American singers named Choir of the World

* The Aeolians of Oakwood University from the USA were named Choir of the World.

The 70th anniversary of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod came to an exciting climax last night as two international groups won the dance and choral competitions’ highest accolades.

After a thrilling final, The Aeolians of Oakwood University from the USA were named Choir of the World, while Northern Irish dance group, Loughgiel Folk Dancers were crowned Dance Champions of the World. 

Loughgiel’s supporters were in great voice as the dance group spilled onto the stage to collect the Lucille Armstrong Trophy in a sea of happy tears and red frocks. 

But the pavilion erupted as the US choir was announced as Choir of the World 2017 by the International Eisteddfod music director, Eilir Owen Griffiths. 

The singers bolted across the pavilion form their seats and stormed the stage, holding American flags aloft and posing for selfies with the Pavarotti Trophy and their esteemed conductor Max Johnson Ferdinand, who had just been awarded the Outstanding Conductor Award.

The evening concert, which was sponsored by GHP Legal, saw the very best of international choral and dance talent battle it out on the stage of the Royal International Pavilion for the prestigious awards and also featured special appearances from The Overtones.

The UK’s number one vocal harmony group, The Overtones, opened the show, setting the upbeat tone for the evening. Performing a range of much-loved classics including Pretty Woman, Let’s Stay Together and How Sweet It Is, the charming quintet had the audience swaying in their seats.

Suitably warmed up for the main event, spectators were the treated to exceptional performances by the winners of each of the choral group categories, from the mixed category CYWAIR (Wales), from the female category Grupo Vocal “Amitié” (Spain), from the Open category, Cor Glanaethwy (Wales), from the male Men in Blaque (USA) and from the youth category, The Aeolians of Oakwood University.

After a short interval the three highest scoring groups from the dance categories took to the stage to perform for the chance to lift the coveted Lucille Armstrong Trophy. 

The competition opened with a cheerful traditional performance from Scotland’s Corryvrechan, before the Gabhru Panjab De Bhangra Dancers from India took over the stage in a riot of colour and noise, performing a dance connected to harvest time. But it was Loughgiel Folk Dancers who stole the show, with a flawless routine that reflected a beating heart and the blood coursing through the body.

Already two-time winners of the Dance Champions of the World title (2014, 2015), the troupe also made International Eisteddfod history earlier in the week during the Open Floor Dance category, scoring the first ever perfect score of 100/100 that the competition has ever seen.

Resplendent in sparkling dinner jackets, The Overtones returned to the stage while adjudicators considered the eight world-class performances. After praising the talent of the groups that had performed the five admitted they’d ‘never been to a festival quite like this one’, before teasing the crowd that they had been ‘spectators for long enough’ encouraging a joyful sing-a-long of Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

Following the presentations the concert concluded, as is traditional, with the pavilion joining hands to sing Auld Lang Syne, bringing the International Eisteddfod’s 70th anniversary competitions to a close.

New Dot heads back to the 80s with its next film

As part of this year's Llangollen Fringe Festival, New Dot Cinema is holding another of its special gala evenings - this time with a 1980s theme.

On Thursday July 13 Llangollen Town Hall will become Club Tropicana for the evening celebrating the decade's VHS video cassettes, slogan t-shirts and big hair.

The main feature is ‘Sing Street’, a feel good coming-of-age film with a 12A certificate.

It’ll be seamlessly followed by an old school 1980s disco, with music cherry-picked by DJ Stonewash (see @NewDotCinema on facebook for more details.)

* A scene from Sing Street.

The film is set in Dublin during the eighties. It was one of last year’s best-loved indie films and has a soundtrack featuring hits from the period combined with newly written work.

The story is a classic boy meets girl and stars young actors from Ireland who were new to being on the big screen. Their freshness, talent (and voices) shine out, coached by director, John Carney.

Fifteen-year old Conor has just been moved from his fancy private school to a rough state school and he’s not fitting in.

