By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. The Money Matters column appears in the Pembrokeshire Herald, the Carmarthenshire Herald and the Llanelli Herald newspapers.

This week, in Money Matters, we continue our spotlight on the latest Budget from Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond . . .

At Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants, we have produced a summary on the tax measures which may affect you, your family and your business.

Here are some more points on personal tax changes before we start to focus on business tax changes in next week’s Herald – 

Gift Aid – donor benefits:

Draft legislation has been issued which simplifies the donor benefits rules that apply to charities who claim Gift Aid tax relief on donations.

From 6 April 2019 the benefit threshold for the first £100 of the donation will remain at 25% of that amount.

For gifts exceeding £100, charities can offer benefits up to the sum of £25 and 5% of the amount of the donation that exceeds £100.

The total value of the benefit that a donor can receive remains at £2,500.

The new limits replace the current mix of monetary and percentage thresholds that charities have to consider when determining the value of benefit they can give to their donors without losing the entitlement to claim Gift Aid tax relief on the donations given to them.

Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme:

The Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) applies to small charitable donations where it is impractical to obtain a Gift Aid declaration.

GASDS currently applies to donations of £20 or less made by individuals in cash or contactless payment.

The limit will be raised to £30 from 6 April 2019.

National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW):

Following the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission (LPC), the government will increase the NLW by 4.9% from £7.83 to £8.21 from April 2019.

The government will also accept all of the LPC’s recommendations for the other NMW rates to apply from April 2019, including increasing the rates for:

• 21 to 24 year olds by 4.3% from £7.38 to £7.70 per hour
• 18 to 20 year olds by 4.2% from £5.90 to £6.15 per hour
• 16 to 17 year olds by 3.6% from £4.20 to £4.35 per hour
• apprentices by 5.4% from £3.70 to £3.90 per hour.

Universal Credit:

The government has announced that the amount that households with children and people with disabilities can earn before their Universal Credit award begins to be withdrawn – the Work Allowance – will be increased by £1,000 from April 2019.

In addition the government has listened to representations made by stakeholders on Universal Credit, and has announced a package of extra support for claimants as they make the transition to Universal Credit.

The government remains committed to the introduction of Universal Credit.

The set of measures announced in the Budget are worth £1.7 billion per year.

You can find out more about money matters on the Clay Shaw Butler website (under our news for business section) – http://www.clayshawbutler.com/news/latest-news-for-business

We have a strong and experienced team with great local knowledge all geared-up to helping you get the very best from your finances – whether that is as an individual or as a business.

We stay ahead of the game by putting great store by continual professional development for our staff.

With Investors In People status at Clay Shaw Butler, we care passionately about making sure our staff have all the tools they need to serve you, our customers.

Weblink – http://www.clayshawbutler.com

The team at Clay Shaw Butler can be contacted on 01267 228500.

The team at Clay Shaw Butler are on Twitter. Look for @clayshawbutler.

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There’s a special concert coming up in December to raise funds for Burry Port Lifeboat Station.

‘Christmas by Candlelight will feature Elin Manahan Thomas, Gary Griffiths and Osian Wyn Bowen.

It is being held at St Mary’s Church, Burry Port, on Saturday, December 22 (7pm).

Elin Manahan Thomas is one of the most exceptional sopranos of her generation.

Since releasing her début album ‘Eternal Light’ in 2007, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, she has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, and with leading orchestras and conductors.

Perhaps most famously known for her performances of baroque masterpieces – such as Handel’s Eternal Source of Light Divine at the London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony – Elin is equally at home performing classical and contemporary works.

Elin has performed across Europe at major venues and festivals, including: the Edinburgh, Canterbury, Three Choirs, Llangollen, Mostly Mozart and Lufthansa festivals, St John’s Smith Square, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Casa de Musica in Porto, Zurich Tonhalle, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

In 2008 Elin gave the World Première of Sir John Tavener’s Requiem in Liverpool Cathedral (also recorded for EMI), and later premiered his Love Duet at the Manchester International Festival in 2013. Elin sang in the premiere of Karl Jenkin’s ‘Cantata Memoria’ in October 2016, written to commemorate the Aberfan disaster 50 years earlier; the piece was also released on Deutsche Gramophon records.

