Thursday, July 6, 2023

Visiting Welsh Secretary says Eisteddfod is 'fantastic international day'


* Welsh Secretary David TC Davies meets, a limbo dancer from Trinidad and Tobago who will be competing with his group later today.

Llangollen Eisteddfod is a "fantastic international day right in the heart of Wales", according to Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies.

Mr Davies was spending the day at the Eisteddfod and meeting festival organisers.

Speaking to llanblogger, he said: "I am delighted to be here and have to admit it's not somewhere I've been before.

"My early impressions are that it is absolutely fantastic to be here and watching all the colourful performers walking past, like members of an African dance band and a group of dancers from Turkey, is great.

"It's a fantastic international day right in the heart of Wales and is very important that it continues."

He added: "In Wales we celebrate music, culture and dancing in a way I don't think happens anywhere else in the rest of the UK.

"My wife is Hungarian and used to be a Hungarian folk dancer and I know she really likes the fact that we celebrate these traditions in Wales and welcome visitors to Llangollen from all over the world."   

* In a round-up of other Eisteddfod activities this morning (Thursday) ...

* The Cantilon youth choir appear at the last minute in St Collen's.

A youth choir from Canada stepped in at the last moment to replace their counterparts from the Philippines when they were unable to make a recital at St Collen’s this afternoon (Thursday).

Members of Cantilon from Edmonton in Alberta cut short their lunch break to dash across town from the maes to the church and within minutes get right into their first number, a jaunty Irish folk tune.

They became unexpected substitutes for Kammerchor after the plane bringing them to the UK from Manila was cancelled.

St Collen’s is hosting a series of recitals by visiting choirs throughout the week and it was announced in church that Kammerchor still hoped to make the 2pm slot tomorrow (Friday) after the Delaware Choral Sholars from the USA perform at 1pm.


* Singers from Ysgol Tryfan in Bangor perform on the Globe Stage.


* Above and below: the Northern Lights dancers from Yorkshire take part in the children's folk dance competition.



* Youngsters take part in a circus skills session which was one of the activities on the maes this morning.

No comments:

Post a Comment