One day he sees Raphina, a beautiful, aspiring model and to impress her, he invites her to be in his band’s video.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a band never mind a video. He quickly rounds up a motley collection of classmates. With a bit of eyeliner and a lot of hair gel, they turn themselves into a band, but the path of true love never runs smoothly.

It’s the start of Fringe Festival season, so dig out those shoulder pads from the back of the wardrobe and join New Dot under the glitter ball, going back to the eighties.

More information on Facebook, Twitter and www.newdotcinema.org.

Tickets are available online, in Baileys Deli Llangollen and on the door, priced from £7 to £10. Fringe Festival Pass holders get in free.

Doors open at 7:30pm with the film starting at 8pm and ending at 9:45pm. The music stops at 12 midnight and entry just to the disco is available for £4 from 10pm.

Smooth operator Porter wows Pavilion crowd

Early on in the concert he confessed he was having trouble pronouncing the word ‘Llangollen’.

But soon afterwards he was slipping the name of the town effortlessly into the lyrics of one of his songs and receiving a massive hoot of approval from the capacity audience for his trouble.

And that’s precisely how Gregory Porter handles everything … oh so smoooothly.

* Gregory Porter on stage last night.

Picture: Jeanette Robinson Images

The Californian singer/songwriter, who was starring in last night’s concert at the Eisteddfod, has a voice like double cream which he poured liberally and extremely pleasingly over an eclectic mix of modern jazz, soul, R&B and even an old MOR hit by one of his heroes, Nat King Cole.

Many of the numbers were from his own pen and the first few bars of them brought whoops of recognition and approval from the partisan crowd.

Everything was handled with supreme ease, from the up-tempo stuff to the slow and soulful tunes designed to make you think about what life and love is all about.

When he was swingin’ he was really going for it and when he being dreamy he was so laid back that you thought he might fall over. And we lapped up every nuance.

Out front of his masterful band of musicians, on two types of piano, drums, trumpet, guitar and sax, he turned a vast Pavilion auditorium into an intimate jazz club and all that was missing was the odd cloud of tobacco smoke.

When he left the stage at the end of two halves of pure enjoyment there was a clamour for his return and then the band itself did its own encore which I reckon you don’t see too often.

Performers who do this well at Llangollen tend to get invited back again and that could well be the case with the marvellous Mr Porter.              

Sian is crowned International Voice of the Future

* Sian Dicker is presented with the trophy by Mario Kreft.

A "sensational" young soprano won one of the main prizes at an international festival.

Sian Dicker, 26,  was crowned as the International Voice of the Future at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

She was presented with the brand new Pendine Trophy and a cheque for £6,000 by Mario Kreft MBE, proprietor of the arts loving sponsor, the Pendine Park care organisation.
Sian clinched the title just ahead of Aberystwyth soprano Catrin Woodruff, 27, and Llandudno tenor Elgan Llyr Thomas, 26, The two runners up both received a cheque for £2,000.

No fewer than 18 hopefuls from around the globe took part in a preliminary competition earlier in the day.

A delighted Sian, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, said: “Just performing on that stage was such a thrill. Walking out took my breath away, it’s certainly the biggest stage and audience I have performed in front of.

“It’s the first time I’ve entered a competition such as this and I really didn’t think I could win. The standard has been really high and it’s been stiflingly hot which made it even more difficult.

“The £6,000 cheque is an enormous boost to my finances and will help me pay for my studies. I studied for academic music degree at the University of London and am now doing my Masters in Vocal Performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. My one ambition is to be an opera singer.”

Sian is married to Daniel Thorne, who is head of mathematics at the Queensmead School, South Ruislip.

She said: “Sadly, he couldn’t make it to Llangollen for the competition as he was teaching all day and it’s too far to drive after work to make it on time. We live quite separate lives at the moment due to my studies but he’s my biggest fan and supporter.

“And my mum, Theresa, who is a cellist, was teaching today and couldn’t make it to Llangollen either. But I called them both and they are as thrilled as I am. What an incredible day!”

