First winner of £1K Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary

by Robert Lloyd

An exciting £1,000 musical bursary prize – thought to be the biggest of its kind in Wales – was awarded to a Trimsaran teenager on Saturday night (October 19).

Megan Thomas has been picked as the first winner of the Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary Scholarship.

The prize celebrates the life of Gethin Hughes MBE, who was known as Llanelli’s ‘Mr Music’.

Megan joined other bursary prize hopefuls at competition auditions for the prize.

“She is a very worthy winner,” said the chairman of the judging panel, Eifion Thomas.

Mr Thomas, musical director of Côr Meibion Llanelli and Côr Baroc, said the judges were impressed by the quality of the young musicians and singers who applied for the bursary.

He added: “The bursary is being supported by a £1000 cash contribution by the Llanelli-based Jenkins Bakery and we are grateful for their support in helping talented youngsters continue their musical education.”

Megan, 19, has just taken her place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), to study on the BMus (Hons) jazz course. She sings and plays the piano.

Megan was a student at Ysgol Y Strade and was a member of Côr Cantata, a musical education which has given her the opportunity to sing a wide variety of musical styles and repertoires.

Megan has achieved Grade 5 in Music Theory and Piano, Grade 8 Classical Singing and DipLCM Musical Theatre Singing.

Since discovering her love for performing, Megan has taken lead roles in Carmarthenshire Youth Opera productions, has appeared on the S4C magazine showWedi 3 and taken part in the Original Jazz UK Summer School at the RWCMD.

Megan sings with a local jazz band and with the County Blues Band and hopes that her college degree will further her singing career.

Megan said: “It is a great honour to be the first recipient of the Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary prize and I am looking forward to taking part in Saturday night’s memorial concert.”

The memorial concert at Greenfield will also feature award-winning contralto Eleri Owen Edwards and Côr Meibion Llanelli.

The prize is the brainchild of Eifion Thomas, a close friend of the late Mr Hughes.

“Gethin was a great pal and a long-serving accompanist for Cor Meibion Llanelli,” said Mr Thomas. “We travelled the world to concerts and festivals and Gethin was famous the world over for being a real character and a wonderful ambassador for Llanelli. Gethin made an outstanding contribution to music in Llanelli and in Wales. It is wonderfully fitting that we should honour his memory and celebrate his life with a musical bursary prize.

“Gethin cared very much about supporting and promoting youngsters on their musical careers. Hopefully, this new award will go a long way to encouraging, supporting and developing musical talent in Carmarthenshire.”

The bursary organisers also include Cor Meibion Llanelli chorister Richard Christopher, Gethin’s second cousin. Mr Christopher explained: “The aim is to perpetuate Gethin’s memory by making this an annual concert and to include a competition for young Carmarthenshire musicians. The prize will be a bursary of £1,000 to the winner to help them in their first year of music college.”

Russell Jenkins, operations director of sponsors the Jenkins Bakery, said:“The death of Gethin Hughes robbed Llanelli and Wales of one of its best-loved musicians and characters.

“We are one of the oldest businesses in Llanelli and we have a long association with Gethin and his family. My grandfather was a deacon at Triniti Chapel. Triniti, of course, was very dear to Gethin’s heart.

Gethin’s contribution to the musical life of Llanelli and Wales was immense.

“He died just a few days short of his 76th birthday after a wonderful musical career. The memorial bursary is a cause very dear to our hearts here at the Jenkins Bakery and we are happily supporting the plan with a £1,000 donation.”

Megan Thomas is the first winner of the Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary prize of £1000.

Pictured at Greenfield Chapel, Llanelli, at the Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary concert.

Left David Jenkins, company secretary and director of the sponsors of the award, the Jenkins Bakery. Middle Megan. Right, Eifion Thomas, musical director of Cor Meibion Llanelli and Cor Baroc and chairman of the Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary Fund.