Gareth Malone showcases new choir at Llangollen

* Choirmaster Gareth Malone.

Britain’s favourite choirmaster will showcase his new choir at this summer’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Gareth Malone OBE, who masterminded the meteoric rise to fame of the Military Wives choir, is looking forward to playing a part in the climactic Choir of the World event when choirs will compete for the prestigious Pavarotti Trophy.

 

And Gareth’s new Voices choir will perform at the glittering event while he also has ambitious plans to recruit some members from the international choirs to put on a very special joint performance.

 

He said: “I’m really excited about visiting Llangollen and soaking up the festival’s unique atmosphere. Llangollen has such history, I can’t think of any English festival that compares or comes even close.

 

“I have visited the Eisteddfod once before but we were filming for The Choir: Sing While You Work and it was so chaotically busy filming, that I didn’t get the chance to see as much of the festival as I’d have liked.

 

“This will be one of the first performances of my new Voices choir. We begin a UK tour in November and I have auditioned and put together a whole new choir for this year, although some of last year’s vocalists are still with me.”

 

The Eisteddfod’s Musical Director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, says he’s looking forward to welcoming Gareth Malone.

 

He said: “Gareth has quickly become a national institution and rightly so. He has done so much to bring choral music to the fore and I’m looking forward to listening to his Voices choir.

 

“The Eisteddfod’s Saturday evening Choir of the World event and concert is the climax of a week of competition and it’s always a concert and an evening I particularly enjoy.

 

“The standard is always extremely high, which is what you would expect from one of the world’s leading choir competitions.

 

“Having someone of Gareth’s undoubted talent and calibre on the Llangollen stage is fantastic for the event and the festival as a whole and I’m sure it’s going to be a wonderful evening.”

 

Gareth says he wanted to change his choir for this year to include an element of gospel but the ability to sing isn’t the only thing he looks for.

 

He aded: “I look for three elements, firstly the ability to sing, the voice. Secondly it’s skill. Yes, many people can sing but haven’t the skill to harmonise, to adapt. Thirdly it’s personality.

 

“All my work is about bringing people together. And in terms of live performance I find 16 voices, eight male and eight female, all working together toward a common goal, incredible.

 

“There is something so beautiful about it and I love it. It’s endlessly entertaining. And music goes before all, when diplomacy fails music often still brings people together.”

 

Gareth, a Royal College of Music vocal student, was honoured with an OBE in 2012 for his services to music, and is perhaps best known for TV shows such as The Choir and The Choir: Military Wives, an ensemble of wives and partners of military personnel serving in Afghanistan.

 

Their song, Wherever You Are, a love poem compiled from letters between the women and their husbands and partners, was set to music by St Asaph-born composer Paul Mealor, and was the 2011 Christmas number one.

 

In November 2014 Gareth was back at the top of the charts with a group of celebrities he mentored with the Children in Need charity single, Wake Me Up, a cover of a song originally recorded by a Swedish dance act.

 

He said: “I hope to spring a few surprises at Llangollen and treat the audience to something special.

 

“They can expect anything from William Byrd to Queen and U2 or Dire Straits to choral composers like Eric Whitacre.

 

“We are working on developing a wide repertoire and there are some surprise choices which I think audiences will enjoy. And I’m particularly looking forward to putting something together with my own Voices choir and some of the singers from the competing choirs.

 

“It’s going to be something special, a fabulous evening and I and my Voices choir members are really excited about Llangollen. It’s going to be a very special evening.”

 

Among the other highlights at this year's Eisteddfod will be the Thursday night concert when heart-throb tenor Alfie Boe will be joined on stage by Britain’s Got Talent star Jonathan Antoine.

 

Other big draws include Oscar-winning music legend Burt Bacharach, the immensely popular Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and former royal harpist Catrin Finch.

 

For the final concert on Sunday, July 12, Ali Campbell, the voice of UB40 who sold 70 million records, will be reunited on the eisteddfod stage with two other founding members of the group, percussionist, trumpet player and vocalist Astro and keyboard player Mickey.

 

Children’s Day and the Parade of Nations, led by Eisteddfod President Terry Waite will take place on the Tuesday afternoon before the evening Heart of Llangollen concert.

 

Wednesday’s programme will include a new competition for the International Young Musician of the Year as well as the Children’s Choir of the World while Thursday’s competitions will see another first, the International Voice of Musical Theatre Trophy.