According to Eisteddfod organisers, the competition was "catapulted into a new league" and attracted a host of the world' best young singers after Pendine Park contributed £5,000 to the total prize pot, with a further £3,000 coming from Sir Bryn Terfel’s Foundation and £2,000 from the Eisteddfod.

After watching the three stunning performances with his wife, Gill, Mario Kreft said: “The standard of performance we have witnessed was absolutely breathtaking. This is the first year of a whole new format for this competition.

“Our vision is to showcase and nurture young talent and the increased prize fund is designed to help advance their careers.

"It chimes perfectly with our ethos as Pendine Park because the arts in general and music in particular are at the forefront of everything we do so we can enrich lives across the generations.

“The adjudicators had a very difficult task but I don’t believe anyone would argue with their final decision. I thought all three performed wonderfully but Sian Dicker was the deserved winner.

“I hope the recognition she will deservedly get after winning this competition will help her achieve her dream of becoming a major opera star.”

Among those in the audience was Ken Skates AM the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure.

It was, he said, "an immense pleasure" to witness the International Voice of the Future competition during the Llangollen Eisteddfod’s 70^th anniversary celebrations.

He added: “Few businesses in the UK appreciate, or do more, for the arts than Pendine Park Care Organisation. Their support is remarkable.

“It really is a huge honour to be part of this unique event especially as it celebrates its 70^th anniversary."

Eilir Owen Griffiths, Music Director at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “The quality of candidates for the International Voice of the Future competition is always extremely high, but this year’s entries have really blown us all away. 

“This competition is all about providing exceptional talent with a springboard for their professional careers. The increased prize fund, generously donated by sponsor and long-time supporter of the Eisteddfod, the Pendine Park Care Organisation, has really boosted interest and attracted even greater talent to the competition.

 “We would like to thank all competitors for their fantastic performances but our winner Sian Dicker was truly spectacular. We hope winning this prestigious award will enable all our finalists to take their careers in music to the next level."

The unenviable task of judging the competition went to leading soprano Elin Manahan Thomas and composer Gareth Jones who agreed the increased prize money had  raised the profile of the event to a whole new level.

She said: ““The decision was a tough one but Gareth and I both thought, on this occasion, that Sian Dicker was the clear winner.

“The range of colour in Sian’s voice and her stylistic interpretation of the music along with the way her character shone through all resulted in a very polished performance.”

Runner-up Cartrin Woodruff, of Llanrhystud near Aberystwyth was delighted to make it to the competition final.

She said: “Llangollen is such a respected festival and I have never competed here before. The preliminary round was really tough and I was just delighted to make the final.

“It’s been more like a concert than a competition. I know Elgan really well but had never met Sian before. We have all got on really well and Sian deserved to win. I have no complaints. It was a wonderful competition and I’m just happy to have been part of it.”

Catrin, who studied for a degree in music at the University of York and a Masters in Voice at the Royal Northern College of Music, is due to begin studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in September.

She said: “I’m also married. My husband, Chris Abel, is a physicist and is currently doing his Phd at the University of Sussex but he’s based in Switzerland so we only get to see each other once a month at the moment.

“I have been touring with a pop-up opera company and performing all over the UK for the last few weeks too."

Tenor Elgan Llyr Thomas added:  “I‘m pretty busy at the moment and in fact have performances lined up from now until 2020 which has to be good. I’m working with English Opera and have performances in Paris coming up soon which is amazing.

“And I really enjoyed playing the role of Spoletta alongside Sir Bryn Terfel in Tosca here at Llangollen this week.”

Elgan graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music and completed his studies at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

He said: “I’m still based in Llandudno but to be truthful I’m all over the place travelling, it comes with the job I suppose. My parents were her to support me. My dad Aled, is due to retire from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and my mum, Eleri is a classroom teaching assistant.