In May 2018 she was honoured to perform at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Orchestras she has worked with include the Halle, Britten Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic, Academy of Ancient Music, BBC NOW, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, City of London Sinfonia, the Malaysian Philharmonic, and Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra.  She has performed for many of the world’s leading conductors, among them Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Andrew Davis, Harry Christophers, Paul McCreesh, Stephen Layton, Sir Roger Norrington, Vasily Petrenko, Thierry Fischer and the late Richard Hickox. Equally comfortable performing contemporary music, Elin has been fortunate to work with Sir John Tavener, John Rutter, Sir Karl Jenkins, James Macmillan, Judith Weir and Eric Whitacre, among others.

Alongside concert performances, Elin is also known for her presenting work. She has been twice nominated for a BAFTA Cymru (Best Newcomer, Best Presenter) and has presented for BBC 4 (The Proms) and BBC 2 Wales (Proms in the Park). Elin regularly presents for Radio Cymru, and is presenter on Radio Three’s Early Music Late, on Sunday evenings.

Elin has released five solo albums, and appeared as featured soloist on innumerable discs, for labels such as Universal, Naxos, Chandos, Hyperion, Coro, Signum, Collegium and Sain. In 2012, her ‘Vivaldi’ recording with Florilegium was Radio 3’s CD of the Week; BBC Music Magazine awarded the disc five stars; while International Record Review placed it in their ‘Outstanding’ category. Her recordings range from the renaissance to Handel to Elgar and beyond, and 2016 sees the release of a CD of songs by Morfydd Llwyn Owen (previously unrecorded) for Ty Cerdd, and Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Aberfan for Deutsche Gramophon, alongside Bryn Terfel. In April 2016 she was Classic FM’s Artist of the Week. Due for release in Summer 2018 is an album of songs by Welsh composer/pianist Dilys Edwards, on the Ty Cerdd label, in celebration of Edwards’ birth centenary year.

In addition to her singing and presenting, Elin is a passionate advocate of music education, and is an ambassador for Sing Up. She has led choral workshops with Eric Whitacre, masterclasses at RWCMD, University of Oxford, children’s concerts with LPO and OAE, and children’s operas with Children’s Music Workshop. Elin is an Honorary Fellow at RWCMD, and at the Universities of Swansea and Bangor.

She is an Ambassador for leading Welsh jewellery brand Clogau.

Baritone Gary Griffiths is a Burry Port boy.

He made his Royal Opera House stage debut in 2017 singing the role of Solanio in Keith Warner’s WNO production of The Merchant of Venice. He also made his Teatro di San Carlo (Naples) debut in concert, singing Arthus in Le Rois Arthus.

Winner of the Welsh Singers Competition in 2012, Gary Griffiths was a finalist representing Wales in the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where, in 2009, he won the prestigious Gold Medal Competition.

At the Welsh National Opera, where he began as an Associate Artist, he made a critically acclaimed debut in 2011 as Guglielmo (Così fan tutte). His other roles with the company include Marcello (La Bohème), Solanio (The Merchant of Venice, UK Premiere), Cecil (Maria Stuarda), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Claudio (Béatrice et Bénédict), and Schaunard in a new production of La Bohème (for which he was awarded the Wales Theatre Critics’ Award for Best Male Opera Singer).

He recently sang Marcello (La Bohème) for WNO at the Dubai Opera, Ford (Falstaff), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Il Conte (Le nozze di Figaro) for the Wiesbaden State Opera, Marcello (La Bohème) for New Zealand Festival Opera, Maximillian (Candide) for Opera di Firenze at the Maggio Musicale, The Executioner (Ines de Castro) for Scottish Opera, Ned Keene (Peter Grimes) for Grange Park Opera, Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) for New Zealand Festival Opera and Malatesta (Don Pasquale) for the Longborough Festival Opera.

