Concert Review

By Robert Lloyd

Côr Meibion Llanelli Concert at the Gravells Subaru Showroom in Kidwelly.

Soloist: soprano Joy Cornock.

The posters on the wall were all about precision engineering and powerful gearboxes – but there was nothing mechanical about Côr Meibion Llanelli’s performance at the Gravells Subaru showroom in Kidwelly.

Yes, they were precise. Yes, they provided some interesting musical gear-changes. Yes, there was plenty of power. But there was much, much more – and , as always, it was all served up with a passion which has become a hallmark of one of the finest choirs in Wales.

The concert was a fund-raiser for the Llanelli Sea Cadet Corps (TS Echo) to commemorate their 70th anniversary and the Warship Week (1942) adoption by ‘Llanelly’ of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Echo.

The President of TS Echo, Lt Col David Mathias provided the military background to the occasion in an illuminating opening address.

And there were reference points to World War Two in the choir’s programme – most notably Y Tangnefeddwyr (about the Swansea Blitz) and the Requiem, a piece first performed by the choir on their recent visit to s’Hertogenbosch to mark the liberation of the Netherlands city by Welsh soldiers during the war.

It wasn’t all war, though, as the choir served up some old favourites.

Myfanwy, Nant y Mynydd, Anthem, Swing Low, Amen and Ride The Chariot were all warmly-received.

Under music director D Eifion Thomas, the choir pulled out all the stops on Verdi’s La Vergine Degli Angeli from la Forza del Destino, which featured guest soprano soloist Joy Cornock.

The soprano was a big hit with the audience with her solo spots, including Ivor Novello’s Waltz of my heart and a dramatic rendition of Puccini’s O mio babbino caro (Oh My Beloved Father).

The accompanist for the concert was Joy Amman Davies, musical director of the Morriston Orpheus Choir.

Picture:  choir members in full voice.