MEMBERS of Llanelli Youth Theatre (LYT) are getting ready for what promises to be an extra special 40th anniversary concert this weekend.

LYT will be staging ‘LYT @ 40’ at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli on Saturday, June 1.

The event is billed as a spectacular concert commemorating four decades of artistic brilliance and celebrating the profound impact the group has had on the performing arts in Llanelli.

Past and present members will join for a celebration of LYT’s previous productions and a glimpse into its future.

Joining LYT will be the company’s president, star of the West End and Broadway, John Owen-Jones.

John is a record-breaking actor and singer best known for his critically-acclaimed and award-winning performances as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.

John remains the youngest actor in West End history to have played Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (a role he also played twice on Broadway) and has performed as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera nearly 2000 times – more than any actor in the show’s entire West End run.

Founded in 1984, LYT was established by a band of youngsters with a passion for performing.

Jill Stevens, the group’s administrator and founding member, said: “The view for establishing the group was an amateur setting with professional training and attitude. Its aim was to present quality drama, while at the same time involving young people.

“We started as a really small group and over the years it has gradually built and now thousands of students have been a part of it.”

This ethos of providing budding young performers with professional training is something that the company continues to pride itself on and the formula seems to be working as scores of former students have progressed to the most esteemed drama schools in the country.

Jill added: “Thousands of students have come and gone over the years and so many of them have gone on to greater things. The group really sets them up for a career in the arts. We have had graduates from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), Bird College and Drama Centre London.

“We have had students who have been series regulars on television shows, stars in West End productions and students who have moved over to the production sides of things – producing and directing for the National Theatre and the BBC.”

And this seems to only scratch the surface with the theatre group known for producing quality talent.

Its impressive alumni includes Trimsaran-born actor Trystan Gravelle, who starred in ITV’s Mr Selfridge and BBC’s Baptiste, as well as National Theatre director Julia Thomas and West End School of Rock star Catherine Morris.

But as well as preparing young people for a career on the stage or on screen, organisers maintain its main aim is to provide young people with a safe environment they can express themselves and develop essential skills.

Jill continued: “The majority of students don’t go into careers in the industry but learn invaluable skills that they can transfer through to their adult life.

“We are committed to building confidence, communication skills and working with others and we have had so many students who have walked through the doors shy and then left as a completely different person.”

In September, LYT will be staging Stephen Sondheim’s Tony award-winning musical Sweeney Todd.

Meanwhile, the Llanelli Chamber Choir is staging a miscellaneous concert of light and very popular music at St Elli Parish Church on Friday, June 14.

The choir will be supported by the talented students of musical director Piet Zorn. They will perform solos and duets.

The programme for the evening will include Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, as well as the more upbeat Brindisi (Drinking Song from La Traviata) by Verdi.

In other news, the countdown is on to the Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir Young Musician of the Year competition.

This is a new competition for Llanelli and is being held to keep the name of Côr Meibion Llanelli alive. The choir finished active performing last year after struggling to recruit new members and officials.

A choir spokesman said: “We remain determined to keep the famous name of Côr Meibion Llanelli alive in west Wales – and what better way to do it than to organise a competition to encourage the musicians and singers of the future.

“Down the years, the choir has raised thousands for local charities. We want to continue to play an active part in the local community to keep the name of our historic choir alive.”

The Young Musician of the Year competition will take place at Ysgol y Strade, Llanelli, at 7pm on Friday, June 21.

The competition is open to all pupils from Llanelli secondary schools.

The winner will receive the Trevor Lewis Shield, presented in memory of one of the choir’s most stalwart members.

There is a cash prize of £750 for the winner; £200 for second and £100 for third.

Adjudicators for the event will be Angharad Brinn, Cerith Owens and Meinir Jones Parry.

Pupils are being advised to register for the competition through their schools. If anyone needs further competition information, then they should contact Chris Davies at Ysgol y Strade, email christopher.davies@ysgolystrade.org

Tickets for the competition will be £5 and will be available through the ticketsource website – www.ticketsource.co.uk/cormeibionllanelli

A special fundraising concert, featuring two fine choirs, will be held in Kidwelly later this summer.

Swansea Excelsior ladies choir will join Meibion Elli male voice choir to present ‘A Summer Concert’ at St Mary’s Church, Kidwelly, on Friday, July 12 at 7pm (doors open 6.30pm).

Lynda Richards, who lives in Kidwelly, is the musical director of Swansea Excelsior Choir.