Concert appearances include Berlioz ‘Les Troyens’ with Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Symphony No.8 with the Philharmonia at Gloucester Cathedral, Grieg’s Peer Gynt with the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Nikolaj Znaider, Handel’s Messiah at the Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, Fauré Requiem with John Wilson and the RTE Concert Orchestra, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the Berliner Kantorei, Mozart’s Requiem with the orchestra of the Welsh National Opera and Christoph Poppen. Concert engagements this season include Beethoven’s Symphony no.9 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

A committed recitalist, appearances include the Oxford Lieder Festival with Joan Rodgers and Sholto Kynoch in a recital of Russian Song, the Cowbridge Music Festival with Joseph Middleton, King’s Place with Iain Burnside, the Ludlow English Song Weekend with Simon Lepper and the Wigmore Hall with Malcolm Martineau.

In recording, he appears on Catrin Finch’s Lullabies CD for Deutsche Grammophon alongside Julian Lloyd Webber, a double album of Holst’s ‘At the Boars Head’ and Vaughan Williams ‘Riders to the Sea’ with the Warsaw Chamber Opera Sinfonietta for the Dux record label (nominated for Best Opera Album at the 2017 International Classical Music Awards). And soon to be released, is a recording of Mendelssohn Songs with Malcolm Martineau for Champs Hills Records.

Tickets for the Bury Port concert are £15 and are available from Cadno Travel or from the following phone numbers – 07795415411 and 07900893150.

Sunday, November 18 (7pm) sees a grand concert at Myddfai Community Hall near Llandovery.

The guest artistes include the celebrated tenors Rhys Meirion and Aled Wyn Davies, two of the popular Welsh Three Tenors.

Also on stage will be the Treble C Group. 

The compere will be Glyn Owen and the president for the evening will be Robyn Richards.

Tickets are £10 and available from Emlyn on 01550 720484.

Llanelli District Music and Drama Club have a special evening at the Lliedi Suite, Selwyn Samuel Centre on Friday, November 30 (7.30pm).

They will be presenting A Fine Romance, with Tony Jacobs and Catherine Sykes and Jim Barry at the piano.

The evening will feature music and songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.

Tickets are £10 (students £5) and are available from Barrie Lewis, Market Precinct, Llanelli, phone 01554-772594 or at the door.

Crwbin Silver Band are getting ready for Christmas.

Their Christmas Concert will be at Pontyberem Hall on Friday, December 14 (7pm).

The concert will also feature Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth choir and wind band.

Tickets are £8 (children £5) and will be available at the door or from band members.

Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir members are also looking forward to the festive season.

‘Christmas With The Choir’ will be held at 7pm on Saturday, December 1, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.

The choir’s special guests will be Burry Port Town Band and the St John Lloyd School Choir.

Also in December, The West End At Christmas returns to the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen with their brand new concert for 2018!

Stars from the West End present a magical evening of entertainment featuring hits from the musicals and the best of Christmas songs.

The talented cast have starred in many West End productions and national tours including Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, South Pacific, Singing in the Rain, Starlight Express, Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked, Godspell, Joseph and Cats . . . to name but a few!

The West End At Christmas will at The Lyric on December 18.

The Kidwelly Festival Ladies Choir will be performing at a Grand Christmas Concert and Vintage Fashion Show at Carmarthen Museum, Abergwili, on December 15 (6pm). Tickets are £10 adults and £5 children. It promises to be a fun night.

Finally, in case you missed the news about Russell Watson . . . 

His Carmarthen concert has been re-scheduled to Tuesday November 27 at the Lyric.

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

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Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. This column appears in the South Wales Evening Post, Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star. Website – www.philevans.co.uk

…………………………

I was bemused when I first read that, due to complaints from feminists, Kleenex were going to rename their long-established ‘Man Size’ tissues as ‘Extra Large’.

Here we go again, I thought.

But didn’t comment on it.

