The latest podcast from Phil Evans and Robert Lloyd has just been released.

The Big Cwtsh: Episode 11 is now on Soundcloud.

Here’s a date for your diary for later in the year. The Annual Royal British Legion Charity Gala Concert will be held at the Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, on October 27 (7pm).

This year, 2018, marks a significant year for our Armed Forces. It is the centenary of the end of The Great War (First World War) and also commemorates 100 years of the Royal Air Force.

The prestigious annual Royal British Legion Concert has become one of the landmark events in the calendar of South West Wales, providing a platform for the Royal British Legion to pay tribute to the fallen of current and past conflicts.

It also helps the British Legion launch the Poppy Appeal in South West Wales.

The concert features leading soprano and TV and radio personality Shân Cothi, one of Wales’s premier choirs in the form of Dunvant Male Choir, the highly popular Carmarthen-based mixed youth choir Côr Seingar, Swansea-based Dancerama performing arts group youth choir, the stirring sounds of the City of Swansea Pipe Band and the unforgettable Corps of Drums of the 215 City of Swansea Squadron.

The compére will be Brian Sullivan and the guest accompanist Jeffrey Howard.

The evening ends with the poignant Tribute to the Fallen and a Service of Remembrance.

The Royal British Legion is being supported with this event by Loud Applause Productions, the production company run by Llanelli’s Cerith Owens.

Llandovery Male Voice Choir will be staging their annual concert on Saturday, May 5.

The guest soloists will be tenor Aled Wyn Davies and soprano Llio Evans.

Further details about the event will be included in next week’s On Song column.

The much-anticipated ‘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.

Tickets are now 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 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.

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.

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

Hats off to the team at Theatrau Sir Gar (Carmarthenshire Theatres) as they believe in adding plenty of variety to their programme schedule.

Next month (May), at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli, we will see the ever-popular Curtain Up Theatre company perform Seasons of Love.

The show is being staged on May 5 for one night only.

It is planned to make the evening a celebration of the life of Myra Jones, one of the founder members of this Theatre Company.

Her son John Paul Jones is the current musical director of Curtain Up.

We’re promised an evening of pure magical theatre – an event for all the family to enjoy some uplifting, hand-clapping, foot-tapping music.

The show will feature a collection of favourite songs from across the decades.

Curtain Up dedicate most of their productions to charity fund-raising and Seasons of Love will be no exception, with money going towards the Teenage Cancer Trust and Bloodwise.

In April, there will be two special musical events at the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen – Cosi Fan Tutte and Dau Hanner Brawd.

The opera Cosi Fan Tutte is being staged by Heritage Opera on April 14.

Mozart’s sweet and sour romantic comedy will be performed in a witty new English translation by a cast of six singers, accompanied by piano.

Heritage Opera are a renowned professional touring company from the northwest of England.

Cosi Fan Tutte asks the question: how far would you go to win a bet?

Egged on by a cynical friend, two men make a foolish wager on whose girlfriend will be the more faithful. Dreams are shattered as a silly joke goes horribly wrong.

Dau Hanner Brawd (Two Half Brothers) is being staged at the Lyric Theatre on April 26 and 27.

The production is by Cwmni Myrddin.

This musical play is based on the true story of the two half-brothers Ishmael and Isaac, as related in the Old Testament.

Abraham is the father of both sons, but Hagar, the Egyptian is Ishmael’s mother while Sarah is Isaac’s mother.

These differences lead to considerable friction within the family and eventually Ishmael is disinherited and exiled. He becomes a destitute refugee in the desert.

With time, Ishmael’s descendants form a different race and adopt the Moslem faith. The followers of Isaac are Jews and follow the Jewish faith.

There is a distinct divide which gives rise to racial attacks and religious intolerance.

Can this be possibly traced back to the two half-brothers? Or has there been a reconciliation?

This month (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 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.

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 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.

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.

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

………………………….

I was in a coffee shop recently, where I had an hour to spare to indulge in my favourite pastime.

No, not thatone! How dare you!

While sipping my skinny latte, I discreetly listened-in to conversations and observed people’s behaviour, a habit which has always been grist to a comedian’s mill.

Not that I know any comedians who collect grist or live in a mill. But I remember reading that the late Jim Bowen lived in a converted railway station.

He hired builders to knock down the station tea-room and shorten the platform and in a matter of weeks it had come to a halt.

That’s a joke only regular train travellers and train spotters who can read words of more than one syllable may get.

The coffee shop I was in was a branch of a well-known chain and around me people were tucking into chocolate biscuits, paninis, pannatone’s with real butter etc.

Delicious – but not particularly healthy.