She gave the following message to west Wales music fans: “We hope to fill the church with both beautiful music and people. Please come along and support us. Your support is very much appreciated.”

Tickets are £7.50 available from Excelsior Choir members, at the door, or by telephone on 07708225254 or 07950913352.

Proceeds of the concert will be for St Mary’s Church. The Excelsior Choir’s accompanist will be Rachel Saunders. Aled Maddock will accompany Meibion Elli.

Things You Wish You’d Said At The Time . . .

Have you been in the maddening situation when someone’s annoyed or insulted you but you couldn’t think of a suitable response quickly enough and the pithy comeback you wished you’d said came to you hours later?

When “Only Fools and Horses” creator John Sullivan was asked how he thought of the sharp dialogue exchanges between Del Boy and the other characters in the classic sitcom, John said “I just give them the sort of comebacks I wish I’dthought of in annoying situations, but hadn’t at the time!”

Sir Winston Churchill may have been a national hero, but his bullishness occasionally rubbed his contemporaries up the wrong way, including individuals with a wit as sharp as his own.

After prodding a portly male friend’s stomach and jokily enquiring, “What are you going to call the baby?”, the immediate reply was, “If it’s a boy, John. If it’s a girl, Mary. And if it’s wind . . . Winston!”

Back of the net!

A friend of mine and his wife had a weekend visit from a couple (let’s call them Doris and Boris) they hadn’t seen for ages, who’d become boorish snobs since they last met and behaved obnoxiously all day Saturday.

Then, things got worse when they all went out to dinner with mutual friends in the evening . . .

The experience was a ‘horror show’ from the moment Doris requested a starter that wasn’t on the menu, declaring, “Chef will enjoy making that!” and Boris ordered the most expensive wine on the menu, despite the fact he’d been unemployed for months.

As that bottle didn’t go far between six, my friend named a different, less expensive wine they might like to order.

Pulling a face, Doris said snootily, “I’m not drinking that muck!”, to which my friend said, “You were happy to drink it at our house last night!”

You’d think that would have given Doris pause for thought, but she had the brass nerve to say, “I didn’t say I enjoyed it!”

To which my patient friend coolly pointed out, “Well, you didn’t refuse a second glass!”

There was no possible answer to that.

Back of the net again!

……………………………….

Whoa, hold your horses!

If I had a shiny penny for every time my late grandma wagged her finger at me and said, “Don’t you dare ditch your winter gear until May is over,” I’d be swimming in a sea of cash right now.

She was dead serious about this rule and would make me parade around in a puffy winter coat, even when the birds were singing and the sun was shining in April.

But one year, I decided to be a rebel and put her theory to the test.

In early May, I ditched my coat like a hot potato.

And, wouldn’t you know it, the weather turned colder than a penguin’s belly!

I instantly regretted my decision as I shivered and cursed under my breath.

My grandma couldn’t resist a chuckle and triumphantly declared, “I told you so!”

But let me tell you, she took this clout-casting rule to a whole new level.

One summer, I paid her a visit in June, expecting some sunshine and warmth.

But there she was, still bundled up in her winter coat, adamant that the saying applied until the end of June.

I couldn’t help but giggle at her stubbornness.

I mean, who needs a winter coat when you’re sweating like a pig in the summer heat?

In the end, I’ve come to realise that it’s best to take this saying with a pinch of salt and rely on good old common sense when it comes to dressing for the weather.

But I’ll always cherish the memories of my grandma’s hilarious devotion to this quirky old saying.

She may have been a tad extreme, but she sure knew how to keep life interesting!

————————-

Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy.

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

A SPECIAL fundraising concert, featuring two fine choirs, will be held in Kidwelly later this summer.

Swansea Excelsior ladies choir will join Meibion Elli male voice choir to present ‘A Summer Concert’ at St Mary’s Church, Kidwelly, on Friday, July 12 at 7pm (doors open 6.30pm).

Lynda Richards, who lives in Kidwelly, is the musical director of Swansea Excelsior Choir.

She gave the following message to west Wales music fans: “We hope to fill the church with both beautiful music and people. Please come along and support us. Your support is very much appreciated.”

Peter Thomas, Chairman of the Llanelli-based Meibion Elli choir, said: “Our male voice choir continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Eifion Thomas. Choir membership is increasing and we are looking forward to joining the Swansea Excelsior Choir for what should be a splendid musical evening in the stunning surroundings of St Mary’s Church.”