Then I realised how expensive it would be for Kleenex to ditch all the already-printed boxes in their warehouses, recall the ones they’d already sent out to the shops and replace them with the newly-branded ones.

Hopefully, the unwanted boxes will be recycled and not thrown away.

However, the feminists who demanded the change couldn’t be sure of that, which makes me wonder if they always put their issues about equality above environmental concerns.

Either that, or they don’t really think it through whenever they ‘demand’ changes.

A few days later my bemusement turned to annoyance when I read that because Waitrose were selling a ‘Gentleman’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll’ it was described as ‘outrageous’ by a lady comedian whose name I’m not familiar with (and, as I’ll not mention it here, neither will you).

On social media, she said: “I didn’t know sandwiches were gender specific. I’m female but, thankfully, Waitrose let me purchase one anyway!”

As she and anybody else of any gender were able to buy the roll, I don’t see why she was so outraged.

Okay, she may have said that as a joke. But because her complaint started a Twitter storm, Waitrose has apologised and will change the name of the roll!

They said: “We never intended to cause offence!”

Well, of course they didn’t, but that didn’t stop various attention-seekers, with too much time on their hands, deciding to take offence despite the fact it’s called the ‘Gentleman’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll’ because it contains anchovy mayonnaise similar to ‘Gentleman’s relish’, which has been around a long, long time – long before feminists could moan about it on social media, which was, I believe, invented by a man.

Next time they have ‘Ladies Day’ at Royal Ascot, I’m going to complain.

Anyone want to join me?

…………………. 

Remembrance Sunday:

While writing this week’s column, I felt a strong urge to mention Remembrance Sunday, an event that has meaning for so many and is held in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and other conflicts. 

I have only recently discovered the significance of the poppy, which to my surprise was inspired by the World War One poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.

I read that the opening lines refer to the many poppies that were the first flowers to grow in the churned-up earth of soldiers’ graves in Flanders, a region of Europe that overlies a part of Belgium.

This is truly a day to remember and one we should never forget.

So many have contributed and paid the ultimate price so that we have choice and freedom of speech, enabling me to share my views openly (subject to the Editor’s approval, of course!).

—————-

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

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By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. The Money Matters column appears in the Pembrokeshire Herald, the Carmarthenshire Herald and the Llanelli Herald newspapers.

Our spotlight on the latest Budget from Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (started in Money Matters last week) continues this week.

At Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants, we have produced a summary on the tax measures which may affect you, your family and your business.

Here are some points on personal tax changes . . . 

Tax on dividends:

In 2018/19 the first £2,000 of dividends are chargeable to tax at 0% (the Dividend Allowance).

The Dividend Allowance will remain at £2,000 for 2019/20. Dividends received above the allowance are taxed at the following rates:

• 7.5% for basic rate taxpayers
• 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers
• 38.1% for additional rate taxpayers.

Dividends within the allowance still count towards an individual’s basic or higher rate band and so may affect the rate of tax paid on dividends above the Dividend Allowance.

To determine which tax band dividends fall into, dividends are treated as the last type of income to be taxed.

In 2017/18 the Dividend Allowance was £5,000.

The reduction in the allowance particularly affects family company director-shareholders who extract monies from the company by means of a small salary and the balance in dividends.

The cost of the restriction in the allowance for basic rate taxpayers is £225 increasing to £975 for higher rate taxpayers and £1,143 for additional rate taxpayers.

Tax on savings income:

Savings income is income such as bank and building society interest.

The Savings Allowance, which was first introduced for the 2016/17 tax year, applies to savings income and the available allowance in a tax year depends on the individual’s marginal rate of income tax.

Broadly, individuals taxed at up to the basic rate of tax have an allowance of £1,000.

For higher rate taxpayers the allowance is £500. No allowance is due to additional rate taxpayers.

Some individuals qualify for a 0% starting rate of tax on savings income up to £5,000.

However, the rate is not available if taxable non-savings income (broadly earnings, pensions, trading profits and property income less allocated allowances and reliefs) exceeds £5,000.

