Go directly to the concert of your choice by clicking on the link below, and click on thumbnails to see photos full size.

Sunday 12th December, 2010
Morriston Festival of Carols.

This has become another annual event for the Choir, and we joined several musical groups in the Festival, which this year supported Morriston Hospital's Prostate Cancer Research Fund. One of the readings was given by Mr Neill Fenn FRCS, Consultant Urologist at the hospital. The other readings were given by members of each of the performing groups.

As this was a service the Rev. Eirian Wyn asked the congregation to show their appreciation only for the children of Tirdeunaw Welsh School, as they sang compositions by Awenna Owen and the children and staff, but he broke his own rule after hearing tenor soloist Matthew Ioan Sims' performance.

The participating groups were:

Ourselves, conducted by our MD D. Huw Rees, accompanied by Hywel Evans, with soloist Huw Roberts.
Tabernacle Choir with Kerry Rogers and D. Huw Rees, with soloist Jonathan Rogers.
Pontardulais Brass Ensemble conducted by their MD Paul Jenkins.
Morriston Ladies' Choir with Anthony Williams and Julie Sims.
Tirdeunaw School Choir with Nia Harris and Awenna Owen.
And of course, tenor soloist Matthew Ioan Sims.
The joint items and carols were conducted by Kerry Rogers, with D. Huw Rees at the organ.

We wish Tirdeunaw Choir pob lwc in S4C's Wedi 3 Carol Competition to be aired on Friday 17th December.

In spite of a bitterly cold evening all performers and congregation managed to get the Christmas season off to a musical start.

Friday, 3rd December, 2010 
Seion Newydd Chapel, Morriston.

The early December concert supporting Doorways has become as much a part of the Choir's programme as the Civic Carol Concert (with the Salvation Army) in the Brangwyn Hall the week before Christmas, so we were pleased that their recent link-up with Gwalia Housing Trust had not jeopardised our invitation. Doorways helps those with learning disabilities to enjoy and develop a life for themselves in the community, and we thank Colin Williams for asking us to help raise funds for them again this year. It was a very cold and wet night, with the rest of the country still under snow, so it was good to see such an enthusiastic audience turn out to help the cause. It was also a new experience to be holding this concert in a different venue from the customary Sacred Heart Centre.

As tradition dictates, we were joined again by the Cwmrhydyceirw Primary School Choir with their music staff, Ruth Evans, Craig Rees, and Rebecca Taylor. A nasty virus in the school did not prevent almost thirty of the Senior Choir from entertaining us with appropriate Christmas songs, and a stirring rendition of "Aint No Mountain High Enough". 

The soloist for the evening was 16-year-old Kate Harwood, who currently is a pupil in Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe. We first heard Kate when she sang for us at our Annual Dinner this year, and since then she has joined us in several concerts. She is studying singing and she won three first prizes in this year's National Eisteddfod. It was a joy to hear her again as she sang her mainly Welsh songs.  Kate joined us, singing the solo part, in "Benedictus", and we look forward to our next concert with her.

We were conducted by our Deputy Musical Director, Helen Wyn, and and accompanied by our Deputy Accompanist, Rhiannon Pritchard. These two ladies have been indispensible in sharing our twice-weekly practice nights over the past year, so it was particularly enjoyable to have them lead us from the front in public for a change. Our programme included four pieces from our new CD "Momentous Moments", and some seasonal songs as well. The solo part in "O Holy Night" was sung by Huw Roberts.

We were particularly pleased to renew our acquaintance with the evening's compere, our old friend Hywel Lewis, who took on this duty for us so many times in the past. His jokes and riddles amuse adults and children alike between the acts. In spite of the weather outside it was a heart-warming concert, and we hope we will repeat it next year. 

Cwmrhydyceirw School Choir

Compere, Hywel Lewis

MD, Helen Wyn

Kate Harwood

Kate Harwood & Rhiannon Pritchard

Rhiannon Pritchard  tries to keep her  fingers as warm as her back!

Wednesday, 1st December, 2010
Principality Building Society, Morriston

A group of Choristers helped our good friends in the Morriston Branch to celebrate their 150th Anniversary, and to bring  some Christmas carols to Woodfield Street. Click on the logo to see several photos on our page. 

23rd to 29th October 2010
Brittany Tour

There is a growing collection of photographs from the tour on our    and     pages. 
On Flickr you can view as a slideshow and adjust various settings to show details, speed, etc. Just click on a logo. 

