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

………………………….

TIME FOR A MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION:

DITCH THAT MOBILE PHONE!

I can’t be the only one who’s noticed what can best be described as a modern ‘phenomenon’, for want of a better word*

*If you do want a better word, I have loads. But they’re stored in a lock-up on an industrial estate outside Neath and I can’t remember what I’ve done with the key.

What’s the phenomenon I’m talking about?

The proliferation (now there’s a much betterword. It must have escaped through the bullet hole in the lock-up door. Don’t ask!) of young mums around the streets and shopping centres, wheeling their state-of-the-art strollers/buggies/travel systems.

Push chairs have so many different names these days.

I have my own special name whenever one runs over my foot.

As you might expect, these new mums continually look downwards adoringly, engrossed to the point of complete absorption in the magical, marvellous, new acquisition in front of them.

No. Not their offspring!

Their mobile phones!

No wonder the NHS is strapped for cash.

They must hand out a free phone to every new mother when she leaves hospital.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to walk into the road or duck into a shop doorway to avoid an advancing buggy being haphazardly steered by a young woman resting her arms on the buggy’s handle, as she texts or reads those sent to her, oblivious to other pedestrians.

However, more importantly – and this infuriates me – is that they also seem oblivious to their precious child and more interested in the texts they’re sending to and receiving from friends.

It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture these friends in another street or shopping centre, also pushing a buggy and ignoring their toddlers.

Some people say they remember being in their pram, looking up to see their mother’s face.

There’s a generation growing up now who’ll only recall looking up from their ‘advanced travel system’ to see the back of a smart phone.

——————

Congestion and the blocked up feeling:

Traffic jams and potholes in our towns and cities at the moment are causing so much stress and frustration that even playing Buddhist meditation music in the car while driving won’t help reduce our blood pressure.

Everywhere we go, we currently face these obstacles on a daily basis – and it doesn’t seem to be improving any day soon.

So what is the answer?

Even if we use public transport, the same challenges are faced.

It’s got to the point that I’m now thinking that ‘by pass roads’ are the answer.

But where does that leave our towns and villages if we are driving around the outside of them?

Local trade would surely suffer.

Congestion and poorly maintained highways are now among the biggest complaints that our local authorities are faced with, yet the solution to the problems are a long way off.

Maybe we need to look at other countries public transport systems and why they work so well?

As for me and the town of Ammanford, the congestion issue is almost grinding the roads into the town to a halt at times and is a huge risk to road safety.

I wonder how the Dalai Lama would deal with this?

——————-

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

The big ‘St David’s’ concert in Llanelli, which was originally scheduled for the big ‘Snow Weekend’ at the start of March at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, has been rearranged.

The concert will now go ahead on Saturday, March 31 and all tickets are valid for the new date.

Concert organiser Cerith Owens said: “It was very disappointing that the weather forced the postponement of our concert to celebrate St David’s Day.

“But we have been able to rescue the situation and, thanks to great cooperation from our guest artistes, we have the same line-up available for the new concert date.”

The concert will feature the Pendyrus Male Choir from the Rhondda Valley.

“Pendyrus Choir are great favourites with Llanelli audiences,” said Mr Owens. “A while back they performed at a memorable concert at Greenfield Chapel, Llanelli. They are highly-respected as one of the finest male voice choirs in Wales and I am sure we are in for a great evening of song celebrating our patron saint’s day – even if it is a little belated!”

Sharing the stage with Pendyrus Male Choir will be the Cor Iau Ysgol Gyfun Y Strade Junior Choir.

Joining the choirs will be two very popular young soloists – mezzo soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies and tenor Osian Wyn Bowen.

The compere will be the very busy and popular Garry Owen.

Next month, there’s a big night planned to help raise funds for the Parc Howard Association, the voluntary group working hard to protect Llanelli’s famous park.

‘Music for the Parc’ is being staged at Llanelli’s Stradey Park Hotel on Friday, April 27 (7pm).

The concert follows a successful ‘Music in the Park’ event organised by the Parc Howard Association.

The evening will be hosted by BBC newsreader and broadcaster Huw Edwards, who is, of course, a native of Llangennech.

