Rhos Boys Choir at Eisteddfod Christmas festival

 

* The Rhos Boys Choir with, from left, the Three Welsh Tenors, Rhys Meirion, Aled Hall and Alun Rhys-Jenkins, and their Musical Director, Aled Phillips.

 

A BOYS’ choir which sparked a chorus of approval when it sang at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod last year is returning to perform at the festival’s Christmas concert.

Rhos Boys’ Choir, the junior section of the world-famous Rhos Male Voice Choir, was only formed just over two years ago but has already attracted plenty of attention.

In only its second public appearance the 25-strong choir, for youngsters aged seven to 12, delivered a bravura performance during the awards ceremony for the Eisteddfod’s prestigious Children’s Choir of the World competition in July 2014.

On the strength of that showing the choir has now been invited back to the iconic Royal International Pavilion to appear at the Eisteddfod Music and Staging Committee’s annual Christmas concert on Sunday December 13.

On the big night, which starts at 7.30pm, they’ll join an impressive musical line-up including TRIO, a young, male ensemble from the heart of Snowdonia, and the Flintshire Country String Orchestra.

Founder of the boys’ choir and its musical director is Aled Phillips, head of music at Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen and former musical director of Rhos Male Voice Choir.

He said: “We decided to set up the choir because we were keen to introduce younger boys to choral singing.

“We also believed that if boys developed a love for that kind of singing they might want to stay on and eventually join the full choir.

“The choir was formed and attracted a lot of interest. In fact, my own son, Tomos, who is now nine, was one of the first members and is still singing in the treble section.

“The choir rehearses each Thursday, from 5.30-6.30pm, at the Stiwt in Rhos and welcomes new members.”

The new choir’s first public performance came in the spring of last year when it sang during the annual St David’s Day concert at the Stiwt Theatre in Rhos and delighted a full house audience.

They appeared alongside the Rhos senior choir, which meant a number of the boys were sharing the stage with their fathers, grandfathers and uncles.

Next came the memorable appearance at the Eisteddfod when the boys performed the traditional Welsh folk song Sospan Fach and the Gary Barlow number, Let me Go, during the children’s choir awards presentation.

Last year had a grand finale for the choir when they recorded two songs for the senior choir’s Christmas CD, Noe! Noe!

In September this year the boys won further acclaim when they were invited to sing on the same bill as the famous Three Welsh Tenors – Rhys Meirion, Aled Hall and Aled Wyn Davies - in a concert celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Nightingale House Hospice at Glyndwr University’s William Aston Hall.

And they’ll be back at the same venue on November 14 when they join the line-up of Rhos Male Voice Choir’s annual concert which also includes Portuguese tenor Luis Gomes and Caernarfon soprano Meinir Wyn Roberts, who won the Voice of the Future title at this year’s Llangollen Eisteddfod.

Their musical director Aled Phillips said after that the boys will be polishing up their performance for their Christmas return to the Llangollen Pavilion stage.

He said: “We’ll be singing four Christmas songs – two in Welsh and two in English – on the night.

“The Welsh ones will be Nadolig Llawen by Caryl Parry Jones and Mae’na Faban Bach by Robat Arwyn and the English songs are Mistletoe by Justin Bieber and Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill which was used in the film The Grinch.

“Everyone in the choir is looking forward to being back on stage at the Pavilion in Llangollen after our appearance at the Eisteddfod last year when the response from the audience gave us a tremendous boost.

“It’s going to be a great start to Christmas.”

This will be third year the Eisteddfod’s Christmas concert has been held and the event has rapidly become a popular and eagerly anticipated date in the festival’s calendar.

Hosted by sports commentator and High Court judge Nic Parry, a familiar face on the main stage during Eisteddfod week, it will also showcase the talents of TRIO, a young, male ensemble from Snowdonia.

The threesome, who have recently released their debut album of the same name, describe themselves as a “new singing experience” and have a broad, bi-lingual repertoire.

Also appearing are the Flintshire Country String Orchestra, conducted by Aled Tudor Marshman, part of the highly successful Flintshire County Youth Music School which was established in 1996.

In recent years, the orchestra has performed at a host of events across the UK and Europe and has also competed at the National Festival of Music for Youth, which is Europe’s largest music event of its type.