You MUST click HERE to see and hear our Musical Director and Accompanist enjoy themselves on the organ in Hennebont's Basilica after our concert. Hywel Evans plays Widor's Toccata with his usual laid back aplomb (with apologies for noises off!).
And click HERE to see and hear Céline Forrest in Hennebont Basilica singing Gounod's "Sanctus" from his St. Cecilia Mass.

The Choir returned from this highly successful tour in the early hours of Saturday 30th October, tired but very happy and satisfied with a job well done. This time we decided to arrange the tour ourselves, rather than go through one of the specialist companies, and such an undertaking requires much work by a small band of people to make contacts and arrangements, with the many elements needing to dovetail together satisfactorily. Most of the hard work was done by our Concert Secretary, Roy Richards, with the aid of contacts in Brittany suggested to him by the Pontardawe/Locminé twinning association. Transport and accommodation was left in the capable hands of Diamond Holidays, who provided two comfortable coaches (each with two drivers), and the family-owned seashore Hôtel de l’Océan in Concarneau played its part in helping us relax and play between concerts. The party of choristers, music staff and supporters was joined by local Soprano Céline Forrest, who filled the gap admirably when our original soloist Adele O’Neill discovered at quite short notice that she was unavoidably unable to come with us.

CONCERTS.
We were not permitted to charge entry to the concerts, but there was a collection at the end of each one with the proceeds going to the church/cathedral.

The church of St. Marc in Locminé was the venue for the first concert on Sunday 24th October. Not knowing what to expect, we were pleased to see a good-sized audience for the afternoon concert in this modern building attached to the façade of the original church, which got the tour off to a flying start. Céline sang songs from her repertoire, we joined her in Gounod’s “Sanctus”, and she sang the solo part in “Morte Criste”. We were entertained after the concert by the members of the Pontardawe/Locminé Twinning Association who provided some welcome local cider and cassis to sooth our throats.

The second concert was held in the huge Cathédral St. Pierre in Vannes on Tuesday 26th, and here the ladies had a chance to see something of the town and shops while we had a short practice before we were taken to a local restaurant for a meal before the concert. There was an even larger audience than in Locminé when the concert began at 8.30pm, and we varied the programme slightly, but with Céline again singing Gounod’s “Sanctus”. 

The final concert in the Basilique Notre Dâme de Paradis in Hennebont was the icing on our cake, as the large church was packed to the doors for the evening concert and we have been told that the collection raised over 800 Euros for the Basilica. The applause at the end of the concert almost had the ancient walls vibrating, and we were only too pleased to sing an encore. Céline’s well-received performance can be enjoyed on the video above. After the concert, our MD D. Huw Rees and Accompanist Hywel Evans disappeared up to the organ loft while we were enjoying more Breton hospitality in the Basilica. They had been unable to access the organ in Vannes, but they really enjoyed themselves here, as you can see on the video above. Choir and supporters all joined in from below as Huw played the national anthem and Calon Lân, and then we all stood transfixed as Hywel launched into Widor’s Toccata from his 5th Symphony (the Organ Symphony). It is a piece he is often called upon to play at weddings, and it was a moment that will live long in our memories. 

We began all three concerts with the Welsh national anthem, and ended them with the Breton anthem, which is sung to the same tune and has approximately the same meaning. We are most grateful to our three compères – Martin Ellis from the Pontardawe/Locminé Twinning Association, local man Yves Vigouroux and George Rhodes, who is connected with the Hennebont Basilica - for their help in introducing the music and telling the audiences something about us.

ENTERTAINMENT.
On the two days between concerts we had plenty of time to enjoy the area as we went in the coaches to Bénodet and Quimper, and then around the dramatic coastline via the thatched village of  Kerascöet to the pretty town of Pont Aven – famous for its old mills and its biscuits and cakes. This was the only slightly wet day of the week, but we were lucky on the other days to be able to stroll in sunshine from our hotel into Concarneau or around a coastal path reminiscent of the Mumbles to Caswell path. There was also plenty of time to sample the local specialities of biscuits and cakes, and one intrepid baritone did battle with a few oysters he had bought on the quay, using a borrowed oyster knife while sitting in a pavement bar. 
The evenings in the hotel were well up to championship “afterglow” standard, with a few new stars entertaining us with stories and songs. Derek Norton’s story of the baby snake hissing in its pit is bound to be requested again soon, and Paul and Sandra Baker’s Irish “Bus to Morrow” left us wanting more. Cyril Scott’s rambling style had us simultaneously confused and amused, and instead of the Three Tenors we discovered we have among us the Three Deacons in Norman James and Seiriol and Arwyn Evans. The chorister who regaled us with the flatulence story will remain anonymous!
On our last night we were joined by some of hotel proprietors M. and Mme. Hénaff’s friends from the town, and while they thoroughly enjoyed our singing they looked perplexed when trying to keep up with our Essex bass Alan Brown’s jokes and stories. As we sometimes are! 
We thank M. and Mme. Hénaff and all their staff most sincerely for their hospitality and service, and we just hope we didn’t disturb their other guests too much. We hope Steve has caught up on his sleep.

