THERE’S a big night at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli on Saturday as Loud Applause Productions presents ‘A Night with the Stars’ gala concert.

The annual event is always a big hit at Ffwrnes and there are just a handful of tickets left for Saturday’s show.

The talented young singers from Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) will be joined on stage by an array of Welsh talent.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for LARS and the charity officials are delighted to welcome back a former member who has gone on to achieve great success, the young Welsh superstar of stage and screen, Callum Scott Howells.

Callum will host the evening and entertain in his own unique way.

Callum is known for his role as Colin Morris-Jones in the Channel 4 drama It’s a Sin (2021).

Callum was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

In October 2022, he played The Emcee in the West End production of Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre.

He is the recipient of 2021 BAFTA Cymru Best Actor and best Male Actor at the Royal Television Society (RTS) programme Awards.

Also back by popular demand at Ffwrnes will be one of Wales’s premier choirs, the Pendyrus Male Choir, who are celebrating their centenary year.

Pendyrus Male Choir have been at the forefront of the Welsh Male Choir world since 1924.

The list of the choir’s famous musical directors includes Arthur Duggan MBE, Glynne Jones MBE, John Samuel and Stewart Roberts.

The choir is now under the baton of Ieuan Jones. The choir’s accompanist, Gavin Parry, is a legend in the choral world, having been accompanist for a remarkable 50 years!

Completing the line-up on the Ffwrnes Theatre stage will be the children of Côr Ysgol Swiss Valley Choir from Llanelli.

Since it was established, LARS has supported numerous young performers, many of whom have successfully transitioned into professional performing careers.

Currently, LARS comprises 15 members, aged between 15 and 23.

The organisation supports its Rising Stars through various means, including staging opportunities, mentoring, and bursaries.

Tickets for Saturday’s show start at £12.

Tickets are available from the Ffwrnes Theatre box office and the Carmarthenshire Theatres Theatrau Sir Gar website at – https://carmarthenshiretheatres.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873646118

Meanwhile, the ladies of Carmarthen’s A Choired Taste are planning a special 10th anniversary concert this month.

It will be held at The Lyric Theatre on Saturday, October 19, and will be hosted by actress, TV presenter and producer Connie Fisher.

The concert is being billed as ‘A Celebration of Voices’, so you can expect to be dazzled by a dynamic mix of favourite songs and what A Choired Taste’s musical director, Sarah Kirby, describes as ‘mash-ups’ (innovative medleys and musical mixes which have been become the choir’s trademark).

The concert will also feature a special performance by Britain’s Got Talent finalists, the phenomenal gospel choir Northants Sing Out.

A very busy and packed stage will also see performances from Carmarthen Male Voice Choir, Whitland Male Voice Choir, Carmarthen Young Voices, Carmarthen Ukuleles and Saxy Brass.

All proceeds from the event will go towards the choir’s target of raising £10,000 for 10 local charities in the choir’s 10th anniversary year. The choristers are already more than halfway towards their £10,000 target.

Tickets are £15 and £12 and are available from The Lyric box office or from the Theatrau Sir Gar (Carmarthenshire Theatres) website at – https://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk/en/shows/a-celebration-of-voices

Due to high demand, the Lyric have been able to release more tickets for the concert.

The 10 local charities set to benefit from the kindness of A Choired Taste members are –

• Magnolia Tree – Support Group for Bereaved Parents.
• CCAMA – Carmarthen and Crosshands Autistic Mams Association.
• Endometriosis UK.
• Sandy Bear – Children’s Bereavement Charity.
• Plant Dewi – a chariry which cares for families across south-west Wales.
• Adferiad Carmarthen – an organisation which provides help and support for people with mental health, substance use, addiction and other complex needs.
• Blood Bikes Wales – a completely free courier service for the NHS.
• Carers Trust Crossroads West Wales – a specialist voluntary organisation providing support to carers, giving them “time” to be themselves.
• Angor, Carmarthenshire – a charity made up of like-minded individuals from various walks of life who understand the impact that a life-altering diagnosis can cause. They provide a pathway from clinical services back to the community.
• Red Cross, Carmarthen.

The choir have a JustGiving website page set up for their fund-raising efforts. It is at – https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/achoiredtaste-act

Anniversary concert compere Connie Fisher, 41, shot to fame when she won the BBC One talent contest How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

In 2006, she opened to excellent reviews in the part of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music in the West End, London.

In 2011, she was forced to change tack in her career when she was diagnosed with congenital sulcus vocalis (holes in her vocal cords).

She now concentrates on a career in presenting, production and acting.

The Northants Sings Out choir sprang to fame after wowing judges in the final of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

Finally, 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.

Tickets are priced at £22 and can be booked online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk or with the box office on 0345 2263510.

WHAT’S in a name change, eh? Well, quite a lot for many people when the title refers to something close to their hearts.

The ink is hardly dry on the row over the Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons name change . . . and now we have another branding row right on our doorstep.

On a personal level, the way we brand Gower has always been something of a problem.