Elen Roberts, chairman of the Eisteddfod’s Music and Staging Committee, said: “The programme for this year’s concert is bursting with a mix of seasoned performers and rising talent and promises to be a real Christmas cracker.

“I know all of the performers are saying they are delighted to be taking part in this festive celebration of music and we look forward to welcoming them, and indeed our audience, in Llangollen.

“We are delighted to be featuring such home-grown talent as the Rhos Boys’ Choir which has achieved so much in the short time since it was founded under the brilliant direction of Aled Phillips.

“It’s also good to be presenting the Flintshire String Orchestra with which I have been closely associated through my own work with the Flintshire Music Service.”

For more information or to buy tickets to the concert, visit the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’s website at www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk.

* Tickets are priced at £10 (concessions £8) and can also be purchased directly from the box office at the Pavilion, or from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.

Legion puts out urgent call for bugler

Llangollen Royal British Legion has put out an urgent call for a bugler.

Branch chairman John Lawton said: "For our Armistice Day Service on Wednesday, we have no bugler.

"We need someone to play the Last Post and Reveille.

"The service starts around 10.45am and will finish around 11.15am."

* Anyone who can help is asked to contact Mr Lawton on 01978 661039.

Free Northern Soul Beginners Dance Class.

There's a free, informal Northern Soul dance class tonight (Monday 9th Nov).

It's led by one of the Soul Suite (Wrexham) regulars, Lynne.

She's showing how to slide across the floor to some great Northern Soul tunes. (Best to wear shoes without rubbery souls.)

The class starts at 7pm in the function room of the Hand Hotel and Bar, Bridge Street, Llangollen.

This beginners dance class has been organised to complement the next New Dot Cinema Llangollen event which is going to be a big one.

It's based around 2014 film, 'Northern Soul' and also features original Northern Soul DJ, Lawrence Preston, who's playing a set after the film. He specialises in rare soul vinyl.

Entry to the Monday dance class is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. New Dot is a not-for-profit community cinema, powered entirely by volunteers.

Santa goes on the rocks ready for festival

* Santa on the rocks. 

IN the past few years he’s paddled in aboard a white water canoe and been carried in aboard a helicopter.

And now Santa has been practising his abseiling skills ready for his arrival at Llangollen’s annual Christmas Festival.

As our exclusive picture shows, the intrepid old man with a beard has been brushing up his rope technique on the cliffs overlooking the town ready.

“You may have been wondering how I manage to get down all those tall chimneys – and now you know,” he said.

“It’s almost a year since I got my ropes out, so a quick practice didn’t go amiss.”

The festival will be held on Saturday November 28 and starts with the big parade at 1pm.

Christmas lights will be switched on in Castle Street at 5pm.

There will be stalls and entertainment on the Tourist Information Steps and in the surrounding streets. Sion Corn himself will be in his grotto. 

Once the lights have been turned on the festivities will end with a firework display.

Proceeds from the event will once again be donated to Air Ambulance Wales. 

Llangollen remembers the fallen

* The Rev Andrew Sully leads the service.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Hundreds of people packed the centre of Llangollen for the annual Service of Remembrance this morning (Sunday).

The Rev Andrew Sully, Vicar of St Collen's Church, led the service assisted by other local clergy.

The traditional Ode of Remembrance was read out by John Lawton, of the Lllangollen branch of the Royal British Legion, followed by the laying of wreaths by representatives of numerous local organisations and groups, including the Mayor, Cllr Mike Adams, on behalf of the Town Council.

As the wreath-laying was taking place the names of local servicemen who fell fighting for their country were read out.

Following prayers and hymns, the parade, led by Royal British Legion standard bearers and Llangollen Silver Band, proceeded through the town centre. In its ranks were various groups such as local military cadets, Scouts, Guides and Brownies.

 

 

* The parade forms up in front of the war memorial in Castle Street.

 

* Members of the local army cadets take their place.

 

 

* Standards are lowered in homage to the fallen.

 

* A young member of Llangollen Silver Band sounds Last Post.

 

* An elderly veteran salutes the fallen after laying his wreath. 

 

 

* A younger veteran lays his wreath.

 

 

* The parade marches off along Castle Street at the end of the service.

 

 

* Many young people took part in the parade.

 

 

* The Mayor of Llangollen, Cllr Mike Adams, 

parades along Bridge Street.

Food Assembly launches this month

* Robyn Lovelock with her son Harris. 