THANKS.
This is a dangerous thing to do because there is always someone inadvertently left out, but this successful tour depended on input from many people, both in the Choir and outside it. Our Concert Secretary Roy Richards worked extremely hard to arrange the tour, managing to pull the many strings together and also had the help of the three gentlemen in France and Pontardawe mentioned above. 
Diamond Holidays and their drivers Jason, Emlyn, Peter, and Bob transported us efficiently and kept us amused with their repartee. Peter, if you read this, we all shared your loss that night, and we were only too glad to grant your request – hard though it was. 
Bob and Linda Harwood arranged an excellent and testing quiz to keep us awake as we sped across France from the ferry to Concarneau, and Linda and Marilyn Evans organised a raffle one evening, with many prizes - for which we thank the donors. Proprietors of the hotel, M. and Mme. Hénaff, their sons Steve and Gregory, and all their staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and obliging, and their hospitality and forbearance at some of our late nights made the week go with a swing. 
We are grateful to the Mumbles/Hennebont Twinning Association for spreading the word and helping our last concert to be a full house. 
The musical staff and choir officers also deserve praise for the preparation that went to make the tour a success, and it is to be hoped that we can accept the invitations we received to return to Brittany before too long.

Saturday 16th October 2010
All Saints Church, Oystermouth, Swansea

This was our second concert within four weeks at All Saints, so it was gratifying to see another capacity audience in front of us, including the Deputy Lord Mayor and Deputy Lady Mayoress of Swansea, Ioan and Iris Richard. The audience was welcomed at the entrance to the church by the All Saints Hand Bell Ringers playing various pieces from their intriguing repertoire.

Gill Andrews, Chair of Swansea and West Wales Cancer Aid Society introduced the concert by telling us why we were all there - to raise funds for the Society which supports the activities of the Radiotherapy Unit in Singleton Hospital. Since their inception, the Society has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for cancer care and treatment at Singleton. The compère for the evening was Dr Simon Ryde who reminded us that, statistically, one in three people will suffer from some sort of cancer in their lifetime, which brought home to us the value of our efforts this evening.

We were conducted by our Musical Director, D. Huw Rees, and accompanied on piano and organ again by our accompanist Hywel Evans, who is no stranger to this church. our programme included our first performance of "I Stood on the River of Jordan", and Huw Roberts was the bass soloist in "Diolch i'r Ior".

Singleton Singers, led by their MD Carole Edwards, sang a varied selection of songs, among which was one in French (to prepare us for our trip to Brittany next week, perhaps?) and a couple of American pieces. Their fine performance showed why they are in such demand for fund-raising concerts for Singleton and for many other charities. 

We would like to thank Gill Andrews and her tireless Committee for inviting us to take part in this successful concert, which raised £1,155 on the night, with more donations yet to be counted. It also set us up nicely for our three-concert tour to Brittany next week.

There are a few photos on our page. We hope to have more soon.

Friday 1st October 2010
Capel Caersalem, Treboeth, Swansea

Pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe are travelling to British Columbia later this month for a rugby, hockey, and concert tour to Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the ski and mountain resort of Whistler, so we were delighted to be asked to appear in a fund-raising concert with them. The evening was compèred by the school's Assistant Headmaster, Simon Davies, and we were conducted by D. Huw Rees and accompanied by Hywel Evans.

As Bryn Tawe is a Welsh medium school, our programme contained more Welsh items than usual and although we, and the audience, were pleased with our performance, it was more than equalled by that of the talented pupils of the school who showed why they have collected so many prizes from this year's and past Eisteddfodau.

The eight girls making up Parti Merched produced a beautiful tone in their two pieces, and Kate Harwood (who has appeared with us in previous concerts as a soloist) demonstrated the quality of singing that won her three first prizes in this years National Eisteddfod as she performed her two solos. She was accompanied in the second one ("Ar Lan Y Môr") by harpist Elin Samuel, who also played solos by Bach and Glière which demonstrated her skills to perfection. Elin is also an Eisteddfod prize-winner and we wish her every success in her forthcoming audition for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
The touring pupils have been formed into a mixed choir called Côr Taith Canada, and they gave us their final performance before entertaining Canadian audiences. Even the hockey and rugby players showed their musical side, and we hope they will continue to enjoy singing as they get older. Male voice choirs need you, boys! 
Our concerts are always all musical, so it was a refreshing change to be entertained by a group of pupils as they expertly performed part of "Under Milk Wood". Coincidentally, we had just sung "Sunset Poem" (or "Eli Jenkins' Prayer") from the same work.