The concert will feature The Phil Harmonics, alongside the award-winning Parti Llwchwr, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir, Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera, Otherside, Osian Clarke and Adele O’Neill.

Tickets are £12 and available from Mossies at Llanelli Market Precinct or via members of The Phil Harmonics.

Soloist Adele O’Neill is always a favourite with Llanelli audiences.

Adele is a native of Pontarddulais and an experienced Coloratura Soprano who graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2003-07) under the tutelage of Professor Laura Sarti, the celebrated Italian Mezzo Soprano.

Adele has been successful in voice competitions which include the National Eisteddfod of Wales, winning several prizes in the soprano class. She was the winner of the International gold medal singing competition at Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 2008, and a semi-finalist in the International Montserrat Caballe singing competition in Zaragoza Spain in 2008.

Following her competition successes, Adele has performed in many operas with acclaim from both audience and critics.

Her operatic roles include principal roles as Adina (L’elisir d’amore) Donizetti; Leonora (Il Trovatore),  Violetta (La Traviata) Verdi; Micaela (Carmen), Bizet; Adele (Die Fledermaus) Strauss; Norma (Norma) Bellini; Elizabeth (Mary Stuarda) Donezetti.

Adele has performed as a soloist for many ensembles throughout the UK.

International engagements have included concerts in Spain, Italy, Czech republic and Canada.

She has performed with Longborough Festival Opera, Grange Park opera, and most recently Welsh National Opera.

In addition to her operatic work she has recorded with the Pontarddulais Male Voice choir, Côr Meibion Llanelli and Morriston RFC male voice choir.

In other news, tickets are available for a major concert to be staged at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli on Saturday, May 19, 2018 (7pm).

An array of stars will perform a very special evening of song in celebration of Llanelli Rotary Club marking its landmark Centenary Year.

Shan Cothi, one of the country’s most popular sopranos, will be sharing the stage with two great Welsh international choral ambassadors – Côr Meibion Llanelli, under the baton of conductor D Eifion Thomas, and the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, under the baton of conductor John Hywel Williams.

Joining them will be the delightful sounds of Cor Ysgol Goffa, an ensemble from Ysgol Y Strade under the baton of Catrin Hughes and the Lewis-Meredith sisters – Calley, Sarah and Steffi.

The compere will be Robert Lloyd.

The event has two aims –

• To help commemorate the centenary of Llanelli Rotary Club
• To raise funds for the Green Light Postrate Cancer Machine at Prince Philip Hospital.

The concert is another event co-produced by Carmarthenshire Theatres and Loud Applause.

Finally, Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi have announced that this year’s annual concert will be held at the Princess Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly, on Saturday, July 21.

Guest artists appearing with the choir will be Fflur Wyn and Llandovery singing duo Aled Edwards and Eleri Owen Edwards.

The guest accompanist will be Kim Lloyd Jones and the compere will be Ioan Hefin.

Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www.rlloydpr.co.uk

If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, the please contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@btinternet.com

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

………………………….

“Tatty Bye, Doddy! Tatty Bye!”

In a strange quirk of fate, within a matter of days the world said “Goodbye” to two people, both famous in entirely different fields.

Sir Ken Dodd and Professor Stephen Hawking.

Stephen Hawking was an expert on the concept of time, while anyone who’s seen Ken Dodd ‘live’ will know he had absolutely no conceptof time!

Ken’s career took him from Liverpool workingmen’s clubs to the London Palladium, where he enjoyed several long runs, starting with his legendary 1965 season when he performed two shows a night, six nights a week – and squeezed in a matinee on Saturdays!

Although famous for his ‘Tickling Stick’; surreal comedy; and the invention of words like ‘Tattyfilarious’ and ‘Plumptiousness’, he took his comedy very seriously.

Around the walls of his study at home in Knotty Ash, were 50,000 books on humour, many written by great philosophers.

He had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, on a continual quest to crack the secret of what makes us react to hearing a random series of words delivered in a certain order (i.e. a joke) with laughter.

Personally, I think he’d already learned that secret years ago, but he never stopped trying to hone his already impressive comic skills and would keep a record of what jokes worked best in different parts of the country.

Even when he became established as one of our greatest comedians, he never took his success for granted, comparing his occupation with that of a gladiator.