On the old sub-editors’ desk at the Evening Post’s Adelaide Street HQ, ashtrays and (potentially lethal) paper spikes would be tossed around when ‘The Gower Question’ became overheated.

It was a simple question: Should Gower appear in print as ‘Gower’ or ‘The Gower’.

I always opted for plain Gower, but more influential figures on the subs desk were able to impose a temporary change to the Post’s Style Book to demand that the area should appear in print as ‘The Gower’.

Today, the Gower row isn’t an internal newspaper argument; it is a social media debate over branding which now sees the peninsular called ‘Gower – National Landscape’.

And the branding has an associated logo which has just kicked over another hornet’s nest among lovers of good design and promotional images.

To backtrack, for just a moment, many of you will know that one of Gower’s many claims to fame was that it was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB), way back in 1956.

The AONB title has been part of Gower’s branding . . .  until very recent tweaks have seen national changes to the way national parks and other AONBs are titled.

Today, some 46 different areas now fall under the banner of the National Landscapes Association.

Gower has now been rebranded as ‘Gower National Landscape / Tirwedd Cenedlaethol Gŵyr’.

The name change comes with an associated logo, which shows Worm’s Head, Rhossili, in outline . . . in colours best described as muddy versions of orange and yellow.

The changes have not been well received in some quarters.

For example, Geoff Haden (a keen supporter of all things Gower-related and the owner of the birthplace of Dylan Thomas in Swansea) has taken to social media to canvass the views of others.

‘Is this really the best name and logo that creative minds . . . can come up with to replace AONB?’ Geoff has asked.

Geoff has suggested that fans of Gower come up with their own branding and logo designs for the area and forward them to him and the Gower Society.

The general view on social media is that people are not impressed by the new branding.

Gill Lloyd (no relation) said, ‘It’s pathetic’. Caroline Berry described it as ‘cheap and tacky’. Donna Phillips said, ‘The colours are really drab’. Andrew T Price said, ‘It has a 1980s nicotine-stained, retro quality . . . if that’s the look they were going for!’

Meanwhile, Suzy Davies highlighted an issue with the wording and a missing Welsh mutation – ‘It should be Genedlaethol,’ she pointed out with reference to ‘Cenedlaethol’.

I have no plans to act as the advocate for the defence in this case, but it might be worth pointing out that the new branding does follow something of a theme across all the UK National Landscape areas.

Visit the website at https://national-landscapes.org.uk and you will see what I mean.

Meanwhile, I will sit back and watch the current branding debate unfold.

Just, please, please, please, don’t think of asking for my opinion on whether it should be ‘Gower’ or ‘The Gower’!

I still have nightmares about those arguments on the subs desk at Adelaide Street.

——————————–

IT’S a big weekend for Swansea historian Bernard Lewis, with the launch of his latest book, ‘Swansea and the Second World War’.

It’s the story of how the people of Swansea faced the challenges of war on the Home Front.

Bernard lives in Neath and is a retired local government officer. He holds a Diploma in Local History and is the author of half a dozen books on aspects of the history of Swansea and Neath.

Swansea suffered heavily in the Second World War. The docks and factories were important targets for Hitler’s Luftwaffe bombers. The town centre was devastated over three consecutive nights of bombing during February, 1941, and no town or city in Wales suffered more deaths than Swansea as a result of enemy air raids.

Bernard’s wide-ranging book describes how people coped with the deadly bombing attacks and how the town was turned into a veritable fortress in preparation for a possible Nazi invasion.

Conscription, conscientious objection, wartime crime, rationing, salvage campaigns, the evacuation of the town’s children and the arrival of American forces are all outlined in a book which will be on sale at special events at The Waterfront Museum in Swansea this weekend.

Bernard will have a table selling his books between 10and 4pm on what promises to be a busy and entertaining two days at The Waterfront.

Saturday sees the local history heritage fair, an event organised in partnership with the Historical Association (Swansea Branch) and Swansea Museum, Royal Institution of South Wales (RISW).

Talks on Saturday include – 10.30, Bob Cuthill on Swansea’s Civic Centre; 11.30, Nigel Robins on Ben Evans, the lost buildings of the Blitz and plants that grew in their place; 1.30, Bev Rogers on The Swansea Devil; and 2.30, Debra John on Amy Dillwyn (1845 – 1935).

Sunday sees the Local History Book Fair at The Waterfront. Talks will include – 10.30, Ceri Thomas on Swansea’s role in shaping art in Wales; 12.30, Robin Campbell on Horse Racing on the Crymlyn Burrows; and 1.30, Graham Davies on the Welsh Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War.

At 2.30, Bernard Lewis will give a talk titled ‘Swansea and World War II’.

For those keen on local history, The Waterfront Museum will be the place to be this weekend.

Twitter: @rlloydpr

Email: robertlloydpr@rlloydpr.co.uk

MEMBERS of Llanelli Rotary Club enjoyed a very successful President’s Night at The Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli.

The annual event is always one of the highlights of the Rotary calendar. Guests included honorary members and Rotarians from neighbouring clubs in Burry Port and Pembrey, Morriston and Mumbles.