Tickets are £7.50 available from Excelsior Choir members, at the door, or by telephone on 07708225254 or 07950913352.

Proceeds of the concert will be for St Mary’s Church. The Excelsior Choir’s accompanist will be Rachel Saunders. Aled Maddock will accompany Meibion Elli.

Swansea Excelsior Ladies Choir was formed in 1941 from the nucleus of the old Swansea Ladies Choir, which was disbanded. In 2021 the Covid pandemic prevented the choir celebrating its 80th anniversary.

Today the choir’s membership consists of approximately 40 ladies who enjoy singing and who, by performing concerts, support a wide variety of charities and other organisations.

Since 1999, the choir has donated more than £54,000 to worthwhile local charities.

In 2023, the choir travelled to Belgium, where they gave two concerts – the first in Ghent Cathedral; the second in Bruges at the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

They also visited Ypres, where the choir sang ‘Calon Lan’, ‘Eli Jenkins Prayer’ and the Welsh National Anthem. They also sang at the daily 8pm ‘Last Post’ ceremony at the Menin Gate.

Carmarthen tenor and Radio Wales broadcaster Wynne Evans has been in the news again as he has been appointed as the new Welsh Male Choirs Association President

The Association, which represents more than 100 member choirs, will benefit from Wynne’s leadership, communication, and presentation skills.

Fresh from the much-acclaimed massed choirs concert in the Royal Albert Hall in April, the association will continue to provide invaluable practical support and advice to member choirs.

Wynne also joins at a stage where the association aims to be more outward-facing, promoting the role and benefits of choral singing in society at large.

“Wynne Evans is ideally placed to assist the Association with its future goals”, said Chairman Paul Reynolds. “We warmly welcome his appointment and his enthusiasm on accepting the new role.”

Wynne Evans takes over the Presidency from Huw Tregelles Williams OBE, who provided the Association with unprecedented support in the role over a 15-year period.

“We took the opportunity at our Albert Hall concert to warmly thank Huw for his amazing service to our Association”, said Mr Reynolds. “Huw’s unstinting support to executive members, the invaluable advice provided, and the authority and credibility which he has given to our association has been truly priceless.

Meanwhile, Carmarthen and District Youth Opera has been honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Services in recognition of its outstanding contributions to providing musical theatre opportunities for young people across West Wales.

The opera company was presented with the award by the Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed Sara Edwards.

Established in 1979, the youth opera has been a cornerstone of the performing arts community in Wales for more than four decades.

Under the leadership of the late Liz Evans, with her husband David at her side, Carmarthen and District Youth Opera went from strength to strength, showcasing high-quality musical entertainment and earning accolades such as the Lord Snowdon Award for its first production of Snow White in 1979.

Over the years, it has continued to captivate audiences with productions ranging from Oliver! to Jesus Christ Superstar.

Further major refurbishment works at Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre, in the early 1990s and later, gave a home to the Youth Opera with a venue and facilities in which it could deliver productions of the highest quality to an audience of approximately 500 people.

The theatre is now owned and run by Carmarthenshire Council as a venue for current and future generations.

Carmarthen and District Youth Opera’s impact extends beyond the stage, with many former cast members pursuing successful careers in music and dramatic arts.

Councillor Hazel Evans, the county council cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture and tourism said: “Carmarthen and District Youth Opera embodies the spirit of community and dedication to the arts that enriches our region. Receiving the King’s Award for Voluntary Services is a testament to the unwavering commitment of its volunteers and the profound impact the organisation has on nurturing young talent. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to their continued contributions to the cultural vibrancy of West Wales.”

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) was created in 2002, then called the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The award has been shining a light on the fantastic work of voluntary groups from across the UK for many years.

In other news last weekend’s scheduled concert by Scarlet Musical Theatre Productions (SMTP) and Côr Meibion Pontarddulais Male Choir was postponed at late notice.

A spokesman for SMTP said they would try and rearrange the concert, which had been planned for Hope Siloh Chapel, Pontarddulais.

The long-term plans for SMTP include a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit musical Sunset Boulevard in November.

FEEDBACK is much appreciated when it comes to this weekly column – if only to reassure me that some folk are reading and paying attention!

There’s been quite a bit of reaction to last week’s piece about Hollywood legend Glynis Johns being buried in Burry Port, particularly from local historians who are trying to patch together the area’s links with her dad Mervyn.

Martin Davies, a second cousin to the Mary Poppins star, got in touch from Colchester in Essex.