We must congratulate all who took part, their teachers and tutors, and their parents for an excellent evening's entertainment, and we are happy to report that the future of music and drama in the area is safe in the hands of Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe.
Llongyfarchiadau i chi gyd.

Kate Harwood and Elin Samuel

Bass and Top Tenor sections

Baritone and Second Tenor sections

Côr Taith Canada

Top Tenor Lyle Jones relaxes after a  successful evening

With thanks to Carole Joseph for the photos.

Saturday 18th September 2010
All Saints Church, Mumbles, Swansea

This concert was the final one of the prestigious "All Saints Alive" Music Festival, and we were honoured to be invited to perform this year by the Festival's Director, Penny Ryan OBE.

Our varied programme ranged from Gounod to Leonard Cohen via William Williams Pantycelyn ("Llanfair"), with our Bass soloist Huw Roberts singing "Hallelujah". We were conducted by our MD D. Huw Rees, and accompanied on piano by Hywel Evans and on the organ by our President, Huw Tregelles Williams OBE.
Hywel also accompanied prize-winning Soprano Céline Forrest as she sang several operatic arias, and we renewed our acquaintance with her when she joined us as we sang "Sanctus" from Gounod's "St. Cecilia Mass".

Hywel Evans had a busy evening as he was also accompanist for Penny Ryan's Ariosa Singers who sang many stirring pieces by composers as diverse as Karl Jenkins, the Beach Boys, Carl Orff, and Verdi, with excellent solo parts by Trystan Williams, Reuben Nicholas, Joseph Gorvett, and Joshua Mills. Boys, if you ever consider joining a male voice choir our door will be wide open for you! Céline Forrest sang the soprano part in "Brindisi" (with Joshua Mills) and Mascagni's "Easter Hymn". We and the audience joined the Singers in the last verse of "When The Saints..."
Leslie Ryan accompanied the young All Saints Junior Choir in five pieces which demonstrated their versatility. These included three by John Rutter, and Mike Batt's "Bright Eyes" and the New Seekers' "I'd like To Teach The World To Sing". They were also conducted by Penny Ryan.

This was an evening of excellent performances by all, and one which we thoroughly enjoyed. Judging by the appreciative reaction from the near-capacity audience, we weren't alone. We will be singing in All Saints again on 16th October for the Swansea & West Wales Cancer Aid Society, and if we have a reception like tonight's we will be very happy. 

There are also three pages of photos on our page. Click on the logo.

Saturday 11th September 2010
Malmesbury Abbey.

Malmesbury Abbey is a beautiful, historic building with excellent acoustics, so the Choir was delighted to be invited to sing there for the fourth time in recent years. Its soaring roof and subtly illuminated arched walls make it a stunning venue. Our three previous concerts had been for the local rugby club, but this time we were singing to raise funds for the Elizabeth Hodges Trust, which assists local people to pay for their further their education. During the past year they have also provided specialist sports equipment for a local primary school.

Our Accompanist was Hywel Evans, who alternated between piano and organ, and we were conducted by our Musical Director D. Huw Rees, who was battling bravely against a nasty throat infection. Our programme included a variety of traditional Welsh hymns, songs from musical shows and films, and more serious pieces such as “Benedictus”.

We were fortunate to be joined again at a concert by Kate Harwood, the 16-year-old soprano from Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe (and niece of our compère and Vice Chairman, Bob Harwood), who recently won three first prizes for singing at this summer’s National Eisteddfod. This is the third time Kate has sung with us, and we were relieved that her father managed to get her to Malmesbury in time for the concert after his refereeing duties in the afternoon. Her performance was thoroughly enjoyed by the large and knowledgeable audience, who demanded an encore. D. Huw Rees accompanied her and also our Bass soloist Huw Roberts with his varied programme. Huw (Roberts) later joined Kate in singing “Panis Angelicus”.

The members of the Trust and their partners laid on refreshments for us in St. Mary’s Hall before the concert, and then again after it, when we were joined by many members of the audience, including several with Welsh roots or connections. It was good to see one gentleman waving his Welsh flag, and Shirley Ville, who hails from Neath originally, really lit up the Abbey with her red dragon outfit (see photo on Facebook). After slaking our thirst we eventually burst into song again, much to the obvious delight of the ex-pats, and even “Myfanwy” was given an outing, by request. The two kegs were particularly welcome after singing on a warm evening and we thank Kim Power and her Trust committee for their hospitality, hoping that they will invite us back to Malmesbury before too long. 