“You buckle on your sword, take on an audience and must win them over in the first 30 seconds. After the “Hello!” gags, come the topicals, followed by the surreal stuff. Eventually, you can say whatever comes into your head”.

He believed that anger, despair and depression are the enemy of jokers and that his job was to dispel those thoughts.

It was a job he did magnificently for 60 years.

And let us not forget Jim Bowen who also died last week.

Jim livened-up Sunday teatime for millions of us.

When he stood outside the pearly gates, did Saint Peter hand him a harp and say, “This is yours, Jim”, then point to a speedboat and say, “But look at what you could have won!”

——————

Love thy neighbour:

As a young lad, I was brought up in the days where everybody in the street on which you lived knew everyone else.

I am sure many of you reading this column can remember this time very well, often referred to as “The good old days” by the older generations.

However, times have changed and, unfortunately, there are so many of us today that don’t know who lives on the street, or in some cases, even who lives next door!

Gone are the days when you would pop next door to catch up on the gossip or your neighbour would pop in to share their copy of the South Wales Evening Post when they’d finished it.

My grandmother would always make the effort to check on her neighbours and get to know anyone new who moved into the street.

If she were still around today, they’d nickname her “Google.”

Keeping in touch with those around you was second nature.

This was networking at its best. Human beings are meant to live in tribes and look after each other.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to see this sense of community make a welcome return?

What do you think?

——————-

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

Get the red pen out and make a note in your diary: Côr Meibion Caerfyrddin Carmarthen Male Choir’s 60th anniversary concert will be held at the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, on Saturday, October 13.

The choir will be joined on stage by four other choirs – Mynydd Mawr, Burry Port, Dyffryn Tywi and Dyffryn Aman.

This will create a combined choir of around 150 voices under the baton of Wyn Maskell, musical director of Côr Meibion Caerfyrddin.

Also taking part will be well known soloists: Jessica Robinson, soprano, and Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, tenor.

The MC for the evening will be television and radio personality Garry Owen.

Soprano Jessica Robinson is from Pembrokeshire and graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a first class Honours Degree.

As a student at the RWCMD, Jessica studied with Beatrice Unsworth and Jeffrey Howard, winning the Aneurin Davies memorial award, The Mansel Thomas prize, The Margaret Tann Award and the Elias Soprano award.

Throughout her studies, Jessica has been fortunate to participate in master classes with artists such as Michael Pollock, Simon Lepper, Adrian Thompson, Simon Keenleyside, Donald Maxwell and John Fisher. Jessica was also chosen to sing as part of an octet for HRH the Prince of Wales.

Her singing life started at a young age as a competitor in local eisteddfodau in her home county of Pembrokeshire.

She went on to gain success nationally in the Urdd and the National Eisteddfodau.

Jessica has represented Pembrokeshire in the Young Farmers Eisteddfod winning the under 26 solo in 2008 and again in 2012. She was awarded Vocalist of the Year in the Pembrokeshire Chevron Music Awards and Musical Student of the Year in her secondary school, Ysgol y Preseli, Crymych.

as an oratorio and concert soloist, Jessica has performed in venues such as the Wales Millennium Stadium, The National Museum of Wales, Dorking Halls and The Dora Stoutzker Hall. She regularly appears in concerts all over the UK as guest artist with many of Wales’ most renowned Male Voice Choirs such as Blaenavon, Bridgend, South Wales and the London Welsh Male Voice choir. A personal highlight for Jessica was being asked to perform to the Welsh rugby team at the Welsh Assembly during the champagne reception celebrating their success in the Six Nations Championship and also alongside Paul Potts in a Charity concert for the Philippines disaster.

Recent oratorio performances include Handel’s Messiah ( Symffonia Tywi and The Mega Messiah), Vivaldi’s Gloria, Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Karl Jenkins’ Peace Makers and Joseph Parry’s Emmanuel (Côr Bro Ogwr). Jessica performed her first operatic role as the Spirit in ‘Dido and Aeneas’ by Purcell with ‘Opera’r Ddraig’, scene credits include Despina (Cosi fan Tutti), Violetta (La Traviata) and the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro).