Llanelli Club President Cerith Owens said: “I was very proud to have my family and friends there to share the evening with me and my fellow Rotarians.

“With the support of the 83 attendees, we raised an impressive £1,200 for the Ty Hafan children’s hospice, which is remarkable. I would like to thank everyone who contributed towards the raffle and auction prizes.”

The musical entertainment was provided by members of Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff.

The singers were Lauren Elizabeth Williams, Darcey Paris George, James Oakley and Liam Edwards. They were all accompanied by Catrin Hughes.

You can find out more about Llanelli Rotary Club by visiting their Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/LlanelliRotaryClu

Some photos from the night –

The Ospreys have named their squad to face the DHL Stormers in their first BKT URC home game of the season. The fixture will take place at the Dunraven Brewery Field and is kicking off on Saturday 28^th September at 7:35pm.

Jac Morgan is set to captain a side. Gareth Thomas starts at loosehead, with Dewi Lake lining up at hooker and Tom Botha completing the front three.

James Ratti partners with Adam Beard at lock. Jac Morgan lines up at six, Justin Tipuric takes up the other flank and Morgan Morris starts at eight.

Reuben Morgan-Williams starts at scrum half in his 100^th appearance for the club, with Dan Edwards partnering him at 10. Keiran Williams and Owen Watkin get the nod in the centres.

In the back three, Jack Walsh starts at full back, with Ryan Conbeer on one wing and Luke Morgan on the other.

Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips and Ben Warren all take up places on the bench in the only changes from last week against the Dragons.

Starting XV:

15. Jack Walsh

14. Luke Morgan

13. Owen Watkin

12. Keiran Williams 

11. Ryan Conbeer 

10. Dan Edwards

9. Reuben Morgan-Williams (100th Appearance)

1. Gareth Thomas

2. Dewi Lake

3. Tom Botha

4. James Ratti

5. Adam Beard

6. Jac Morgan ©

7. Justin Tipuric

8. Morgan Morris

Replacements:

16. Ethan Lewis

17. Garyn Phillips

18. Ben Warren

19. Huw Sutton

20. Harri Deaves

21. Luke Davies

22. Phil Cokanasiga

23. Max Nagy

Head Coach, Toby Booth, said: “The Stormers are a big, physical team that play a slightly different game to the other South African teams. They play positive, have good athletes and will try to stretch you by keeping the game quick.

It’s going to be a defensive challenge for us, which is similar to what we had out there (in the away fixture last season). The good thing is that we’ve experienced it and came away with a win in that type of game, so we’ll be looking to do that again.”

 Club captain Josh Macleod makes his return from injury to lead Scarlets into their BKT United Rugby Championship clash with Cardiff Rugby at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday (17:15; Premier Sports).

The Wales international flanker will make his first appearance since January in a side showing four personnel changes from last weekend’s 20-20 draw out in Treviso.

There is a reshuffle in the back division. With Sam Costelow recovering from the illness that forced him to miss the Benetton clash, the Wales pivot returns to the No. 10 jersey, Ioan Lloyd switches to full-back and Tom Rogers moves to the right wing in place of Ellis Mee, who is named among the replacements.

Johnny Williams and Macs Page continue in midfield, while Gareth Davies will make his 250th appearance from scrum-half.

The Wales and British & Irish Lions half-back made his Scarlets debut in 2009 in a career that has spanned 17 seasons.

Up front, Kemsley Mathias continues at loose-head in an all-international Wales front row alongside Ryan Elias and Henry Thomas, who will make his URC debut.

Alex Craig and Max Douglas combine again at lock.

In the back row, Vaea Fifita is ruled out with the knee injury he picked up against Benetton which forces a reshuffle.

Jarrod Taylor moves to blindside, Plumtree switches to No. 8 and Macleod starts in his favoured No. 7 shirt.

New signing Alec Hepburn has overcome the hamstring injury he picked up in the early weeks of pre-season and comes onto the bench, while there is also a return for Dan Davis and Eddie James.

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “We were all disappointed with how the match in Treviso finished, but there has been plenty to build on for this weekend. We have always had close battles with Cardiff, they will be buoyed from that win against Zebre in round one so it is important we are on our mettle and impose ourselves on the game. We want to make Parc y Scarlets a difficult place for teams to come and after three successive away games it is great to be back at home in front of our supporters again.”

Scarlets team to play Cardiff on Saturday, September 28 (5.15pm Premier Sports)

15 Ioan Lloyd; 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Macs Page, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Blair Murray; 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Gareth Davies; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Max Douglas, 6 Jarrod Taylor, 7 Josh Macleod (capt), 8 Taine Plumtree.

Reps: 16 Marnus van der Merwe. 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Jac Price, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Efan Jones, 22 Eddie James, 23 Ellis Mee.

Unavailable because of injury

Tomi Lewis, Joe Roberts, Steff Evans, Harri O’Connor, Shaun Evans, Sam Lousi, Archie Hughes, Ioan Nicholas, Vaea Fifita, Ed Scragg.

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