.

Saturday, December 14, sees a ‘Christmas At The Hall’ event, featuring Ed Sheeran and Meat Loaf tribute acts and the popular Cover Notes band. Tickets are £20.50 and the show starts at 7.30pm.

This year’s pantomime at Pontyberem Memorial Hall will be Aladdin. It will run from January 8-12 and tickets are available through the TicketSource website.

The big attraction in Llanelli this week is Scarlet Musical Theatre Productions staging Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.

Bridget Radford’s hard-working theatre group will be putting on four shows at the intimate Stiwdio Stepni at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, from November 14 to 16.

There will be four shows – 7pm on November 14 and 15, with a matinee and evening show scheduled in for 1.30pm and 5.30pm on Saturday, November 16.

The promotional material for Sunset Boulevard says, ‘Join us for the masterful adaptation of the 1950 film noir classic, weaving a captivating tale of faded stardom and unrequited ambition.

‘At its centre is the enigmatic and complex Norma Desmond, a once-glorious silent movie star who clings to her past glory as ‘the talkies’ revolutionised the industry.

‘Her crumbling facade is a testament to her unyielding determination to reclaim her spotlight, even as her glamour and charm begin to fade.

‘As Norma navigates her downward spiral, she becomes entangled with Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter torn between his own ambition and his growing feelings for Betty Schaefer, a talented script reader.

‘The resulting love triangle is fraught with tension and complexity, as the three characters navigate the cut-throat world of Hollywood.’

Lloyd Webber’s musical has lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.

The musical won Tony Awards in 1995 for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. In 2024, Sunset Boulevard won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

The Llanelli show is being directed by Carmarthen’s Steve Elias, whose CV includes a whole host of West End shows. The musical director is Bridget Radford.

Cast members included Ashton Williams, Cai Francis, Carys Gower, Emily Kelly, Ffion Moore, Gareth H Evans, Holly Bradford, Jac Owens, Jenna Barnard, Joel Trinder, Justine Davies, Kim Darkin, Lewis Francis, Matthew Tucker, Millie Tanner, Rebecca Lewis and Rebecca Timbrell.

Tickets are £14 and you can book online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk or contact the Box Office on 0345 226 3510.

Also in Llanelli, the date has been announced for this year’s Festival of Light service in aid of Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli.

The service will take place at 6pm on Monday, November 25, at Greenfield Chapel.

The congregation will be welcomed by the Salvation Army band, who will also accompany the community signing.

There will be performances by Cor Llesisiau’r Llan, Cor Meibion Mynydd Mawr and the pupils of Ysgol y Felin, Llanelli.

Forms will be available at the service for donations and from the secretary of the hospice appeal fund on 07548 220122, by emailing secretary@tybryngwyn. org.uk or by downloading one from www.tybryngwyn.org.uk

Tickets are available from the secretary, committee members, or Davies Craddock Estates, 18 Murray Street, Llanelli, with a limited number available at the door on the night.

Looking further ahead, Carmarthen tenor and BBC radio star Wynne Evans will be bringing his Christmas Special to Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre on December 20.

The concert will feature the greatest Christmas hits and songs from Wynne’s debut album, A Song in My Heart, which shot straight to No1 in the classical album charts.

Now a household name, Wynne is a host on BBC Radio Wales and regularly features as Gio Compario in the Go Compare TV Commercials. He is currently on TV in Strictly Come Dancing.

Wynne has performed as the principal tenor with the Welsh National Opera, appearing at Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House, Opera De Lyon in Paris and The Metropolitan Opera House in New York. He received critical acclaim for his Royal Albert Hall performance as Piangi in the 25th anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera.

Performing an array of the most popular arias, musical theatre hits and popular classics, Wynne will be on stage with a live orchestra, choir and special guest vocalists.

Tickets are £40.50.

Review: Meibion Elli at Greenfield Chapel, with special guests The Phil Harmonics and West End star Samuel Wyn-Morris.

LLANELLI male voice choir Meibion Elli celebrated their fifth anniversary with a special concert staged at Greenfield Chapel in the town centre.

Meibion Elli choir are growing in numbers under the direction of D Eifion Thomas and accompanist Aled Maddock.

The anniversary concert proved to be a memorable and inspiring evening of fine choral singing, mixed in with superb solo performances.