Jessica is an artist on the prestigious Live Music Now scheme and also performs regularly as an artist with Music in Hospitals.

Jessica performed in China in March as part of a Welsh Government Scheme; she toured around the country introducing Welsh music. Then toured with the Harry Ensemble as their soprano soloist around New York in May.

Welsh tenor Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, who hails from Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire, is a popular concert soloist throughout Wales and further afield.

One of the first recipients of a Study Award from the Bryn Terfel Foundation, he was named the Voice Of Wales by Decca Records in 2012 in an S4C TV series.

Trystan studied initially at University of Wales Trinity Saint David for a Theatre, Music and Media degree. He subsequently completed an MA degree in Vocal Studies at the Royal Academy of Music and a further postgraduate degree in Opera Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He has recently completed his studies as a Trainee at the National Opera Studio in London.

Prizes and awards include: Ian Stoutzker Prize 2014; Richard Van Allan Award 2014; Bruce Millar Gulliver Singing Prize 2014; RWCMD HRH Prince of Wales Scholarship 2013; Dunraven Welsh Young Singer of the Year 2013; MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year Prize 2012; Sybil Tutton Award 2012; London Welsh Young Singer of the Year Prize 2011; W. Towyn Roberts Scholarship 2011; Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize 2009.

Concert highlights include appearances at the Royal Albert Hall, Hay-on-Wye Festival with Bryn Terfel, the Brynfest at the Southbank Centre, a concert performance of Tristan und Isolde with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals at St Martin-in-the- Fields and the Cardiff Music Festival.

He took the role of Carlos in a recording of Le Duc d’Albe with the Hallé Orchestra for Opera Rara and during summer 2015 received a scholarship to attend the Mozart Residency at Festival d’Aix-en- Provence.

Trystan made his first professional operatic début in the role of Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte on tour with Scottish Opera.

This week, the popular Llanelli-based choir Côr Lleisiau Hardd have a special fundraising concert.

The choir will be performing at The Hyst, the trendy new music venue in High Street, Swansea, on Friday, March 15.

There will be solo spots for choir members and a special appearance by Status 2.

Meanwhile, the big ‘St David’s’ concert in Llanelli, which was scheduled for the big snow weekend at Ffwrnes Theatre, has been rearranged.

The concert will now go ahead on March 31 and all tickets are valid for the new date.

The concert will feature the Pendyrus Male Choir from the Rhondda Valley.

Sharing the stage will be the Cor Iau Ysgol Gyfun Y Strade Junior Choir.

Joining the choirs will be two very popular young soloists – mezzo soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies and tenor Osian Wyn Bowen.

The compere will be the very busy and popular Garry Owen.

In other news, tickets are going fast for a major concert to be staged at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli on Saturday, May 19, 2018 (7pm).

An array of stars will perform a very special evening of song in celebration of Llanelli Rotary Club marking its landmark Centenary Year.

Shan Cothi, one of the country’s most popular sopranos, will be sharing the stage with two great Welsh international choral ambassadors – Côr Meibion Llanelli, under the baton of conductor D Eifion Thomas, and the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, under the baton of conductor John Hywel Williams.

Joining them will be the delightful sounds of Cor Ysgol Goffa, an ensemble from Ysgol Y Strade under the baton of Catrin Hughes and the Lewis-Meredith sisters – Calley, Sarah and Steffi.

The compere will be Robert Lloyd.

The event has two aims –

• To help commemorate the centenary of Llanelli Rotary Club
• To raise funds for the Green Light Postrate Cancer Machine at Prince Philip Hospital.

The concert is another event co-produced by Carmarthenshire Theatres and Loud Applause.

In April, there’s a big night planned to help raise funds for the Parc Howard Association, the voluntary group working hard to protect Llanelli’s famous park.

‘Music for the Parc’ is being staged at Llanelli’s Stradey Park Hotel on Friday, April 27 (7pm).

The evening will be hosted by BBC newsreader and broadcaster Huw Edwards, who is, of course, a native of Llangennech.

The concert is being organised by the ladies of The Phil Harmonics choir.

It will feature The Phil Harmonics alongside Parti Llwchwr, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir, Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera, Otherside, Osian Clarke and Adele O’Neill.