Last of the summer sun.	Last of the summer wine.	Hywel Evans, Kate Harwood, D. Huw Rees.
Hywel Evans and D. Huw Rees relax  before the concert.	Huw Roberts displays his keyboard talents before the concert.	Seiriol Evans conducts at the "afterglow".	Some members were  overcome by Huw Roberts'  version of "Poor Old Joe".

There are more photographs on our page. Just click on the logo.

28th July 2010
"Let Paul Robeson Sing", Black Mountain Centre, Brynaman

Paul Robeson is a name well known throughout the World, and especially in Wales due to his connection with and support for the mining community in the mid-1900s. He also starred in several films, including "Proud Valley" which told the story of a mining village, and the film was being shown at the Centre today.

This exhibition was arranged by the South Wales Miners' Library to celebrate his life, and as it was attended by his grand-daughter Susan Robeson we were particularly delighted to be invited to sing for her and give her a taste of Welsh culture. We sang various pieces before and after the lunch break which delighted her and the many visitors. 

We congratulate the organisers on the material and the layout of the exhibition which brought back memories for many choristers and opened the eyes of many more to Paul Robeson's contribution to civil rights and social justice, including Wales and her people. It is due to go on-line soon, so if you missed it this time round you will be able to catch it on the World-Wide Web.

Our thanks go to Siân Tucker and Wyn Churchill of the Black mountain Centre for their warm welcome and generous hospitality.

There are more photographs on our page. Just click on the logo.

24th July 2010
Fishguard International Music Festival

The Fishguard International Music Festival is a prestigious annual 8-day event which attracts top soloists and orchestras, including this year, pianists Peter Donohoe and LLŷr Williams, the Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. We were delighted therefore to be invited to perform in Hermon Chapel, where we last appeared two years ago as part of a different festival.

We were conducted by our Musical Director D. Huw Rees and accompanied on piano and organ in turn by our Accompanist Hywel Evans in a varied programme of music ranging from Gounod to Gwahoddiad via The Lord's Prayer, the West End shows, and a negro spiritual. The large audience were treated to an encore after they stood in appreciation of our performance.

Also performing in the Concert was the renowned organist Alistair Young who, in addition to solo performances, has appeared with many symphony and concert orchestras around the world, and with conductors such as Leonard Bernstein and Simon Rattle. He can currently be heard regularly on BBC Radio 2's "Friday Night Is Music Night". After many concerts on the huge Royal Albert Hall organ, the one in Hermon provided him with a different challenge, to which he rose superbly as he played pieces by Bach, Ireland, Vidor (his challenging Toccata) and the amusing Sortie in E Flat by Léfebure-Wély. It was a refreshing change for us to hear and enjoy an instrumental performance.

The "afterglow" in the Fishguard Bay Hotel was arranged and provided by the Festival organisers, and we would like to thank them for this and for the buffet which greeted us on our arrival in Fishguard in the afternoon. A large wedding party at the hotel had commandeered all the chairs and blocked the access road, but these problems were soon overcome and a good time was had by all before we returned home. Our non-Welsh-speaking Accompanist even joined in most of the chorus of a Welsh hymn, although he claimed to be "too much of a man to reach the high notes"!

Hermon Chapel

Alistair Young, Organist

Baritone Roy Seaborne gets to grips with the buffet

There are some more photos on our page. Just click on the logo.

4th July 2010
Gŵyl Fawr Aberteifi

On the first of two visits to west Wales this month we headed over Mynydd Preseli to Teifi Leisure Centre to sing at the closing concert of  Gŵyl Fawr Aberteifi, the most historic Eisteddfod in Wales. 

Our programme of eleven pieces was conducted by our Musical Director, D. Huw Rees, and accompanied on the piano by our own Accompanist, Hywel Evans. Due to the layout of the venue we had plenty of exercise as we left and re-took the stage for each of the solists to perform. Our Chairman Seiriol Evans eased these transitions by addressing the audience and telling them something about the Choir as we reorganised.

The quality of Soprano Adele O'Neill's performance showed no signs of her stressful journey to Cardigan, having broken down en route. She sang operatic arias by Mozart, Bellini and Gounod and was accompanied by Hywel Evans, who came up trumps again as he skillfully sight-read the accompaniments.

Baritone Gwynedd Parry was accompanied by his wife, Meinir, as he sang a variety of operatic, musical show and traditional Welsh music. He and Adele sang a duet before we joined them in "Diolch i'r Iôr".