Meibion Elli’s growing reputation for musical excellence was underscored by a programme of various musical styles which appealed to the large audience in Greenfield Chapel.

John Thomas, David Williams (Dai Llansaint) and Alan Owen were the choir’s three featured soloists.

Special mention must be made of the choir’s inspirational blockbuster performance of the Finale to Act 3 of Verdi’s Nabucco (The Slaves’ Chorus), with John Thomas featuring in the role of Zachariah.

Baritone John also moved many members of the audience to tears with his emotional solo during Precious Lord.

Llanelli ladies choir The Phil Harmonics were Meibion Elli’s guests for the evening, performing under the direction of Sarah Mair Richards and accompanied by Phillip Thomas.

Delivered with obvious joy, their programme was greatly appreciated. There were splendid performances from the two featured soloists, Sara Owen and Hazel Jones.

The icing on the cake was the appearance of Llanelli’s very own West End star, Samuel Wyn-Morris.

Sam, accompanied by Stewart Roberts, showed how his West End and international tour experience has added great depth to his singing. His performance of Bring Him Home (from Les Miserables) was captivating in its feeling and intensity.

The concert reached a stirring climax with both choirs and Sam joining forces to deliver a memorable rendition of the prayer from the musical Carousel, You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Meibion Elli choristers deserve a round of applause for a concert which illustrated the depth of singing talent in Llanelli. We can only hope for more of these dazzling concerts in Llanelli.

BACK in July, I was a Bear. For some strange reason, in August, I became a Dolphin. This week, it turns out that I am now a Parrot.

Confused? Please don’t lose any sleep over it. Leave the worrying to me.

Here’s the explanation: as part of my cardiac rehab regime, I wear a fitness device on my wrist which monitors how many steps I take every day, how my heart is performing . . . and how well I sleep.

When you get to my age, sleep is very important.

Back in my teens and 20s, ‘pulling an all-nighter’ was an idiom which summed up those occasions when you needed to work or study through the night.

Today, ‘pulling an all-nighter’ has a different meaning among the group of oldies I meet for a weekly coffee.

A successful ‘all-nighter’ today is that glorious occasion when you manage to get seven straight hours in bed . . . without having to get up to go to the toilet!

These are occasions as rare as hen’s teeth and need to be stamped in red on the software app that runs my fitness device.

The app monitors my sleep like some sort of mad science experiment.

It checks sleep schedule variability, sleep start time, the time it takes before sound sleep, sleep duration, deep sleep, REM sleep, restorative sleep, sleep stability, nights with long awakenings and, finally, days with naps.

Happily, I can plead not guilty to sneaky naps in the daytime (for now), but I must admit that checking the sleep function on the fitness app can become a bit obsessive.

It’s not reached the point where it’s keeping me awake at night, but I am probably overthinking the whole thing.

I’m getting a bit too freaked out by the app’s insistence on creating labels for monthly sleep patterns.

This month, I am a Parrot. Apparently, this label says the following about my sleep patterns –

‘Parrots tend to keep a consistent bedtime, and don’t sleep too early or too late. They typically reach sound sleep quickly, and usually get a good amount of sleep each night.

‘Once they drift off, Parrots sleep deeply, but they can be light on REM (for the layman, REM means Rapid Eye Movement – the stage of sleep where most dreams happen).

‘Parrots may wake up briefly throughout the night. Most of these wake-ups are so brief they might be forgotten, usually leaving Parrots with an adequate amount of sleep to avoid naps the next day.’

Apparently, the Parrot label reflects the fact that the birds have ‘lively attention spans and lots of energy’.

Back in July, the Bear label reflected the fact that ‘after a long day of foraging, most bears settle into a long, undisturbed sleep’.

And, in August, the Dolphin tag was ‘because dolphins need to stay on the move, only one half of their brain gets to sleep at a time’.

At various stages of my career, sleep (or the lack of it) seems to have featured prominently.

Once upon a time, with my media consultant hat on, I did some work for an innovative firm which brought organic mattresses to the British market from a small factory in Tycroes, near Ammanford.

It was interesting work, but the fringe benefits of the job did not include being allowed to sleep on handmade mattresses lovingly made of the softest lambs’ wool and organic cotton.