Tickets are £12 and available from Mossies at Llanelli Market Precinct or via members of The Phil Harmonics.

Soloist Adele O’Neill is always a favourite with Llanelli audiences.

Adele is a native of Pontarddulais and an experienced Coloratura Soprano who graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2003-07) under the tutelage of Professor Laura Sarti, the celebrated Italian Mezzo Soprano.

Adele has been successful in voice competitions which include the National Eisteddfod of Wales, winning several prizes in the soprano class. She was the winner of the International gold medal singing competition at Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 2008, and a semi-finalist in the International Montserrat Caballe singing competition in Zaragoza Spain in 2008.

Following her competition successes, Adele has performed in many operas with acclaim from both audience and critics.

Her operatic roles include principal roles as Adina (L’elisir d’amore) Donizetti; Leonora (Il Trovatore),  Violetta (La Traviata) Verdi; Micaela (Carmen), Bizet; Adele (Die Fledermaus) Strauss; Norma (Norma) Bellini; Elizabeth (Mary Stuarda) Donezetti.

Adele has performed as a soloist for many ensembles throughout the UK.

International engagements have included concerts in Spain, Italy, Czech republic and Canada.

She has performed with Longborough Festival Opera, Grange Park opera, and most recently Welsh National Opera.

In addition to her operatic work she has recorded with the Pontardulais Male Voice choir, Côr Meibion Llanelli and Morriston RFC male voice choir.

Finally, Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi have announced that this year’s annual concert will be held at the Princess Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly, on Saturday, July 21.

Guest artists appearing with the choir will be Fflur Wyn and Llandovery singing duo Aled Edwards and Eleri Owen Edwards.

The guest accompanist will be Kim Lloyd Jones and the compere will be Ioan Hefin.

Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www.rlloydpr.co.uk

If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, the please contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@btinternet.com

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

………………………….

We are being conned again:

If we’re angry about something, we can argue about it until we’re blue in the face.

Smurfs must be permanently cheesed-off.

I get blue-faced angry with retailers who refer to their ‘customers’, while secretly regarding them as ‘cash cows’ to be mercilessly squeezed of every penny.

It’s usually early September when my faced adopts a blue tinge.

On the first day, I wander into a supermarket and find Halloween-related tat, November 5^thfireworks and Christmas cards and wrapping on sale all in the same aisle.

This money-grabbing greediness is the closest retailers can get to stopping customers at the door and demanding they hand over the contents of their wallets and purses before telling them to come back next week with more dosh.

You might think that sounds ridiculous – but last week I read about a new (at least it is to me) product supermarkets have created to part us from our hard-earned.

Easter Trees!

How have we managed to celebrate Easter for hundreds of years without placing a stick of wood with rabbit-shaped baubles hanging from its spindly branches on top of the sideboard?

Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s are charging around £15 for a two-foot tree – maths geniuses will have calculated that’s £7.50 a foot!

While a company called Party Pieces, owned by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents, is selling Easter Trees for £19.99.

Get behind me in the queue!

But there’s more!

You can now buy carrot-shaped Easter Crackers!

Unlike the Christmas variety, they don’t contain novelties because, according to one retailer who will remain nameless – but not shameless – “It allows purchasers to insert their own little gifts!”

How generous.

A ‘spokesperson’ for one retailer selling these unnecessary Easter items said:“They appeal to people keen on creating new traditions!”.

Hey! I’ve got a new tradition!

It’s called “Let’s not fall for retailers’ spin and save our money!”

——————

Cold snap:

I don’t know about you but over the past couple of weeks I’ve had some trouble warming up.

At this rate I will be digging out the thermal underwear garments which have been hidden away up until now following last winter’s holiday.

On Saturday evening, I couldn’t help but notice that the majority of the punters frequenting Wind Street in Swansea were wearing next to nothing.

Yes – bare legs and flimsy tops and certainly no fur coats.

And the women were just as bad!

Don’t get me wrong: extremely fashion conscious, but zero practicality.

It’s now dawned on me that I’m at an age where comfort and practicality takes precedent over fashion.

Boring to some, I know, but I’d rather be warm and happy than cold and miserable.

