Latest On Song column from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star –

IF you like big ‘raise the roof’ choirs, then ‘The Lyric’ theatre in Carmarthen is the place to be on Saturday, April 1.

The famous Pendyrus Male Choir will be teaming up with the youngsters from Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) in what promises to be an inspirational evening of song.

LARS has a very close association with Pendyrus. Last year, the choir held a fundraising concert for LARS in their home village of Tylorstown in the Rhondda Fach, featuring youngsters from Rising Stars and the choir.

Later in the year, LARS performed once again with the choir in the ‘Night with the Stars’ Gala Concert in Llanelli.

LARS singers are often seen on stage with the choir across south Wales and across the border.

Pendyrus Male Choir has been at the forefront of the Welsh Male Choir world since its beginning back in 1924 – nearly 100 years ago!

It has boasted famous musical directors such as Arthur Duggan MBE, Glynne Jones MBE, John Samuel and Stewart Roberts.

It is now under the baton of Ieuan Jones and its accompanist Gavin Parry is a legend in the choral world, having been helping choirs for a remarkable 50 years!

Gavin Parry will be at the piano at The Lyric and the guest conductor will be the celebrated Dr Alwyn Humphreys MBE.

Osian Clarke and Lauren Elizabeth Williams will be the two members of LARS being featured as soloists on The Lyric stage.

Boasting more than 80 members and multiple Eisteddfod wins, the Pendyrus choristers are always in demand – whether it’s performing to thousands of rugby fans at the Principality Stadium, or on some of the Wales’s biggest stages.

Guest conductor Alwyn Humphreys combines two busy careers as a television presenter and choral/orchestral conductor. He is Principal Guest Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Wales and Conductor Emeritus of the Morriston Orpheus Choir.

The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £14 and £12.

You can get tickets from The Lyric box office or from the Theatrau Sir Gar website at –

https://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk/en/shows/pendyrus-choir

LARS soloist Osian Clarke is 22 and is a former Head Boy at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford.

He is currently in his fourth year of studies at the very prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, where he is studying a BMus degree course in Vocal Performance and Opera Studies.

Osian has recently become a member of the world-famous Philharmonia Chorus. Osian has performed with the chorus at numerous concerts, including at Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra and at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Through LARS he has been able to significantly develop his solo singing opportunities, being much in demand as a soloist. He has performed at many prestigious events including alongside the Morriston Orpheus choir, Pendyrus Male Choir, at the 2022 Brecon Choir Festival with Dunvant Male Choir and Aberhonddi and District Male Choir, Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre, All Saints Oystermouth and Dinas Powys.

A highlight was performing as one of the LARS soloists at the prestigious World War Two Liberation Concert in the city of s’Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, in 2018.

Osian attended the Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff and won a major competition there – ‘The Betty Richards’ prize.

In 2019 he was the recipient of the inaugural Cronfa’r Utgorn Bursary which is awarded to very talented young musicians.

He has appeared on S4C’s Heno and Noson Lawen programmes and was a guest soloist on Rhys Meirion’s 20th Anniversary Tour.

As part of his studies in London, Osian gets the chance to regularly perform both as part of the first and second year’s ensemble concerts and as a soloist in Performance Platforms. These have taken place in Duke’s Hall, David Josefowitz Recital Hall, Angela Burgess Recital Hall and the Henry Wood Room.

Osian has received three Friends of LARS bursaries, a St Elli Lodge bursary and a Cronfa’r Utgorn bursary.

LARS soprano soloist Lauren Elizabeth Williams is from Glynneath and in her third year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff on the BMus degree course in Vocal Performance and Opera Studies.

Lauren has performed for Pendyrus Male Choir, Treorchy Male Choir, Morriston RFC Male Choir, Pontarddulais Male Choir, Cor Meibion Llanelli Male Choir, Brecon Male Choir and Dunvant Male Choir.

As winner of the Dunvant Young Singers Competition in 2020, Lauren was invited to perform last year at the 125th Anniversary Concert of the choir at the Brangwyn Hall, sharing the stage with Sir Bryn Terfel. Last year she also shared the stage with Rhys Meirion in a much-acclaimed concert.

Lauren was a member of the Welsh National Youth Opera for five years and was also a member of the Hywel Girls Choir and Boy Singers From Llanelli and Angelicus Celtis.

Finally, don’t forget this Saturday at Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli, when the much-admired Curtain Up Theatre Company are staging their annual fundraising show show at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.

The show is called “Those Were The Days” and is a trip down memory lane, with songs from the 60s and 70s.

The production is being directed by John-Paul Jones. Doors open at 6.30pm and the show starts at 7pm.

Tickets are £14 and all the proceeds will go to the Llanelli-based Links mental health charity, who provide support and learning opportunities to those experiencing mental ill-health.

Tickets are available at the Ffwrnes box office and through the Theatrau Sir Gar website at https://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk/en

The world-renowned Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir are looking for a new musical director.

The successful candidate will have to follow in the footsteps of Alex Esney, who was the first woman to take on the role.

Alex has decided to relinquish the role to concentrate on her other duties as musical director of Llanelli-based ladies choir Côr Curiad.

Choir chairman Wynford Harries said: “Alex has done an excellent job for Côr Meibion Llanelli and we are sorry to see her leave, but we appreciate she is a very busy musician already much in demand.

“Alex helped guide us through the difficult coronavirus pandemic lockdown period and we will always be grateful for the hard work and professional she showed in carrying out her duties for the male choir.”

Mr Harries added: “Now we enter another phase in the choir’s long history. Côr Meibion Llanelli was formed back in 1964 and has a long and award-winning history of performing around the globe.