Notable parts of the publicity campaign did, however, include shipping beds and mattresses to Instagram locations in Wales, where models would ‘cwtsh-up’ and be pictured enjoying restful sleep in the open air.

On another memorable occasion, we saw Prince Charles (now King Charles III) visit the factory. Predictably, attempts to get a photo of the then Prince lounging on a mattress failed.

And another event at the factory, back in 2015, saw the then Bishop of St David’s, Wyn Evans, arrive to give the factory a ‘blessing’. Yes, it was a ‘believe it or not’ moment, but good publicity, as it happens.

Back with my ‘hack journalist’ hat on, there have been plenty of occasions when sleep has had to take a back seat to the demands of newspaper deadlines.

Working all night covering General Election and Senedd (Welsh Assembly) elections for this fine newspaper always proved to be good fun, with the adrenalin of the events driving you through to dawn and the treat of a full fry-up breakfast at Wyn Price’s Continental Grill in Wind Street (a much-loved institution and meeting place which, sadly, no longer exists).

Another all-night work shift which sticks in the mind surrounds the death of Pope John Paul II back in April, 2005.

The Pope’s health had been declining for some time and the team at the Evening Post had worked hard to prepare a 24-page ‘special supplement’ tribute to the life of His Holiness.

The special was locked down ready to print, but someone was needed to man the hotline at the old Evening Post HQ in Adelaide Street. The task was simple as all the hard work had been done. All I had to do was ring the printers as soon as news came through about The Pope’s death and tell them to put the ‘special’ on the Press.

Stuck in Adelaide Street, I couldn’t do my usual dad duty of dropping my son off at school.

My absence from the school drop-off was noted by some of my son’s pals.

“Where’s your, dad?” they asked.

My son (never known for giving long explanations when only a few words will do) replied, “He’s in the office . . . waiting for The Pope to die.”

On that note, I shall finish scribbling for the day . . . I think I can feel a nap coming on!

Twitter: @rlloydpr

THERE’S a big date in the musical calendar coming up for youngsters in Carmarthenshire.

The annual Llanelli Rotary Club Young Musician Competition is on Saturday, November 16.

The competition is open to all young people up to the age of 17 on August 31, 2024.

There are two categories in the competition: solo instrumental and solo vocal.

Llanelli Rotary Club president Cerith Owens said the competition provided an annual platform for budding young musicians and singers.

He said: “Music is the international language and Great Britain and Ireland is home to some of the most talented young instrumentalists and vocalists in the world.

“We celebrate this talent with a sequence of competitions that offer many young people the chance to demonstrate their musical skills, whether classical or modern.

“Participants will get the chance to experience performing on a public stage and receive feedback from experienced adjudicators.

“The Rotary Young Musician competition is organised over different stages; club level, district (including preliminary area finals), regional heats and a national final.

“The competition is open to all young people up who meet the age requirement.

“They may be an individual, or from any group or community organisation, including schools and colleges, home educated, other young peoples’ community organisations, for example, community RotaKids, community Interact, Scout Groups, Girl Guides, etc.

“It should be noted that some entrants may be 18 at the time of some or all stages of the competition i.e. a competitor who is 17 on 31st August but turns 18 on 1st September is allowed to enter.

“The competition is for amateur musicians. An amateur is considered to be a person whose main source of income is not made from musical performances, although there may be occasions when the receipt of occasional out of pocket expenses or prizes may be received.

“This is a competition at which competitors are judged within the context of a live performance. Competitors perform a work or selection of works of their own choice within a time not exceeding 13 minutes.”

For application forms or further information please contact cerithowens@sky.com or 07854 303918

Meanwhile, in Llanelli, the date has been announced for this year’s Festival of Light service in aid of Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli.

The service will take place at 6pm on Monday, November 25, at Greenfield Chapel.

The congregation will be welcomed by the Salvation Army band, who will also accompany the community signing.

There will be performances by Cor Llesisiau’r Llan, Cor Meibion Mynydd Mawr and the pupils of Ysgol y Felin, Llanelli.

Forms will be available at the service for donations and from the secretary of the hospice appeal fund on 07548 220122, by emailing secretary@tybryngwyn. org.uk or by downloading one from www.tybryngwyn.org.uk

Tickets are available from the secretary, committee members, or Davies Craddock Estates, 18 Murray Street, Llanelli, with a limited number available at the door on the night.