Please don’t say that I’m alone on this?

For the record, it must have been cold last weekend.

As I passed my local councillor, I observed he had his hands in his own pockets.

Just sayin’ . . .

——————-

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

The popular Llanelli-based choir Côr Lleisiau Hardd have a special fundraising concert coming up next week.

The choir will be performing at The Hyst, the trendy new music venue in High Street, Swansea, on Friday, March 15.

There will be solo spots for choir members and a special appearance by Status 2.

The choir is led by Bridget Radford and has earned an enviable reputation for developing young talent.

Côr Lleisiau Hardd also have a junior choir called Lleisiau Hardd Bach. They rehearse alternate Sunday evenings and anyone interested in joining the choir can contact them through their Facebook page.

Last weekend’s big concerts fell victim to snow and ice.

Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir’s trip to Mid Wales for a concert to raise funds for the Brecon and Radnor Urdd Eisteddfod was called off. At the time of going to press, it is not known if the concert will be rearranged.

Llanelli Male Voice’s scheduled performance at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, was also called off and this event (organised by former members of the armed services to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis therapy centres in South Wales) will be rearranged to a new date.

Meanwhile, the big ‘St David’s’ concert in Llanelli, which was scheduled for Saturday night at Ffwrnes Theatre, has been rearranged.

The concert will now go ahead on March 31 and all tickets are valid for the new date.

Concert organiser Cerith Owens said: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by rearranging the date, but I am sure everyone appreciates that it was a wise move to postpone the event, given the unpredictable nature of the weather.

“Thankfully, all our guest artistes have been very helpful and will be available for the new date at the end of March.”

The concert will feature the Pendyrus Male Choir from the Rhondda Valley.

Sharing the stage will be the Cor Iau Ysgol Gyfun Y Strade Junior Choir.

Joining the choirs will be two very popular young soloists – mezzo soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies and tenor Osian Wyn Bowen.

The compere will be the ever-popular TV and radio personality and journalist Garry Owen.

This weekend’s big choral concert will take place at the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen.

The South Wales Male Choir will be performing before a ‘home crowd’, much to the delight of their many fans.

Following a sell-out concert in Shrewsbury in January in aid of the Samaritans, Côr Meibion De Cymru (South Wales Male Choir) will perform again for charity on Saturday, March 10 (7pm) at the Lyric.

The ‘Sounds of Wales – Seiniau Cymru’ concert will benefit both Wales Air Ambulance and the choir.

The concert will also feature soprano Llio Evans, Carmarthenshire’s Côr Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth and the piano magic of Côr Meibion De Cymru accompanist Sian Davies from the Rhondda Fach.

Côr Meibion De Cymru, under the baton of Musical Director Elaine Robins, will perform a rousing programme of choral music, including several songs that will form part of the programme for the Welsh Association of Male Choirs Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in May.

Formed back in 1982 to tour the North East of the United States, the choir is proud to have performed at many high profile special events at home and abroad, including the 80th Anniversary of the Armistice in the presence of HM The Queen in Ypres.

At Cardiff Castle, the choir welcomed the late Nelson Mandela for the Freedom of the City ceremony in 1998 and for the first Anniversary of 9/11 Côr Meibion De Cymru graced both Grosvenor Square, London, at the invitation of the US Ambassador, and St. Johns, Cardiff, for the Lord Mayor’s Commemoration, prior to flying out that night to tour Australia.

The ever-popular vivacious North Wales Soprano Llio Evans is delighted to be reappearing with Côr Meibion De Cymru, having been guest soloist at both Oxford Town Hall and St. David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, in recent years.

Llio hails from the famous village on the island of Anglesey, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

With her sparkling vocal tone and charming stage presence, Llio particularly revels in coquettish and comic roles.

Recent highlights include Iris (Semele) for Garsington Opera, The Little One in the revival of Music Theatre Wales’ critically-acclaimed production of The Golden Dragon (Eötvös) and her English National Opera debut as Celia in Iolanthe.

Llio gained a first class honours degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before going on to receive an MA with distinction from the Wales International Academy of Voice.

She is a winner of numerous awards, including Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize, Dame Anne Evans Award, and the Russell Sheppard Intercollegiate Award.