We would like to thank the ladies of Gŵyl Fawr Aberteifi for providing us with an excellent pre-concert buffet, and Cardigan Rugby Club for their hospitality before we returned home, just managing to squeeze our huge coaches through Cenarth's  bridge over the Teifi in the dark.

The Choir before  the Concert

Adele O'Neill

Gwynedd Parry

Adele and Gwynedd

There are more photos on if you click on the logo.

Friday 2nd July 2010
St Michael's Church, Manselton, Swansea

The first of two concerts this weekend, this evening's was the Annual Concert of Waun Wen Old Pupils' Association. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Richard and Angela Lewis were guests at the concert, and an example of the Mayor's sartorial elegance can be seen in a photo if you click on this logo.

Deputy Musical Director, Helen Wyn, was our Conductor tonight, and under her control (according to the audience) we produced an excellent programme for the large audience, including our first public performance of the spiritual "My Lord, What A Mornin'". Our accompanist was Hywel Evans, and Huw Roberts was the soloist in "Halelujah". 

The boys and girls of Waun Wen Primary School Choir were conducted by Liz McDonnell and accompanied by Bethan Roberts. They have a senior and a junior choir, and both put on performances which showed how hard they and the staff have worked in preparation for this concert. Their programme varied from typical children's songs to songs from musical shows such as "Oliver". One little girl in the front row managed to reach some of the highest notes by standing on tip-toe!

The Compère for the evening, Jonathan Lycett, would have enjoyed their "Oliver" songs as he has recently appeared in the show himself. He kept the audience (and us) amused with several stories each time there was a pause as we changed places with the children. 

At the end of the concert the Association's Chairlady presented donations to the School and to the Lord Mayor of Swansea's charities.

Saturday 22nd May 2010
St Matthew's Church, Kingsdown, Bristol

The hottest day of the year so far saw us heading over the Severn Bridge for a concert in St Matthew's Church for SADS UK (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome), a condition which can result in sudden death from previously unknown heart problems for people of all ages. The church had been divided in two horizontally, and although the layout was strange at first it seemed to work well and it was accoustically good.

We were joined by the excellent 15-year-old soprano Kate Harwood from Morriston who interrupted her GCSE preparations to sing with us. One of her songs was "As Long As He Needs Me" from "Oliver", which she had sung in Welsh in her role as Nancy in her school's production. Kate is due to appear on S4C's Noson Lawen soon and we look forward to seeing her performance.
Our own Bass Huw Roberts sang a selection of romantic songs, Welsh airs and hymns, and he joined Kate in a beautiful performance of "Panis Angelicus".
Robert Harwood performed his Compère's duties in his now-customary seamless manner and told the audience something about each piece to help them understand their origins and meanings.

Our post-concert buffet in Clevedon Football Club was rather different from the usual "afterglow", as they were preparing to open the club as a night club as we left. Although this prevented us from having our customary sing-song, it did give a couple of our most senior members a chance to show the local girls a few dance-floor moves. No names, but Percy and Tal, you know who you are!

Anne Jolly and Ann Lillis of SADS had worked very hard to arrange the concert so it was rather disappointing that many of their invited guests couldn't make it on this warm evening. It is to be hoped that they have made generous financial contributions to the cause instead.

Photos will follow, but in the meantime there are many in our  album or on our  page. 
Just click on the appropriate logo.

Saturday 15th May 2010
Tabernacle Chapel, Morriston

Our Annual Concert is the culmination of twelve months hard work and preparation, and as they left Tabernacle Chapel many of our regular followers told us this was one of the best. We Choristers agreed and felt we had played our part in an exceptional evening. 

Conducted by our Musical Director D. Huw Rees and accompanied by Hywel Evans (piano) and Huw Tregelles Williams (organ) our programme included items from musical shows, Welsh hymns, religious songs by welsh composers, and even a Zulu song. Our bass Huw Roberts sang the solo part in “Hallelujah”.