This weekend, Llanelli’s Meibion Elli male choir are planning a fifth anniversary concert on Saturday, November 9.

It will be held at Greenfield Chapel and will feature Llanelli’s Samuel Wyn-Morris and the popular Llanelli-based Phil Harmonics ladies choir.

Meibion Elli will be under the baton of musical director Eifion Thomas, with Aled Maddock as the accompanist. The Phil Harmonics will be under leader Sara Richards and musical director Phil Thomas.

Tickets are £15 and can be purchased at Llanelly House with a percentage donation going to the Georgian tourist attraction for each sale.

Tickets can also be obtained through Davies Craddock Estate in Murray Street, Llanelli, with a percentage of their sales going towards the Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli.

Tickets can also be purchased at Llanelli Docks Post Office and from choir chairman Mr Thomas on 01554 820644 or 07985136672.

In other news, the team at Scarlet Musical Theatre Productions are busy rehearsing for their next event – staging Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.

Bridget Radford’s hard-working theatre group will be putting on four shows at the intimate Stiwdio Stepni at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, from November 14 to 16.

There will be four shows – 7pm on November 14 and 15, with a matinee and evening show scheduled in for 1.30pm and 5.30pm on Saturday, November 16.

The promotional material for Sunset Boulevard says, ‘Join us for the masterful adaptation of the 1950 film noir classic, weaving a captivating tale of faded stardom and unrequited ambition.

‘At its centre is the enigmatic and complex Norma Desmond, a once-glorious silent movie star who clings to her past glory as ‘the talkies’ revolutionised the industry.

‘Her crumbling facade is a testament to her unyielding determination to reclaim her spotlight, even as her glamour and charm begin to fade.

‘As Norma navigates her downward spiral, she becomes entangled with Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter torn between his own ambition and his growing feelings for Betty Schaefer, a talented script reader.

‘The resulting love triangle is fraught with tension and complexity, as the three characters navigate the cut-throat world of Hollywood.’

Lloyd Webber’s musical has lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.

The musical won Tony Awards in 1995 for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. In 2024, Sunset Boulevard won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

The Llanelli show is being directed by Carmarthen’s Steve Elias, whose CV includes a whole host of West End shows. The musical director is Bridget Radford.

Cast members included Ashton Williams, Cai Francis, Carys Gower, Emily Kelly, Ffion Moore, Gareth H Evans, Holly Bradford, Jac Owens, Jenna Barnard, Joel Trinder, Justine Davies, Kim Darkin, Lewis Francis, Matthew Tucker, Millie Tanner, Rebecca Lewis and Rebecca Timbrell.

Tickets are £14 and you can book online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk or contact the Box Office on 0345 226 3510.

Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. Website – www.philevans.co.uk

……………………………

HOW TO REACT TO A NON-REACTOR…

People are funny. I’m not talking ‘funny’ as in ‘they make me laugh’ funny. I’m referring to people’s quirks when they inter-act (or very often don’t) with other people in a normal everyday conversation.

As tolerant as you are, I bet you’ve been annoyed by people whose behaviour made you promise to never spend another moment in their company.

A friend of mine recently asked me if I knew what a ‘Non-Reactor’ was.

I didn’t, but as soon as he explained what he meant, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

A veteran writer and long-time observer of human behaviour, he explained a ‘Non-Reactor’ is someone so wrapped up in themselves they’re incapable of reacting to anything you tell them with a polite “That’s very interesting” or “How awful for you!”

“Tell me more!” is, naturally, not in their vocabulary.

Instead, the second you stop talking, they jump in with a (usually unrelated) story of their own, giving the impression they haven’t absorbed what you’ve just told them.

Your words are like bullets bouncing off Superman’s chest.

And the ‘Non-Reactor’ maintains this throughout what is less a conversation than a contest on their part, to tell the most interesting story.

A funny example of a celebrity ‘Non-Reactor’ concerns Sir Christopher Lee.

A man not known for hiding his light under a bushel, shall we say…

Attending a weekend pro-am golf tournament, his ‘Non-Reaction’ to other people’s stories was to immediately relate them to his own career.