 

* To book tickets and for more details on the 2015 festival go to the website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

 

Canal couple tie up in Llan to tie knot

* Ian and Sue hand over the charity donations from their

wedding gift cash to Llangollen town crier Austin Cheminais.

A COUPLE of narrowboat enthusiasts who met on the canal in Llangollen decided to return to the town to get spliced.

Sue and Ian Goodwin were married at St Collen’s Church last Saturday and handed over £120 of their wedding gift cash to Austin Cheminais, Llangollen’s town crier, to pass on to the North Wales Air Ambulance.

They also donated money to Llangollen’s Prostrate Cancer Support Group and Samaritans Liverpool.

Ian, known locally as `Spadger’ which is also the name of his narrowboat,  has been spending the winter in Llangollen for over 10 years.

A few years ago he lost his wife to illness whilst moored at Llangollen wharf, but continued to return each winter.

Sue, a fellow narrowboater,  also lost her husband to illness.

“It’s hard to explain, but us both losing our partners is one of the things that bought me and Ian together,”  said Sue.

Ian and Sue met whilst moored in town a couple of years ago, fell in love and decided to get married.

Added Sue: “We were overjoyed to be able to get married in Llangollen.  We had so much support and help from local people with our wedding.

“We shopped in Llangollen to support local business, used the Town Hall for our reception and booked around 30 hotel rooms. Our thanks go to everybody who helped make our day special.”

Ian said: “We travel all over the UK in our narrowboat but Llangollen is truly special and we will continue to return here each winter.

“We look forward to November when we know will get a warm welcome as we renew old friendships and once again become part of a great community.”

The newlyweds, who live on their narrowboat,  have just left Llangollen heading for the Shropshire Union Canal.

They plan to travel all summer on their boat and will return to Llangollen in November to spend the winter.

Health help available over bank holiday weekend

THE Welsh Ambulance Service is reminding the public about the alternative help that is available across Wales before calling 999, ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday.

NHS Direct Wales, Pharmacies, GPs and Minor Injury Units are just some of the alternatives that are being highlighted to the public during the Easter break, at a time when the Welsh Ambulance Service can normally experience a higher demand in calls to its service.

NHS Direct Wales is both an online website service and 24hr telephone advice line.

Health advisors are able to advise callers or visitors on the best pathway to suitable treatment for medical conditions, give information on local NHS service opening times and help you make sure you can get your repeat prescriptions over the holiday.

A NHS Direct Wales spokesperson said: “Over the bank holiday some pharmacies may be open for limited periods or closed completely so if you take any prescribed medication it is important you order repeat prescriptions in advance. If you are going away, remember to pack enough medication for the length of your holiday.”

If you run out of your medication and need a repeat prescription, you may be able to get an emergency supply from a pharmacy that is open, which will cover your medication needs for five days if -

• It is impossible to see a doctor

• It is a genuine emergency

• It is not a controlled drug (e.g. morphine, methadone)

It is always a good idea to keep your GP Out of Hours service number to hand. If you are going to be away from home make sure you find out what health services (including GP out of hours) are available in the area.

You can also purchase over the counter remedies from your pharmacy for minor ailments after seeking advice from a pharmacist rather than making an appointment with your GP for a prescription. Before you dial 999 for an ambulance, we would ask that you remember:

• If you are feeling unwell and you are not sure what to do, please call the NHS Direct Wales service on 0845 46 47 and speak to a nurse adviser for information and advice, available 24 hours a day, every day.

• If you are deaf or hard of hearing call the NHS Direct Wales textphone number on 0845 606 46 47.

• If you have a medical emergency such as loss of consciousness, difficulty in breathing, suspected heart attack, heavy blood loss, serious injury or severe burns call 999.

• Sending an ambulance to a call that is not an emergency could delay the response to a seriously ill or injured patient.

• Patients with minor illnesses or injuries who arrive at hospital by ambulance do not receive faster treatment.

Tall tales day at aqueduct a towering success

* The canal World Heritage site which hosted the family fun day.

Tall tales were told when Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site hosted a family fun day on Tuesday.

Ruth Moore-Williams, folk singer and story teller, enthralled visitors with her canal ditties and wild words of the waterways. She also played her antique instruments.