“The role of musical director is a challenging one, so we are now busy looking for a talented musician to help write the next chapter in the choir’s history.”

Côr Meibion Llanelli was formed in the village of Bynea under the baton of the late Denver Phillips BA. in 1964.

The choir’s longest-serving music director was D Eifion Thomas.

They have been successful at all the major choral competitions that Wales has to offer.

The honours list includes five National Eisteddfod first prizes – at Lampeter in 1984, Fishguard in 1986, Llandeilo in 1996, Bridgend in 1998 and Llanelli in 2000.

The roll-call of wins also records seven firsts at the Miners Eisteddfod at Porthcawl, six firsts at Cardigan and three Pontrhydfendigaid “Eisteddfodau”.

The choir was successful in winning the Corwen Choral Competition at its first attempt in 1987.

The Llanelli Male Choir has graced many leading auditoriums and concert halls in the land – London’s Royal Albert Hall and Festival Hall, Birmingham’s Town and Symphony Halls, Oxford Town Hall, Plymouth’s Guild Hall, The MacRoberts Centre at Stirling, as well as Cardiff’s St David’s Hall and Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall.

Cathedrals have also featured high on the choir’s touring list – Coventry, Bury St Edmunds, Wells, Brecon, Gloucester, St David’s and Llandaff cathedrals have been concert venues, as well as Westminster Abbey.

The choir has travelled extensively throughout the world – Germany, Canada, USA. France, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.

The choristers have thousands of pounds for charities such as Cancer and Leukaemia Research, The Red Cross, Heart Foundation and Tenovus as well as local charities and school groups.

The choir rehearses weekly on Monday evenings at Furnace Community Hall, 7pm start. Visitors and new members are welcome.

Jane Jewell, widely known throughout south Wales as an accomplished pianist, has also moved on to concentrate on other duties, together with Stephen Hopkins, the deputy musical director.

Choir chairman Mr Harries said: “Jane and Stephen have made valuable contributions to the success of the choir and we are grateful for their hard work. But we appreciate that they are busy people and feel the need to move on.

“In our recruitment drive for a new musical director, we will also be looking for an accompanist and a deputy musical director.”

Anyone interested in the Côr Meibion Llanelli posts should contact choir secretary Fred Elias, Tir Na Nog, School Road, Pwll, Llanelli, SA15 4AL, phone 01554 741027, email llanellimvc@gmail.com or et_freedy@hotmail.com

You can find out more about the choir on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CorMeibionLlanelli

The guest speaker at the next lecture organised by the Llanelli Worker’s Educational Association (WEA) on Thursday evening (March 25) is a man who needs no introduction.

Broadcaster and author Huw Edwards was brought up in Llangennech. The 61-year-old is the main news presenter on the BBC and regularly presents showpiece outside broadcasts.

The event is the WEA’s annual Welsh language lecture.

The lecture title will be – Trwy Ofer Esgeulustod – Argyfwng eglwysi a chapeli Cymru –  Through Wasteful Neglect – the Crisis of Welsh churches and chapels.

Simultaneous translation facilities will be available.

The lecture will be at the Selwyn Samuel Centre in Llanelli and will start at 7.30pm.

WEA spokesman Ruth Price said: “We know that Huw has made a substantial study of the decline of chapels and churches, and speaks passionately and knowledgeably on the subject.

“As always, there will be time for Q&A after the lecture.

“We get a substantial crowd in attendance when we are so fortunate as to have Huw provide our talk. We will probably be back in the Lliedi Suite of the Selwyn Samuel Centre, but, if not, the talk will be in the bar instead.

“As usual, doors will be open from 7pm, with the lecture commencing at 7.30pm. We hope you will join us in a drink to support the venue after the lecture.

“Please tell your friends and family about this event and feel free to share details on your social media platforms – WEA Llanelli lectures are free to all, and everyone is welcome.”

The WEA website is at http://weallanelli.cymru/

Sorter, written by Richard Mylan, starring Richard Mylan and Sophie Melville, at the Arts Wing, Grand Theatre, Swansea, until Friday, March 10.

It packs more punch than a Tyson Fury uppercut.

It’s ‘in your face’ – and it’s very much a story of our times.

If it is the role of theatre to ask questions, be authentic and be relevant, then Sorter ticks all the boxes.

It’s a real ‘Wow’ moment for the theatre and the arts in Swansea.

You’d be a mug to miss it.

At first glance, the topic may not be encouraging – an intertwined tale of two drug-fuelled lives.

But it’s a story that needs to be told – and hats off to writer Richard Mylan for being brave enough to tell the tale.

He stars alongside Sophie Melville in the intimate Arts Wing auditorium – a venue which adds atmosphere to the boxed-in, no escape stories of drug addiction.

Sophie Melville is outstanding. Her portrayal of addiction is so real that you genuinely fear for her safety on occasions.

Both actors directly engage with the audience in a bus stop setting we can all recognise from real life.

There is, of course, a health warning on attendance – the play contains discussion of substance misuse, child loss, childhood abuse and suicide.

Yes, it’s dark, but there are moments of laugh-out-loud humour – cheeky jokes we will all recognise about the best view in Swansea, Catherine Zeta-Jones, ‘Do the Math’ and NCP car parks.

Directed by Francesca Goodridge, designed by Jacob Hughes and with music by ChimpanA, Sorter is the complete package – an immersive experience.

The team at Grand Ambition deserve all the plaudits for a superb production.

Sorter will challenge you – but it’ll leave plenty of important questions about how we view addicts and how to escape the vicious circle of drug addiction.

Weblink for tickets: https://www.swanseagrand.co.uk/article/20707/Sorter

It’s a busy day on the Llwchwr Estuary – cocklers galore!