Star on Song -June 14

Gwendraeth Valley mezzo soprano Eirlys Myfanwy Davies is spending her summer performing at world famous Glyndebourne, surrounded by the rolling hills of the South Downs.
The popular singer is in the chorus for four operas – La Traviata, Hamlet, Don Pasquale and Clemenza di Tito – and will be at Glyndebourne until the end of August.
This week, has seen the world premiere of Hamlet, a work Eirlys describes as an “absolutely amazing opera” by Brett Dean.
She added: “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to be a part of such a stunning cast! I am very lucky indeed.”
Eirlys Myfanwy Davies was born in Trimsaran.
She is a Samling Artist and Independent Opera Vocal Scholarship recipient.
She studied at the Alexander Gibson Opera School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), supported by the ABRSM and RCS Trust.
She gained a Distinction and DipRAM for excellence in the Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), London, after previously gaining a BMus (Hons) in Vocal Studies from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff (RWCMD).
Her previous operatic engagements include Penelope in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse for the Alexander Gibson Opera School and Pompea in Dove’s The Little Green Swallow for British Youth Opera.
A familiar face on the concert and competition platform in Wales, she is a winner of the prestigious W Towyn Roberts Scholarship, ‘Voice of the Future’ at Llangollen International Eisteddfod and Llais Llwyfan Llambed Award.
She has also been a finalist in the Welsh Singers Competition at St. David’s Hall, The Stuart Burrows International Voice Award, London Welsh Young Singer of The Year, MOCSA, and Dunraven Welsh Young Singer of the Year competitions.
Eirlys gives regular oratorio, recital and gala performances all over the UK, and as guest artist with many of Wales’ most renowned male choirs.
She has performed in venues across Europe and the UK including the Royal Albert Hall, Brussels Cathedral, Millennium Centre, and The Vatican.
Brett Dean’s Hamlet is the classic Shakespearean story of betrayal, revenge and madness
Brett Dean said: “The themes of life and death, love and betrayal have opera written all over them.”
Dean’s colourful, energetic, witty and richly lyrical music expertly captures the modernity of Shakespeare’s timeless tale, while also exploiting the traditional operatic elements of arias, ensembles and choruses.
Matthew Jocelyn’s inspired libretto is pure Shakespeare, adhering to the Bard’s narrative thread but abridging, reconfiguring and interweaving it into motifs that highlight the main dramatic themes: death, madness, the impossibility of certainty and the complexities of action.
The opera is being sung in English with English supertitles.
You can see Hamlet live in selected UK cinemas on Thursday, July 6.
The opera venue of Glyndebourne began with a love story in 1934 when founder John Christie met soprano Audrey Mildmay.
Glyndebourne is now one of the finest and most celebrated opera houses in the world and delivers performances to some 150,000 people across a summer Festival and the autumn Tour.
Surrounded by the rolling hills of the South Downs, you get the chance to explore the beautiful gardens and White Cube at Glyndebourne, a temporary art gallery, before you go into our 1,200-seat indoor auditorium.
The interval lasts 90 minutes, giving music lovers plenty of time to take in those stunning views again over a picnic and a glass of bubbly, or to enjoy a spot of dinner at one of our onsite restaurants and visit the Glyndebourne Shop.
Website –
http://www.glyndebourne.com
Closer to home, Llanelli District Music and Drama Club bring their current season to a close this month.
Their concert will feature the Old Spice barber shop quartet. It is at Glenalla Civic Hall Llanelli, Friday, June 30, 7.30 pm. Tickets £8. Students £5.
The Old Spice group’s wide repertoire covers early 20th century pop, jazz and blues numbers, as well as more recent songs.
The Lleisiau Hardd annual concert on Saturday, July 15, will feature Carmarthen-born baritone Mark Llewelyn Evans.
The concert will also feature the junior wing of the choir, Lleisiau Hardd Bach, with both choirs under the direction of Bridget Radford.
There will be classic songs from the West End, traditional Welsh songs and much, much, more, with plenty of fun guaranteed with such an accomplished performer as Mark Evans.
You can book tickets for the Lleisiau Hardd annual concert featuring Mark Evans on the Theatrau Sir Gar website – http://www.theatrausirgar.co.uk
This month, sees The Last Night of the Proms 2017 at Ffwrnes on June 24.
The event features 250-plus massed voices and musicians starring the massed choirs of Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers, Angelicus Chorale, Morriston RFC Choir, Llanelli Choral Society, British Sinfonietta, all under the legendary baton of John Hywel Williams MBE, for Wales’ exciting flag-waving extravaganza Last Night of the Proms.
Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi choristers are turning their attention to their prestigious annual summer concert.
“The annual summer concert is one of the highlights of our year,” said choir spokesman Derrick Rowlands.
“Last year’s event was a huge success, so we are looking forward to a repeat performance this July.”
The Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi summer concert will be on Saturday July 22 at the Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly.
It will feature, soprano Fflur Wyn, Y Trio Cymraeg – three fine voices from North Wales – and compere Ioan Hefin.
Y Trio Cymraeg are from the Deiniolen in the heart of Snowdonia and feature the voices of Bedwyr Gwyn Parri (baritone), Emyr Wyn Gibson (tenor) and Steffan Lloyd Owen (bass-baritone).
The trio’s roots are deep in a culture of music and song, a culture where singing is the natural mode of enjoyment, and where singing in harmony is second nature.
Trio are recognised as something of a Welsh phenomenon; not classical, not pop, not rock and not folk, but merely three great young male voices combining to make fine music in harmony.
Emyr, Bedwyr and Steffan have one very special thing in common – a love of singing, and a natural ability to draw on songs from all genres to fulfil that love.
In this, they have a guiding light in Annette Bryn Parri, their accompanist and mentor, who also contributes to their latest album as a composer.
Like Annette, they all have strong connections with the slate-quarrying region of North-West Wales, an area which has made a significant contribution to the contemporary music scene in Wales.
For Côr Meibion Dyffryn Tywi, Helen Wyn has stepped up to the podium as temporary musical director as Davinia Harries is on maternity leave.
Their regular accompanist, Maureen Chapman, will be playing at the summer concert.
The choir was formed in 1975 and in its 41 years of existence has appeared in more than 1000 concerts, the majority for charities. The choir practices every Tuesday at the Red Lion, Llandyfaelog.

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