“They are huge supporters and follow my career as much as they are able. They will come to see my performances as often as they possibly can. I also have two sisters, Elen and Alaw and one nephew and two nieces.”

Colourful Eisteddfod parade draws large crowds

The traditional Eisteddfod parade took place this afternoon.

Colourful groups of competitors from around the world and locally were cheered by large crowds as they made their way from the field, across the bridge and into the town centre.

llanblogger was there to record the scenes. 

* Eisteddfod president Terry Waite enjoys an ice cream in the front seat of a vintage car.

* A group from Ysgol Bryn Collen takes a prominent place in the parade.

* A group of overseas competitors wave at the crowds in Market Street.

* Indian dancers give an impromptu performance in Market Street.

* Terry Waite stops off to meet local character Wyn. Picture: Simon Collinge. 

* A Chinese choir draws the applause.

* Members of drum band help set the parade's pace.

* Llangollen town crier Chem rings his bell as he passes by. 

Message of international harmony goes out at concert

* Nia Wyn Jones conducts Only Boys Aloud Gogledd.

International competitors were given a warm and resounding Welsh welcome last night at the Llangollen Eisteddfod’s 70th anniversary International Celebration.

A colourful procession of representatives from some of the 29 countries at this year’s festival were welcomed by a moving performance of Welsh Hymn Calon Lân by Only Boys Aloud Gogledd as a poignant symbol of Wales welcoming the world.

The procession followed a performance of the annual Peace Message by Ysgol Y Gwernant and a recital of the newly composed Peace Anthem by Only Boys Aloud Gogledd.

Entitled Gobaith yn Ein Cân (Hope in Our Song), the piece was composed by Nia Wyn Jones, with words by Nia and songwriting partner Iwan Hughes, specifically for Only Boys Aloud Gogledd.

Reflecting the ethos behind the charity choir, the anthem began with a lone soloist and built up to a rousing finale, reflecting the message intended by its composer.

Nia Wyn Jones said: “The piece highlights how individuals can make things change for the better gradually. For example, if a person smiles, it can be passed on and on and before you know it, happiness is being spread. We all have that ability to do good.”

The opening segment of the concert, sponsored by Westminister Stone, was followed by the annual address from the President of the Llangollen Eisteddfod, Terry Waite CBE who highlighted the unifying spirit of the festival with a self-penned poem from his new book, Out of Silence.

The poem concluded with words that perfectly reflected the reasons behind the inception of the festival 70 years ago, to heal the wounds of World War II, which remain equally as relevant in today’s climate. Mr Waite read: “Be healed. Be at peace. Let the harmony of nations enter your soul. Sing with joy. Today, we are one.”

Following the emotional recital of the poem, the audience was then treated to performances from the Principality Only Boys Aloud Academi and the three finalists in the International Voice of the Future competition, before the first half of the show was rounded off with a vibrant dance performance from Lovely Professional University in India.

The second half of the evening saw the Llangollen Eisteddfod celebrate internationalism and the convergence of cultures even further, with performances from Indonesian dance group Al-Izhar Senior High School Pondok Labu.

A breathtaking rendition of famous Welsh song Suo Gân by the National Institute of Technology, Jinggaswara Student Choir, supported by Only Boys Aloud, stunned the audience as the evening drew to a close. 

Music Director of the International Eisteddfod, Eilir Owen Griffiths, said: “The international celebration is always a highlight of Eisteddfod week and this year, for its 70th anniversary, was no exception.

“The performance was filled with so many beautiful moments, with different nationalities coming together on the pavilion stage. Cultures, languages, traditional dances and musical styles, all merging to create a truly world-class performance that celebrates the internationalism of the festival.”

* To purchase tickets for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod or for more information visit: www.Llangollen.net

Eisteddfod choir sings for Irene's 80th birthday

* The Jinggaswara Itenas Choir sings a special Happy Birthday to resident Irene Williams who was celebrating her 80th birthday.

* Resident Jim Barraclough meets the choir members.