Our guest artistes this year were the renowned soprano Catrin Aur Davies and the exciting youth choir Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion.
Catrin was last year’s MOCSA Young Welsh Singer, and she will be singing at this year’s Glyndebourne Festival. Her choice of music ranged from Puccini to the Welsh folk songs “Hei Ho!” and “Cymru Fach”, and in her opera arias we were treated to a full operatic performance which at times threatened to put Tabernacle’s glass lamp shades at risk! Catrin’s vocal range and rich tone were a delight and we hope we will have the opportunity of hearing her again before too long.
Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion are also regular prize-winners, including S4C’s Côr Cymru 2009 competition. Their Conductor, Islwyn Evans, was resplendent with his Welsh dragon cummerbund and bow tie. The sound produced by these young singers is outstanding, and their programme included songs in at least four languages, including English, Welsh, Spanish and Zulu. They are due to compete at this year’s Eisteddfod yr Urdd Ceredigion and we were treated to some of the junior and senior ensembles’ songs they will be singing – including a barber-shop quartet version in Welsh of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Lazybones”.
Both Catrin and the young Choir were accompanied at the piano by Stephen Pilkington. We were fortunate to have such accomplished guests to add their polished performances to our Concert.

As usual, our own Accompanist Hywel Evans and Organist Huw Tregelles Williams made their skilled contributions seem effortless, and we would like to congratulate Huw on his recent appointments as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, and President of the South Wales Association of Male Voice Choirs. He is also President of our Choir.

Near the end of the Concert both senior and junior choirs joined forces with Catrin Aur in “Diolch I’r Ior” which went down particularly well with the audience – as did our own MD’s arrangement of “This Is The Moment” from “Jekyll and Hyde”, which closed the Concert. It was enjoyed so much that we repeated the last verse as an encore.

During our Annual Concert various presentations are made, and this year 25-Year certificates were awarded to choristers Des Jones, Gary Nicholas, and Gareth Sullivan. John Edwards was made a Life Member in recognition of his many years of service to the Choir in many roles. The final presentation was of an engraved glass plaque to our Compère Hywel Lewis. After more than 25 years tonight was Hywel's last performance, and his wit and quick reactions to the occasional slip will be sorely missed. We were pleased that his legendary Aunty Gladys was able to attend, and we hope to welcome them both to our concerts for many years to come.
We also applauded baritone Percy Morgan who celebrated his 90th birthday recently. Percy responded with his customary trademark jig.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and successful evening, and we thank all those who took part, the behind-the-scenes ladies who laid on the buffet for Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion, and the Morriston Ladies Choir members who acted as Stewards.

Click on the thumbnails below.

Morriston RFC Male Voice Choir		Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion	Catrin Aur Davies	Islwyn Evans	Hywel Evans Accompanist	D. Huw Rees Musical Director
David Williams	Gareth Sullivan, Gary Nicholas, Seiriol Evans, Desmond Jones	Huw Tregelles Williams, Hywel Evans, Catrin Aur Davies, D. Huw Rees,  David Williams	Seiriol Evans (Chairman)	Huw Tregelles Williams (President)	Gareth Sullivan, Gary Nicholas, Huw Tregelles Williams, Desmond Jones	Hywel Lewis
Gary Nicholas, Huw Tregelles Williams	Desmond Jones	Gareth Sullivan	John Edwards	Catrin Aur acting an aria.	A guest from Brittany coaches Mike Jones, Seiriol Evans and Adrian Walters in "Plaisirs d'Amour".

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Saturday 10th April 2010

St David's Church, Neath, West Glam. 
for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

 All our concerts, except our **Annual on May 15th, are to help raise funds and awareness for charitable causes, and the value of our efforts was brought home to us tonight when, at the end of this concert, Motor Neurone Disease sufferer Morris Fish gave an inspirational address about his life and what our presence meant to him and the MND Association.
                                                               

 We were conducted by our Musical Director D. Huw Rees and accompanied by Hywel Evans in this striking church, whose accoustics took a short time to get accustomed to. Judging by the audience's appreciation we managed to overcome our initial trepidation, and fulfilled their expectations. Our Compère was Robert Harwood.

 We sang 17 pieces from our current repertoire (most of which will be included in our Annual Concert) including Sunset Poem  (Dylan Thomas's "Eli Jenkins's Prayer"), unaccompanied - or as our Compère said, "without the aid of a safety net"!                                                       

Robert Harwood, Compère

Huw Roberts with D. Huw Rees (piano)

Kate Harwood

Kate Harwood and Huw Roberts

Kate and Huw sing Panis Angelicus

 Our own Bass soloist Huw Roberts  sang a varied selection ranging from light music from the shows to a Welsh Hymn, and local 15-year old soprano Kate Harwood  showed maturity beyond her years as she delighted us with her selection of music. Kate is currently studying music, and on the evidence of tonight's wonderful performance a successful career awaits her. We were delighted to learn that she will sing with us again in Bristol next month.

Kate was then joined by Huw Roberts in a beautiful rendition of "Panis Angelicus". 

Bristol, you're in for a treat! (22nd April, St Matthew's Church, Kingsdown)

More photos may be viewed on our page.