Llio is a British Youth Opera and Welsh National Youth Opera alumna and a former Alvarez Young Artist at Garsington Opera where she recently received the Leonard Ingrams Award.

Completing the bill on March 10 will be a choir from one of the newest secondary schools in Wales.

Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth has had a thriving music department under their Head of Music Nickola Roderick since 2013.

It will be the seniors of Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth Choir that take to the Lyric stage with Piano Accompanist Mrs Mared Williams.

Seats available at £15.00 plus booking fee by ringing 0845 226 3510 or go on line @theatrausirgar.co.uk or just call in at the Lyric Theatre Box Office, King St. Carmarthen, excluding Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

In other news, tickets are going fast for a major concert to be staged at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli on Saturday, May 19, 2018 (7pm).

An array of stars will perform a very special evening of song in celebration of Llanelli Rotary Club marking its landmark Centenary Year.

Shan Cothi, one of the country’s most popular sopranos, will be sharing the stage with two great Welsh international choral ambassadors – Côr Meibion Llanelli, under the baton of conductor D Eifion Thomas, and the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, under the baton of conductor John Hywel Williams.

Joining them will be the delightful sounds of Cor Ysgol Goffa, an ensemble from Ysgol Y Strade under the baton of Catrin Hughes and the Lewis-Meredith sisters – Calley, Sarah and Steffi.

The compere will be Robert Lloyd.

The event has two aims –

• To help commemorate the centenary of Llanelli Rotary Club
• To raise funds for the Green Light Postrate Cancer Machine at Prince Philip Hospital.

The concert is another event co-produced by Carmarthenshire Theatres and Loud Applause.

In April, there’s a big night planned to help raise funds for the Parc Howard Association, the voluntary group working hard to protect Llanelli’s famous park.

‘Music for the Parc’ is being staged at Llanelli’s Stradey Park Hotel on Friday, April 27 (7pm).

The evening will be hosted by BBC newsreader and broadcaster Huw Edwards, who is, of course, a native of Llangennech.

The concert is being organised by the ladies of The Phil Harmonics choir.

It will feature The Phil Harmonics alongside Parti Llwchwr, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir, Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera, Otherside, Osian Clarke and Adele O’Neill.

Tickets are £12 and available from Mossies at Llanelli Market Precinct or via members of The Phil Harmonics.

Soloist Adele O’Neill is always a favourite with Llanelli audiences.

Adele is a native of Pontarddulais and an experienced Coloratura Soprano who graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (2003-07) under the tutelage of Professor Laura Sarti, the celebrated Italian Mezzo Soprano.

Adele has been successful in voice competitions which include the National Eisteddfod of Wales, winning several prizes in the soprano class. She was the winner of the International gold medal singing competition at Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 2008, and a semi-finalist in the International Montserrat Caballe singing competition in Zaragoza Spain in 2008.

Following her competition successes, Adele has performed in many operas with acclaim from both audience and critics.

Her operatic roles include principal roles as Adina (L’elisir d’amore) Donizetti; Leonora (Il Trovatore),  Violetta (La Traviata) Verdi; Micaela (Carmen), Bizet; Adele (Die Fledermaus) Strauss; Norma (Norma) Bellini; Elizabeth (Mary Stuarda) Donezetti.

Adele has performed as a soloist for many ensembles throughout the UK.

International engagements have included concerts in Spain, Italy, Czech republic and Canada.

She has performed with Longborough Festival Opera, Grange Park opera, and most recently Welsh National Opera.

In addition to her operatic work she has recorded with the Pontardulais Male Voice choir, Côr Meibion Llanelli and Morriston RFC male voice choir.

Finally, Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi have announced that this year’s annual concert will be held at the Princess Gwenllian Centre, Kidwelly, on Saturday, July 21.

Guest artists appearing with the choir will be Fflur Wyn and Llandovery singing duo Aled Edwards and Eleri Owen Edwards.

The guest accompanist will be Kim Lloyd Jones and the compere will be Ioan Hefin.

Robert Lloyd works as a media consultant – www.rlloydpr.co.uk

If you have any news about the choral scene in Llanelli, the please contact him on 07777 683637 or email rlloydpr@btinternet.com