Rent-a-room relief:

Rent-a-room relief gives relief from income tax for up to £7,500 of income to individuals who let furnished accommodation in their only or main residence.

Following consultation on the draft legislation and to maintain the simplicity of the system, the government will not include legislation for the shared occupancy test.

The government will retain the existing qualifying test of letting in a main or only residence.

Rent-a-room relief was introduced 26 years ago to encourage individuals to make spare capacity in their homes available for rent rather than letting out their entire property.

The emergence and growth of online platforms have made it easier than ever for those with accommodation to access a global network of potential occupants.

The government wants rent-a-room relief to be better targeted to achieve its objective of incentivising individuals to share their homes.

You can find out more about money matters on the Clay Shaw Butler website (under our news for business section) – http://www.clayshawbutler.com/news/latest-news-for-business

We have a strong and experienced team with great local knowledge all geared-up to helping you get the very best from your finances – whether that is as an individual or as a business.

We stay ahead of the game by putting great store by continual professional development for our staff.

With Investors In People status at Clay Shaw Butler, we care passionately about making sure our staff have all the tools they need to serve you, our customers.

Weblink – http://www.clayshawbutler.com

The team at Clay Shaw Butler can be contacted on 01267 228500.

The team at Clay Shaw Butler are on Twitter. Look for @clayshawbutler.

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Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. This column appears in the South Wales Evening Post, Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star. Website – www.philevans.co.uk

…………………………

Last week I was shopping for some ‘Odds and Ends’ which I needed to match up with some ‘Evens and Beginnings’ that I’d bought the week before. 

I wandered into a branch of a well-known store (which I won’t name). It’s the one that sells bargains for the home. I saw a notice that took me aback.   

Had he been there, the late Chico Marx would have asked, “Just-a how a-far did it a-take you a-back?” But as he was more than just late – he sadly died many years ago – he didn’t pose the question.

In any event, I don’t a-suppose he ever a-shopped where bargains were a-sold for the home.

The notice mentioned upcoming dates when the shop would be staging autism friendly hours, with lighting and piped music dimmed. I thought this was a fantastic idea.

Cinemas have autism friendly screenings and many pantomimes have autism friendly performances when the music, lighting and special effects are lowered so not to upset any autistic child in the audience.

Doing some research, I found that certain supermarkets have had autism friendly hours for some time, when even the till ‘beeps’ are quieter.

I also discovered that out of the 700,000 people in Britain on the autistic spectrum, 60% of them avoid shopping because they see, hear and feel the world in a much more intense way to the rest of us.  

According to the National Autism Society, a small change like autism friendly hours in shops can make a big difference to the lives of people with autism.

You and I know what supermarkets can be like at busy times, with seemingly hundreds of shoppers pushing their trolleys around, loud ‘muzak’ and sudden announcements over the Tannoy – “Gaynor to Till Seven please!”

Imagine how painful all that would be to anyone, especially children, with autism?

That’s something to remember the next time you’re stuck in a long queue at the check-out and starting to feel hard done by . . . 

…………………. 

The highlight of last week for me was attending the now ever-popular Welsh Factor talent show, held at the Neath RFC clubhouse. 

I do enjoy these occasions immensely as they keep me in touch with the grass roots of the entertainment industry. You get to see future stars in the making.

Once again, a sell-out audience witnessed acts from all across Wales.

The place was alive with new raw talent.

All acts on the night were eager to win a place at the final, which will be held in the early part of 2019 in Llanelli. 

The event was hosted and held together by one of the safest pairs of hands in showbiz, the Swansea legend, my long time friend, Kev Johns.  

More than 25 acts graced the stage, many of whom I hadn’t seen perform previously, which demonstrates that we do have an abundance of talent close to home.

I challenge each and every one of you to check out the local entertainment scene and support live entertainment as often as you can.

This can be extremely beneficial to your local community.

Go on, I dare you. 

We have a duty to keep live entertainment alive. I firmly believe this.

Together we can make a difference. 