Martin, originally from Pembrey explained: “I attended the burial at Jerusalem (Chapel) and – although a brief service for family only – it was lovely to know she wanted to come home to Burry Port.

“Mervyn was one of three brothers and a sister. My grandmother (his sister) and grandfather ran the grocers in Randell Square until 1964, when they retired.

“Mervyn ‘ran away’ from the family home in Elkington Road at 14 years to join the RFC (Royal Flying Corps). He was discovered to be underage and sent home, to rejoin the RAF when he was old enough.”

World War One records show that Mervyn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1917.

Martin added: “His brothers served in the army and my grandmother was a nurse in Salonica (now called Thessaloniki or Thessalonica, in Greece).

“The family name was John, uncle Mervyn added the ‘s’ for stage presence!

“It was known to close family and friends that Glynis always wished to be buried in Jerusalem, alongside her father and his second wife Diana Churchill – another actress.

“Their family home was at the top of Elkington Road and I hadn’t realised there are other family graves in Jerusalem.”

Martin said Mervyn played many memorable roles, including Bob Cratchit in Scrooge, alongside Alistair Sim.

Martin went on: “You’re correct about Stephen Sondheim. He wrote Send In The Clowns especially for Glynis, to suit her voice.”

Glynis won a prestigious American theatre Tony award for her performance.

Those keen on finding out more about the extraordinary lives of Glynis and Mervyn Johns will find plenty of material on the internet.

As far as Mervyn is concerned, it is worth seeking out a documentary programme called Cavalry of the Clouds on YouTube. The programme features many World War One pilots and some fascinating stories from Mervyn about his time as a pilot.

Meanwhile, the email inbox has also been busy with pals of jazz musician Wyn Lodwick reflecting on his life, after I featured his story here on May 3.

Wyn’s funeral is at 10am today (May 17) at Llanelli and District Cemetery and is sure to be attended by friends from far and wide.

One of his pals was academic and historian Sir Deian Rhys Hopkin, who emailed me with some of his memories of Llanelli’s ‘Y Dyn Jazz’, The Jazz Man.

Sir Deian wrote: “I just wanted to congratulate you on a very warm, and perceptive, tribute to my old friend Wyn Lodwick. I know he would have been very touched by your comments, and glad to have shaken your hand!

“In his autobiography, he refers to our first meetings in our home town of Llanelli, and also to playing together, although he admits I was a modern jazz pianist and he was very much the traditionalist.

“Nonetheless, although we were involved in different groups and played very different styles, we often got together to assemble a group for a particular occasion, usually a function (where the guests were often puzzled by our music!) – and we also did a programme together for BBC Wales, entitled AberJazz.

“He was a great friend of the great pianist Dill Jones, with whom I also had connections (both of us, at different times, had gone to Llandovery College and we returned there for a BBC Wales documentary and a bit of duetting).

“After I left for London in 1991 we didn’t have any more opportunities to play together – though we met from time to time, and I was also delighted to talk to him about jazz, politics and sailing!”

Diolch yn fawr, many thanks to Martin and Sir Deian for getting in touch. Please keep the feedback coming; it can be a lonely life scribbling this column in the attic office. Emails and updates from readers make it all worthwhile.

The day a Wales team took a stand

RUGBY ace Glenn Webbe, widely acknowledged by most of us as the first black man to be capped by Wales *, was the guest speaker at the spring Cymru/Wales Sports Aid lunch.

Glenn, 62, made 10 appearances on the wing for Wales during the 1980s.

Glenn certainly made his presence felt at the lunch in Carmarthen, arriving in a fake fur coat.

He used his platform at the Sports Aid lunch to give a first-hand account of racism in sport.

His speech included the famous incident when Glenn was a part of the Wales youth team touring South Africa during the apartheid years.

Glenn was refused service in a restaurant, being told, “We’ve got a policy, we don’t serve black people in here.”

Famously, the Welsh team’s coach reacted appropriately to the problem.

He declared, “If it’s not good enough for Glenn then it’s not good enough for us”, before marching the whole party out of the restaurant.

Other shameful incidents were closer to home, with Glenn recalling monkey chants from the terraces of some south Wales grounds and so-called rugby fans throwing bananas on the pitch.

Glenn received a standing ovation from an audience of nearly 200 at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel in Carmarthen.

If you want to find out more about Glenn’s life, then check out the book by my old Evening Post colleague Geraint Thomas. It’s called The Gloves Are Off and is a darned good read. Promise.