** Our Annual Concert aims to raise funds for the Choir itself, to help us continue to perform in concerts for charitable causes, and it is the only concert in our programme that we retain any profit after expenses. 

Saturday 20th March 2010

Old Swinford Hospital School, Stourbridge, West Midlands

This was our first "away" concert of 2010 and we were privileged to have been invited by the Headmaster, ex- Swansea Valley boy, Peter Jones, to take part in another "first" - the inaugural public concert in the School's magnificent new Foleyan Centre. The following is an extract from the School's website, which explains the ethos of the School. 

"Founded by Thomas Foley, an ironmaster from the Great Witley Estate in Worcestershire, Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1670. Foley’s vision was the education of 60 boys from ‘poor but honest’ families drawn from local parishes. Upon his death, the school was left to a group of trustees, also known as Feoffees, Thomas’ sons among them. This tradition has survived the centuries and the Feoffees, including three direct descendants of the founder, retain an active involvement in the school today. 
In the mid-1950s, Old Swinford Hospital became a voluntary aided school, which coincided with a period of expansion, including the addition of a Sixth Form and gymnasium. The boarding provision was extended in the 1980s and in 2004, girls were admitted as Day Students in the Sixth Form for the first time.
As a testament to the school’s stability and success, there have been only six Headmasters since 1882. The latest, Mr Peter Jones, took up the position in 2007, his 19th year at the school".

The concert was organised to raise funds for the local Mary Steven's Hospice and the Stourbridge Rotary International charity, and two bus-loads of choristers and supporters gave up the chance to see Wales defeat Italy as we headed up the M5 - with the game on Radio Wales, of course. Under the baton of our MD, D.Huw Rees, and accompanied by Hywel Evans, we sang a varied programme, including Welsh hymns, songs from musicals, and even one in Zulu. Our Bass soloist Huw Roberts also entertained the capacity audience with a selection from his growing repertoire.

The young musicians of the Old Swinford Swing Band, under their MD Tony Bridgewater, gave a polished performance that we would have expected to have heard from a much more mature group of musicians, and they had the audience tapping their feet as they played several well-known pieces.      

Headmaster Peter Jones introduces the Choir

Old Swinford Hospital Swingband

The capacity audience enjoys the band

Huw Roberts, Bass soloist

We would like to thank Peter Jones, his staff and pupils for the warm welcome and excellent hospitality, both before and after the concert, and we hope we will be asked to return before too long. We also compliment him on the selection of liquid refreshment he provided to lubricate our "afterglow" and to speed us on our homeward journey.

More photos on our page.

Friday 19th February 2010

St. John's Church, Gowerton, Swansea

If the Prime Minister wants to sort out the country's debt he need look no further than Joan Lewis MBE! This bundle of energy organised tonight's concert to raise funds for the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Baby Unit at Singleton Hospital. Three of Joan's grandchildren have been successfully treated at the unit, so it is a cause very close to her heart. Following her success with the Neath Port Talbot Cancer Challenge Singers, Joan founded her new choir, Voices in Harmony, and we were delighted to be invited to support them at this fund-raiser, our first concert of 2010.  

All tickets had been sold, and the church was filled to overflowing with a most appreciative audience who thoroughly enjoyed the varied programme, and there was more than one standing ovation! 

Conducted by our Musical Director D.Huw Rees, we sang a variety of pieces, ranging from English to Welsh to Zulu and Latin, two of them having their first public performance, and our Accompanist Hywel Evans had a busy night again, moving back and forth from piano to organ. The Choir's Vice Chairman, Robert Harwood, compèred the evening in his usual humorous style, informing the audience about the stories behind pieces we were about to sing and keeping them laughing between the performances. 

Voices in Harmony were conducted by Joan and accompanied by Julie Dobbins and Diane Williams on pianos, and Robert Howells on drums. Their animated performances of "Rhythm of Life"  and "Gonna Wash That Man Right Out'a My Hair"  went down particularly well, especially the latter with so many ladies in the audience. 

We were also treated to excellent performances by soloists Claire Powell (Soprano) and Nigel Hopkins (Baritone), both accompanied at the piano by Joan Lewis. Claire's programme ranged from Puccini to John Rutter, and Nigel's spanned the years between Verdi and Schonberg's "Les Miserables".

Such was the success of the concert that a cheque for £1,500 was presented to Dr. Carol Sullivan of the Unit, and this will go to help fund the purchase of a specialist video laryngoscope.

The cheque for £1,500 is presented to Dr Carol Sullivan and some of the children who have benefited from the Neo-Natal Care unit.