—————-

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

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The spotlight falls on young talented musicians and performers from across South Wales at a special concert in Llanelli on Saturday night (November 10). 

The concert marks the fifth anniversary of the LARS musical organisation, which is based in Llanelli. 

LARS stands for Loud Applause Rising Stars.

Over the last five years, LARS has helped mentor and nurture talented young singers and instrumentalists from across South Wales, providing them with opportunities to take to the stage, along with cash bursaries.

Currently LARS has 14 members aged between 15 to 23.

They perform everything from blues and jazz, musical theatre, popular and traditional music to classical and opera.

To mark the fifth anniversary, Loud Applause Productions will be hosting a big Gala Concert titled ‘A Night with the Stars’ at Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre.

The nine LARS Singers performing will be Lauren Fisher, Daisy Owens, Sydney Richards, Jack Owens, Neve Summers, Osian Clarke, Callum Howells, Nia Rees and Stephen Davies.

Sharing the stage with LARS will be the famous Richard Williams Singers from Tonyrefail, under the baton of Margaret May, the daughter of the founder conductor.

Also appearing will be Côr Y Cwm, the award-winning youth choir from the Rhondda.

The highly-popular Callum Howells and Friends from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff will also be featured.

Also on stage will be the young choir of Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes in Llanelli, prize winning trombonist Rhodri Thomas, from Llanelli, and the accomplished compere, TV broadcaster Garry Owen.   Accompanists supporting the LARS singers will be Andrew Pike and Ryan Wood.

The LARS performers are making a name for themselves throughout South Wales.

For example, it has been quite a year for Lauren Fisher.

The Ysgol Gyfun y Strade pupil enjoyed considerable success in the Rotary UK Young Musician Competition. She was the overall winner of the Rotary Club of Llanelli competition, the Area Competition winner and a finalist in the Southern Wales District final held in Blackwood.

Lauren was then invited to be a guest artist at the Centenary Gala Concert of The Rotary Club of Llanelli.

Lauren also won the 2018 Gethin Hughes Bursary Prize in a very tough competition which was hosted at the annual concert of Côr Meibion Llanelli at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.

As a member of LARS, she has performed at many prestigious events such as soirees at Stradey Castle and Llanelly House, at the City and County of Swansea’s Armed Forces Day and Remembrance Commemoration events and at musical evenings at Machynys Golf Club.

Lauren’s love of music has led her also to compete in many competitions – The Voice of South Wales Seniors, as an example, and she was a runner-up in both the Welsh Factor and Kids Got Talent in 2016.

She won a scholarship at the age of 10 with the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers and performed at many concerts with them.

Recently Lauren has gained a distinction in Grade 8 in Popular Music Vocals Examinations London College of Music.

Callum Howells has been one of the most popular members of LARS in recent years.

He is quite rightly regarded as something of a showman in stage.

Callum studies Drama, Music, Welsh and Dance in his A Levels at Treorchy Comprehensive School.

He has just returned from London where he was a member of the professional cast in the highly successful production of ‘’She Loves Me’ at the Menier Chocolate Factory, where he played the role of Arpad Laszlo to rave reviews. 

Callum started off his performing career as Oliver as part of Selsig Operatic’s production of Oliver, The Musical, not knowing that a year later he would be part of the Children’s Ensemble in the UK Tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s production of the hit musical.

Other parts which Callum has played include Billy in Billy Elliot, Archie in 13, The Musical, Don Lockwood in Singin’ In The Rain and Electra in Starlight Express.

Callum also has a passion for Tap Dancing. He has attained his Gold Medallion (with Honours) and Grade 4 (with Distinction) with IDTA. Callum has also achieved his Grade 8 in Singing (with Distinction) with the London Trinity Guildhall examination board. 

As well as theatre, Callum has been seen on television when he travelled to South-East Asia to film a documentary on CBBC about the contrast in other children’s lives on the other side of the world called ‘Show Me What You’re Made Of’ – a show which was later nominated for a Children’s BAFTA Award.