A choir which had just flown 12,000 miles from Indonesia to Wales to compete at an international festival stopped off to join in the 80th birthday celebrations of a care home resident.

The family of Irene Williams was overcome with emotion as the choir burst into a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday in the sun-drenched gardens of the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham.

It was their first song on the first stop of a busy itinerary for the Jinggaswara Itenas Choir, from Bandung, Indonesia, who are in North Wales to compete at the 2017 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Irene’s daughter, Tammy Hoskins, who was at Highfield care home with other members of the family, said: “It was just beautiful. Everyone was so touched when they sang Happy Birthday to mum. They sang so hypnotically. We were lucky that the choir’s visit coincided with mum’s big day. It made it even more special.”

The choir comprises of young students from the ITENAS technical university. Their visit to Highfield residential home was arranged as a thank you to Pendine Park which is one of the key sponsors of the Llangollen Musical Eisteddfod.

Pendine Park's consultant artist in residence, Sarah Edwards, who has been running a series of children’s workshops on the eisteddfod site said: “It is a lovely occasion for all the residents here and it was so great that Irene’s birthday fell on the same day as the choir’s visit. We couldn’t have wished for anything better.

“The visit was arranged to give some of our residents, who for mobility and other reasons are unable to attend the eisteddfod, a taste of what it is like. It has been a really uplifting experience. These sorts of visits, especially when orientated around music, are so good for residents’ wellbeing.”

One resident, Joan Cliffson, 80, said she loved the vibrant costumes of the choir and was entranced by their music.

She said: “It was lovely, so colourful and their harmonies were excellent. I have always loved music as my husband, Jeff Cliffson, is a singer in Wrexham. He sometimes comes and entertains the residents here so music is something that has always been in our lives.”

Another Pendine Park inhabitant, Barry Bellis, formerly from Rhos, said the performance rekindled memories of his youth when he played in a band.

“We were called The Casuals,” he laughed. “I play guitar and I love music of any kind so this was a perfect day for me.”

Jinggaswara Itenas Choir artistic director Rita Victoria Hildemina, was thrilled to meet the residents of Pendine Park.

She said: “Music is something that can always be enjoyed no matter how young or old you are. We try to spread that message through our songs.

"All our choir members were eager to visit Pendine Park and chat with the residents. It was the first stop for us after flying over from Indonesia.

"It was a long flight but despite that we were still full of excitement about this very special performance and especially pleased to sing Happy Birthday to Irene. We feel very honoured to be asked to visit Pendine Park.”

This year is the third time Rita has performed on the eisteddfod stage, having competed as a soloist in 2010 and then with the choir in 2013.

She added: “A handful of the choir members who came here in 2013 are back with us this year, but most have not been to Llangollen before. They all have said what a wonderful, friendly venue it is. On every visit we have been given such a warm welcome, it feels like a second home.”

Led by their conductor Lusianna Daulay, the choir delighted everyone in the audience with a riveting repertoire of Indonesian love songs and folk songs, including one about a greedy lizard which has to learn to stop being so greedy and be grateful for the simple things in life.

They also sang some specially rehearsed songs in English, including Danny Boy, encouraging residents to join in.

Thanking the choir, Pendine Park Wellbeing co-ordinator Chris Lewis, said: “Everyone has loved it and we were blessed with a beautiful summer’s day so the choir could sing in the garden, which made the atmosphere even more buoyant. It really was an amazing occasion which we will remember for a long time.”

Highfield manager Tracey Smith said: "Music plays a central role in our of our everyday life at Pendine Park and our enrichment programme enriches lives across the generations so it was very appropriate that choir came here today.

"The fact that they were able to sing Happy Birthday to Irene was a perfect and very touching moment which meant a great deal to her family and all of us here at Pendine Park."

Resident, Emma Barber, who tried her hand at playing one of the choir’s drums, said: “They were great. For a choir who has travelled from so far away to play right here in our garden is a real privilege. Here’s hoping they go on to win first prize at the Eisteddfod!”