This annoyed all the other players, including Jimmy Tarbuck and Kenny Lynch, who tried to think up a story that Mr. Lee couldn’t possibly relate to himself.

On the Sunday morning, Jimmy and Kenny were having breakfast in the hotel when Kenny suddenly said, “I know how we can get him!”

As Mr. Lee joined them at the table, Kenny pretended to be engrossed in his newspaper and exclaimed, “Look at this, Tarby! They’ve found Adolf Hitler alive in the Bolivian jungle!”

Without missing a beat, Mr. Lee said: “I was asked to play Hitler in a film!”

Kenny and Tarby’s response is, sadly, not on record!

……………………………….

Remembrance Sunday

As I sit down to write this week’s column, I feel an overwhelming urge to reflect on Remembrance Sunday, a day that resonates deeply for countless individuals across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

This solemn occasion serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women during the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts, a tribute to courage and resilience that transcends generations.

Some time back, I delved into the significance of the poppy, a symbol that carries profound meaning.

To my surprise, I learned that it was inspired by the haunting lines of the World War One poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.

The opening lines evoke a powerful image of vibrant red poppies flourishing amidst the devastated landscapes of soldiers’ graves in Flanders, a region in Belgium that bore witness to unimaginable loss.

These delicate flowers, emerging from the churned earth, stand as a testament to life persisting in the face of death a poignant reminder that even amidst despair, hope can blossom.

Remembrance Sunday is not just a date on the calendar; it is a sacred moment to honour those who have given their all for our freedoms.

It invites us to pause and reflect on the heavy price paid for our choices and the liberty to express our thoughts.

It is a day to acknowledge that our voices, including mine (with the editor’s approval, of course!), are the result of countless sacrifices made by brave souls who believed in a future where freedom reigns.

As we gather to remember, let us carry forward the legacy of those who served, ensuring that their stories and sacrifices are never forgotten.

This day, and the symbol of the poppy, implore us to honour their memory with gratitude and resolve.

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You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and  www.philevans.co.uk

IT’S your chance to feel a warm glow – by donating a winter coat to Llanelli Rotary Club’s Wrap Up campaign.

This is the third year that Llanelli Rotary has joined in the national Wrap Up campaign to collect warm winter coats.

In the first year of the campaign, the club collected more than 700 coats and distributed them to local food banks, refuge centres, churches, Threshold, CYCA and family support groups.

Llanelli Rotary Club President Cerith Owens said: “We felt that we made a difference in the community and are excited to do it again.

“The response by the local community to our Wrap Up campaign has been wonderful over the last two years. We are hoping for another magnificent response from the people of Llanelli again this year. Everyone we talk to says that they get a nice warm feeling of making a positive contribution to society when they donate a coat to the campaign.”

The Wrap Up campaign runs until December 15.

The following drop off points have been set up in Llanelli:

• Selwyn Samuel Centre and Anyone Waiting Cafe
• Tesco
• Llanelli leisure Centre
• Fitter Body Ladies Dafen
• Owens Transport – Dafen & Bynea
• Llanelli Fire station
• Age Cymru Dyfed – Trostre Road
• Llanelli Library

If you need further information, you can contact: 07901 515712 or email secretary.lanelli.rotary@gmail.com

A spokesman for Llanelli Rotary Club said: “Once coats have been collected from the public, volunteers get to work at our sorting sessions. We spend many hours sorting coats into different categories for men, women, children and babies. We check pockets and make sure the coat is clean and in a good enough condition to be given away.

“Our philosophy is ‘Would YOU wear this?’

“We work with charities and community organisations that provide frontline services to the homeless, the elderly, refugees, children and families living in poverty and people fleeing domestic violence.

“Wrap Up do not distribute the coats to those in need directly, because we want to help charities create lasting links with those they set out to help. When a vulnerable person reaches out to a charity for a coat this winter, they will also discover the other resources and forms of support available to them.

“It’s amazing that a coat YOU donated could kick-start a relationship between those in need and the charities that can help them by providing year-round services and support.

“Our impact continues to grow thanks to the generosity of people like you, who take the time to find and donate their unwanted coats, and the incredible volunteers that give their time.

“We ask that you only send coats that you would be happy to receive. Dirty coats with buttons missing and a broken zip aren’t nice for anyone – especially someone currently living in crisis.”