• There’s plenty of debate about who was the first black man to be capped by Wales, with Mark Brown being the ‘official’ holder of the title as a player of ‘black origin’.

Head coach Dwayne Peel has made two changes to his Scarlets starting XV for Friday’s BKT United Rugby Championship round 17 clash with Zebre Parma at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi (19:35 BBC Wales).

Alex Craig has recovered from a hamstring issue to take his place in the second row, while behind the scrum Ioan Lloyd replaces fellow Wales international Sam Costelow at fly-half.

Ioan Nicholas, Tomi Lewis and Ryan Conbeer continue in the back three; Johnny Williams again partners Eddie James, while Lloyd links up with the experienced Gareth Davies at half-back.

In the pack, the front row of Kemsley Mathias, skipper Ryan Elias and Harri O’Connor get the nod to start again. Craig partners Morgan Jones at lock, while Taine Plumtree, Dan Davis and No. 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu are selected in the back row.

On the bench, Wales U20s centre Macs Page – part of Llandovery’s Indigo Premiership title-winning side last weekend – is set to make his URC debut.

Scarlets scrum and contact skills coach Emyr Phillips said: “We are looking to build some momentum in these last two games to fire us into pre-season. We are encouraging the boys to play high-tempo rugby and get the ball moving because that’s when we are at our best. We know Zebre will bring emotion to the game and we need to match that.”

Scarlets team to play Zebre Parma at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi on Friday, May 17 (19:35; BBC Wales)

15 Ioan Nicholas; 14 Tomi Lewis, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Eddie James, 11 Ryan Conbeer; 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Gareth Davies; 1 Kemsley Mathias, 2 Ryan Elias (capt), 3 Harri O’Connor, 4 Alex Craig, 5 Morgan Jones, 6 Taine Plumtree, 7 Dan Davis, 8 Carwyn Tuipulotu.

Reps: 16 Shaun Evans, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Jarrod Taylor, 20 Ben Williams, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Macs Page

Players unavailable because of injury

Tom Rogers, Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Steff Evans, Joe Roberts, Josh Macleod, Teddy Leatherbarrow, Jac Davies.

New nest boxes have started appearing around Aberystwyth as part of a new study to understand the impact of climate change on competition between birds.

Wales’ climate is warming because of human activity, with 2022 and 2023 the warmest years on record.

Climate change is affecting the breeding patterns of different species of birds: great tits are laying their eggs two weeks earlier today than they were in the 1960s.

The new study by experts at Aberystwyth University will place a number of nest boxes at different altitudes in Aberystwyth and woodlands in the surrounding area.

The breeding patterns of great tits, blue tits and pied flycatchers are affected by temperature and changes in spring temperatures could lead to more competition between them for food as well as fewer eggs laid.

The research will also look at the effects of changing temperatures on their diets.

Dr Peter Korsten, from Aberystwyth University’s Department of Life Sciences, said:

“It’s exciting to get started on this project, as the first birds arrive at their new nesting sites this year. The purpose of the study is to improve our understanding of the effect that climate change has on the relationship between different species, particularly woodland birds. We know that a warmer spring is already leading to birds breeding earlier, and we hope to understand more about how this might affect the competition between different bird species.

“Forecasting the impacts of climate change on biological diversity is an important and urgent challenge. Studies of nest box-breeding birds have been crucial for documenting changes in breeding phenology in response to climate change, but the impact of ongoing environmental change on competitive interactions between species within ecological communities is unclear.

“More generally, it is important for us as a society to understand how climate change affects biodiversity. Looking to the future, I do hope this initial project will be the basis for developing a resource and longer-term studies for further research here in Aberystwyth.”

Isobel Griffith, a fourth year student at the University’s Department of Life Science studying wildlife conservation, is helping with the project. She said:

“I have really enjoyed checking the nest boxes this year, especially seeing the nests develop from week-to-week. It is great to have this chance to help with the research. I am passionate about biodiversity and learning more about how birds are impacted by climate change is fascinating.”

Second year student Rose Markham-Gill, who is also checking the nest boxes as part of the project, added:

“I have loved being part of nest box checks this year and look forward to gathering more data over the next few years for my dissertation and for Peter’s further research. It’s such a great thing having access to the nest boxes and watching spring unfold. Every week has been exciting and allowed me to appreciate nature in a way I never could have before.”

The research is support by funding from Aberystwyth University’s Rural Futures Hub.