Early last year, Callum worked with CBBC’s Blue Peter as their Royal Correspondent for a number of special events which they covered, including the Queen’s Coronation Anniversary, Prince Charles visiting Wales and interviewing Black Rod in The Houses of Parliament.

Callum is also a member of the successful choir Only Boys Aloud.

Callum has performed in a contemporary dance production with Matthew Bourne’s company New Adventures at the Wales Millennium Centre called ‘Lord of the Flies’, a show which had exceptional reviews all across the UK. 

He was chosen out of over 8,000 auditionees to join National Youth Music Theatre’s production of ‘Prodigy’ (a brand new musical written by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary) and has performed at the St James Theatre in London. 

Callum played the role of George in ‘Of Mice and Men’ performed at Treorchy Comprehensive School for various schools in the locality and beyond. He has also played the role of ‘George’ in NYMT’s production of Brass at Hackney Empire, London. 

Callum was a finalist at the 2016 National Final of The Young Rotary Musician of The Year competition.

Tickets for ‘A Night with the Stars’ are going fast and are available from the theatre box office.

On Friday night, there’s a concert with a difference in the Gwendraeth Valley.

It will manage to combine the launch of a book about a modern-day Welsh hero with a musical evening showcasing some of our finest singers.

A new book, called ‘The Stories of Grav’ and compiled and edited by the celebrated tenor Rhys Meirion, is being launched on Friday, November 9, in Pontyberem Hall.

After the book launch, Rhys Meirion will be the star player in a concert at Pontyberem Hall, starting at 7pm.

The concert will also feature Elin Fflur, Aled Wyn Davies and Theatr Ieuenctid Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli.

The Pontyberem concert is being sponsored by Castell Howell, the Carmarthen and Cross Hands-based food business.

Tickets for the concert are £15 and £5 for children.

Sunday, November 18 (7pm) sees a grand concert at Myddfai Community Hall near Llandovery.

The guest artistes include the celebrated tenors Rhys Meirion and Aled Wyn Davies, two of the popular Welsh Three Tenors.

Also on stage will be the Treble C Group. 

The compere will be Glyn Owen and the president for the evening will be Robyn Richards.

Tickets are £10 and available from Emlyn on 01550 720484.

Llanelli District Music and Drama Club have a special evening at the Lliedi Suite, Selwyn Samuel Centre on Friday, November 30 (7.30pm).

They will be presenting A Fine Romance, with Tony Jacobs and Catherine Sykes and Jim Barry at the piano.

The evening will feature music and songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.

Tickets are £10 (students £5) and are available from Barrie Lewis, Market Precinct, Llanelli, phone 01554-772594 or at the door.

Crwbin Silver Band are getting ready for Christmas.

Their Christmas Concert will be at Pontyberem Hall on Friday, December 14 (7pm).

The concert will also feature Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth choir and wind band.

Tickets are £8 (children £5) and will be available at the door or from band members.

Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir members are also looking forward to the festive season.

‘Christmas With The Choir’ will be held at 7pm on Saturday, December 1, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli.

The choir’s special guests will be Burry Port Town Band and the St John Lloyd School Choir.

The West End at Christmas

Also, in December, The West End At Christmas returns to the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen with their brand new concert for 2018!

Stars from the West End present a magical evening of entertainment featuring hits from the musicals and the best of Christmas songs.

The talented cast have starred in many West End productions and national tours including Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, South Pacific, Singing in the Rain, Starlight Express, Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked, Godspell, Joseph and Cats . . . to name but a few!

The West End At Christmas will at The Lyric on December 18.

The Kidwelly Festival Ladies Choir will be performing at a Grand Christmas Concert and Vintage Fashion Show at Carmarthen Museum, Abergwili, on December 15 (6pm). Tickets are £10 adults and £5 children. It promises to be a fun night.

Finally, in case you missed the news about Russell Watson . . . 

His Carmarthen concert has been re-scheduled to Tuesday November 27 at the Lyric.

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

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