Because the counter, decor, tables etc. were identical to every other branch of this chain, until two nurses walked in, I’d momentarily forgotten that it was inside a hospital.

I was waiting for visiting hours to start so I could pop up to the ward to see an old friend who was in for a minor procedure.

‘Procedure’ sounds so much pleasanter than ‘operation’ doesn’t it?

From my observations, I find it ironic that the NHS tell us to eat healthily so we’ll be less of a burden on them in later years, yet they’ve allowed this coffee shop chain to open branches in hospitals all over the country.

While the food they serve is always delicious and of top quality, wouldn’t it be better for hospitals to open cafes that serve healthy salads, fresh fruit and meals with low salt content rather than cheese and ham toasties, chocolate chip muffins and sugary hot chocolate drinks?

Must dash!

The chip shop closes in five minutes . . .

——————

On Easter Sunday, I was sprawled in front of the telly . . . eating my chocolate egg . . . when suddenly the manager of Curry’s/PC World came over and yelled at meto get out!

This year, when I opened my chocolate egg and noticed that the packaging didn’t actually mention Easter– just ‘Chocolate Egg’, as if the manufacturers were embarrassed to include the word ‘Easter’ in case it upset potential buyers for whom Easter had no meaning.

Confectioners make, advertise and sell chocolate eggs this time of year for a reason and not because it’s Pancake Day or National Pie Week.

But because . . . it’sEaster!

Children talk about ‘The Easter Bunny’; the holiday’s called ‘The Easter Weekend’; the Sunday is ‘Easter Sunday’; all the clues are there!

If this trend continues, what might happen in the months leading up to December 25^th?

Will shops, supermarkets and department stores coyly hang up signs that just say “Happy…..!” or “Merry……!” leaving out the rather important word ‘Christmas’ so no-one is offended?

Wait and see . . .

Talking of being offended, I certainly was when I read that at Easter, hospital A & E departments were over-run with people who’d made themselves ill by over-indulging.

“People are coming into A&E with stomach aches caused by too many Easter eggs and a big Sunday dinner. You’ll feel better after a rest at home and drinking plenty of water”.

I’ve heard it all now….

——————-

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

There are still a handful of tickets left for the big ‘St David’s’ concert in Llanelli this weekend.

But, hurry, hurry, hurry, is the advice as they are in big demand.

The concert was originally scheduled for the big ‘Snow Weekend’ at the start of March at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.

Safety issues forced the postponement then, but the concert is scheduled to go ahead on Saturday, March 31.

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.

Welsh mezzo-soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies will be a major attraction as her ‘home concert’ appearances are quite rare nowadays as she has to cope with a very busy work schedule.

Eirlys was born in Trimsaran.

A 2017 London Welsh Young Singer of the Year winner, Samling Artist and named Voice of the Future at Llangollen International Festival, Eirlys is a recent Young Artist graduate from the National Opera Studio, London.

Previous to her studies at NOS, she studied at the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, The Royal Academy of Music, London where she was awarded the Maida Jones Award and Alfred Alexander Award after previously gaining a BMus (Hons) in Vocal Studies from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff.

A familiar face on the competition platform, a winner of the 2016 Dunraven Young Welsh Singer of the Year, W.Towyn Roberts Memorial Award, Ye Cronies Opera Award, winner of the Miriam Licette Award, runner up in the Clonter Opera Prize, recipient of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Musician’s Silver Medal Award and Llais Llwyfan Llambed Award.

She has also been a finalist in many other competitions such as The Stuart Burrows International Voice Award, Douglas Rees Memorial Opera Singer of the Year, MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year, and performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in 2016 and 2014 in the Welsh Singers Competition at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff.

Her previous performances have included covering the role of Portia The Merchant of Venice for Welsh National Opera, cover Annina La Traviata for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and La Traviata, La Clemenza di Tito, Don Pasquale and Hamlet with Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Tour Chorus.

Other operatic credits include Dido Dido and Aeneas, Mistress Ford in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love and Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse for the Alexander Gibson Opera School and Pompea in Dove’s The Little Green Swallow for British Youth Opera.

Upcoming Operatic engagements sees Eirlys returning to Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Eirlys’s television engagements include numerous appearances on S4C, such as Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol, Wedi 3, Wedi 7 , Deg Difa and Noson Lawen.

There’s a rush on for tickets for next month’s 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.

(Some regular readers may have been confused by last week’s On Song column, which appeared to suggest Robert Lloyd would be doing the compere duties. That minor blunder was due to a slip of the editor’s pen and I am happy to confirm the excellent Mr Edwards will host the evening)

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.

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 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.

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

………………………….

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?

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