A NEW way of buying food is coming to Llangollen. 

The Food Assembly is an online service that brings people together to buy food directly from local farmers and foodmakers.

Customers in Llangollen can order food online from local food producers before picking it up weekly at a local pub, the Ponsonby Arms.

All the food comes from within around 26 miles of the area, meaning for every £1 spent, 90p stays in the local economy. 

Weekly shoppers can choose from unique local products, such as organic veg from Babbinswood Farm, oak-smoked cheese from Knolton Farmhouse Cheese, and award-winning bangers from family-run business, Pen-y-lan Pork.

There will also be plenty of pastries, artisan bread and other local and seasonal goodies. 

Community is at the heart of the Food Assembly – it connects neighbours to farmers, neighbours to each other, and everyone to their food. 

Each Food Assembly is a neighbourhood meeting point.

Llangollen Food Assembly is organised by Robyn Lovelock from the town who said: “While we have some fantastic locally produced food in the area, it can be difficult to find in one place and to buy outside of working hours.

“I’m excited that the Food Assembly will bring some together local farmers and producers with customers keen to buy fresh, tasty local food and other products.”

She added: “I hope the idea will bring another dimension to food options in Llangollen, supporting its Cittaslow slow food status and adding to the great selection of restaurants and delicatessens already here.” 

Llangollen is only the second Welsh town to get Cittaslow status, after Mold.

Llangollen Food Assembly will launch on Wednesday November 18, from 6pm-8pm at the Ponsonby Arms in Mill Street, with online ordering available from November 11.

Local customers can meet farmers, foodmakers and their neighbours, taste local food samples and see where their food comes from – as well as sampling some of the Ponsonby Arms’ selection of beers and wines.

For more information and to register as a customer or producer, go to www.thefoodassembly.com and search for Llangollen, or call Robyn on 0779 9896108.

 

Twenty Club's triumphant return to Fawlty Towers

* Ally Goodman as Basil and Richard Mascarenhas as Manuel in

a scene from Fawlty Towers.

Tripadvisor would have had a field day with comments about Fawlty Towers if it had been around in the 70s.

And every excruciating minute of a stay at this very dodgy Torquay hotel created by John Cleese and Connie Booth for their iconic TV series is currently being superbly recreated live in Llangollen.

Back in 2012 the Twenty Club amateur players took three episodes of what many believe is one of the UK’s finest ever TV sitcoms and turned them into a stage production which ended up as a sell-out.

And, by popular demand, they’ve just done the same with another trio of shows to bring the awful Basil back to manic life at the Town Hall over the next couple of days.

These include the ones entitled Communication Problems, Waldorf Salad and Basil the Rat.

Many of the 2012 cast are reprising their roles, including Ally Goodman as the impossible Basil, Helen Belton as Sybil, his over-coiffeured, domineering wife, and Richard Mascarenhas as bumbling but loveable Spanish waiter Manuel.

Goodman was born to play this role, capturing as he does every nuance and twitch of the raving mad hotelier.

Ms Belton gives Sybil all her syrupy charm with a mailed fist hiding just below the make-up.  

And what could be better than watching Mascarenhas portray Manuel pleading hilariously yet pathetically with Fawlty not to “keel” his pet rat after it goes on the loose just as a health inspector calls.

Each is brilliant in their part and capable of wringing maximum laughs from every line.

New members of the cast this time include Carys Stallard as the calm and capable Polly along with Ian Wright who takes on the role of the oft-confused Major.

There was magnificent support also from Bill Hughes doubling up as two very different awkward hotel guests and Lyn Aston as the elderly lady with a hearing problem who tangles with Fawlty in Communication Problems.

The show is once again directed with aplomb by Chrissie Ashworth.

Now, what about the remaining six episodes, especially the one where Fawlty tries to whip to death his broken-down car?

Fawlty Towers is on again tonight (Friday) and twice on Saturday – there’s a matinee at 2pm.

But as there was almost a capacity audience at yesterday’s first night, it would be advisable to do everything possible to secure a seat.

Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/fawltytowerstickets or via the Twenty Club page on Facebook.

The Twenty Club is one of the oldest dramatic societies in North Wales.

It was founded in 1946 with 20 original members, which gave the club its name.

The club presents two plays a year, in autumn and spring, with a mixture of comedy, drama and period productions.