'Voice of an angel' singer to compete at Eisteddfod

* Sheena Miranda.

A care practitioner with a "voice of an angel" who wowed opera star Sir Bryn Terfel will take centre stage at a global event.

Sheena Miranda, 29, who works for the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, will be competing in the open folk category at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Back in 2003 she won in the weekly finals and landed 50,000 Peso prize – around £850 – in a televised show called Search for a Star in her native Philippines.

According to Sheena, she turned down the offer of a recording contract to study marketing at University Of St La Salle in Bacolod city.

She now works at Bodlondeb, Pendine Park's centre of excellence for dementia care where the arts play a central role in the enrichment programme to improve the quality of life for residents and staff alike.

Sheena earned rapturous applause when sang for Sir Bryn and his partner, the former royal harpist, Hannah Stone, when they visited Pendine Park.

Coincidentally, Sir Bryn will also be starring at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in a production of Puccini's classic opera, Tosca, which is being sponsored by arts loving Pendine Park.

On the Thursday of Eisteddfod week Pendine Park and Sir Bryn will be teaming up again as sponsors of the Voice of the Future Competition to find the world's best young singers when the finalists will be competing for the Pendine Trophy and a cheque for £6,000.

Sheena was "thrilled and very excited" she found out she had been accepted to compete at the festival which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

She said: “I was amazed when I received the notification that I had been accepted. I’m still deciding what to sing in the competition itself but I sang a modern country folk song, ‘Wake Me Up’ which I performed acapella.

“I applied on line and really didn’t think I’d be accepted but I’m absolutely delighted and so excited to have the chance to perform at such an amazing event.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for me and I hope to get through the preliminary round so I can perform in the final.”

“To sing on the main stage would be amazing. Sir Bryn Terfel visited Pendine Park and I sang for him, he was fantastic and to think I might get to sing on the same stage he performs on would be a dream come true.”

Sheena added: “I enjoy working at Bodlondeb and singing for residents when I can. I enjoy my care work at Bodlondeb and we have a great team. Singing gives me a lot of pleasure.”
According to Bodlondeb manager Ann Chapman, Sheena really does have the "voice of an angel."

She said: “She sings beautifully and residents really enjoy listening to her. She won our Bodlondeb's Got Talent competition and I know how much she enjoyed performing in the Chirk pantomime.

“To have successfully auditioned for the International Music Eisteddfod is just amazing. I know she will do really well and I hope she wins the Open Folk title.

“Sheena is very popular with Bodlondeb residents, relatives and her work colleagues. She is a very important member of our hard-working team.

”The golden thread running through everything we do is our award-winning enrichment programme which put the arts right at the centre of how we improve the quality of life for our residents and also the staff looking after them."

Sheena warmed up for the Eisteddfod with an appearance at the Women’s Festival of Music and Art which was held in Llangollen last weekend.

The aim of the event at Llangollen Town Hall was to provide an opportunity for women to showcase their talents as well as raising money for good causes, including Stop the Traffik, which aims to put an end to human trafficking.

Sheena said: “I was asked to perform at the Women’s Festival of Music and Art after I appeared as Rapunzel in an amateur pantomime at Chirk in February.

“I just enjoy performing and singing so I agreed straight away.

“I wanted to do a little bit to help raise funds that will help in the fight against it. No human being deserves to be abused or trafficked.

“The event was also supporting the Halo Project which aims to stop forced marriages honour killing or abuse and in aid of Llangollen Silver Hut Band.

"I felt empowered as a woman because I realise that I wasn't only singing for myself or entertaining people but am contributing to the charity and to the society.  I would like to thank everyone in production who made this happen for me."