Two of Britain’s finest voices combined in perfect harmony to get Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’s legendary evening concerts back on song after a couple of years’ pandemic break.
From the moment they bounded on to the famous Pavilion stage Aled Jones and Russell Watson were in superb form, teaming up for numbers as diverse and powerful as the sweet hymn May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You before splitting up for solos like Watson’s breathtaking O Sole Mio.
The Great American Songbook was an obvious choice for them to both to deliver a sizzling Night and Day and a stirring Shenandoha.
We stayed in the same spine-tingling vein for a medley of Where Have All the Flowers Gone and Here’s to the Heroes.
Talking about heroes it was then time to head into a gripping Impossible Dream which ended the first half.
Watson’s impeccably Neapolitan Funiculi Funicula brought us back into the second half of the packed programme and we remained in the Med for Volare which saw the duo having fun with the packed audience as they tested out our own singing skills.
A real novelty was to see Jones dueting with himself as he sung along with a 1980s film of the boy Aled sweetly performing Pia Jesu.
After a couple of blissful hours things were wound up very appropriately for the venue as they left us with a memorable Calon Lan.
An already brilliant evening had started off with Terry Waite, who had been the Eisteddfod’s much-loved president for 15 years bidding the fond public farewell he had been unable to do since leaving the role in 2020 due to the pandemic.
He was on stage to be presented with a commemorative award by Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies who is himself relinquishing his role this year.
* Dr Rhys Davies with former president Terry Waite.
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