A range of community craft and food stalls sold their wares and Explorers, the children’s education arm of the Trust, staged activities for youngsters of all ages.

Amongst VIP guests were the mayor and mayoress of Llangollen, Bob and Margaret Lube.

Visitors became amongst the first to see the newly-refurbished grade II listed twin dry docks, which have been restored as part of an £88,000 project funded by the European Rural Development Programme, Wrexham County Borough Council and public donations to the Canal & River Trust.

Dating back to the early 19^th century, the docks were in need of vital repair work to seal leaks in the chamber walls, remove vegetation, replace and repair posts and fences.

The project has included improvements to public access, painting and masonry repairs, and new paved pathways near the visitor centre. The covered dock is currently leased by boat hire company Anglo Welsh and is still used for boat repairs.

Lynda Slater, visitor centre manager at Trevor Basin, said: “The fun day was a fantastic celebration to mark the end of the refurbishment and landscaping work and the start of the main summer season.

“Each year the magnificent Pontcysyllte Aqueduct attracts more than 200,000 visitors as word spreads of this stunning engineering masterpiece. Opened in 1805 and designed by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, it is the highest, longest aqueduct in the UK.”

* The mayoress of Llangollen, Margaret Lube, at the event.

 

* The ladies from Trevor and Garth Community had a successful day selling cakes and local produce. 

Work on Sainsbury's store starts "within days" says report

The Daily Post is reporting today (Wednesday) that work is due to start in the next few days on the planned new Sainsbury's store for Llangollen.

For the full story, see: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/llangollen-sainsburys-could-open-christmas-8957787

AM welcomes help for water customers

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has welcomed Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s innovative new social tariff, ‘HelpU’, aimed at helping the company’s most disadvantaged customers.

 

From  April 1 it will be offering annual savings of up to £250 or 55% on the average household bill.



* Mark Isherwood AM.

Average household incomes in the area served by Welsh Water are almost 13% lower than the rest of England and Wales with some substantive areas being 20% below the average. 

 

To help combat this, Welsh Water’s new ‘HelpU’ tariff, which will benefit those on total household income of less than £12,500, has been developed with support from the independent consumer watchdog CCWater, the Welsh Government and Community Housing Cymru.

 

It is aimed at helping more customers than ever before who genuinely struggle to pay their water bills, with independent research showing that over 75% of the company’s customers support the new tariff.
 

Mr Isherwood, who attended Welsh Water’s briefing session on the new tariff in the Assembly last week, said: “We often speak to constituents who are struggling to make ends meet. As a result, I welcome this latest initiative by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water which is aimed at helping even more of its customers who struggle to pay their water bills.

 

"I’d urge anyone who is worried about their water bills or wants to know what help is available to contact the company so that they can get the help they need as soon as possible.”

 

* Customers wishing to apply for help to pay their water and sewerage bills can visit dwrcymru.com or phone Welsh Water on 0800 052 0145. More details on who is eligible and other sources of support are available on the company’s website. 

 

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water Chief Executive, Chris Jones, said: “As a company owned on behalf of its customers, we are proud to be leading the way by launching a new social tariff that will, for the first time ever, help over 100,000 households on the lowest incomes so that they are able to pay their water bills.

 

"This is also a win-win for all our other customers as it will help us to keep down the level of costs as a whole, and so if customers are genuinely struggling with their water bills, we’d urge them to contact us to see if we can help.”

 

Operatic seeking Sister Act sponsors

* Operatic members recently staged a Nun Run to raise money for their

production of Sister Act.

Llangollen Operatic Society has put out the call for businesses to sponsor its forthcoming production of the smash-hit musical Sister Act.

The show will be given its North Wales premiere by the society at the Town Hall between April 21 and 25.

Operatic spokeswoman Louisa Jones said:  “Sponsorship of a performance costs £125 and includes four prime viewing seats, four drinks of your choice from the bar, four programmes and the opportunity to advertise and distribute marketing material in Llangollen Town Hall.

“We currently have openings on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and the Saturday matinee performance.”

She added:  “Ticket sales are looking good and we have group bookings from as far afield as Shipley in West Yorkshire, so this is a great opportunity for a local business to promote themselves whilst enjoying an evening of great entertainment. “

* Anyone who is interested can contact Louisa on 07989 985644, or e-mail louisa.jones@live.com