Town's new Centenary Square has its first outing

* An African dancer invites two young ladies from

the crowd to join him in some action in the new Centenary Square.  

Llangollen's newly-completed Centenary Square was used for the first time this afternoon (Wednesday) by performers from the Eisteddfod.

The prestige facility at the corner of Castle Street and Bridge Street had only just been finished by contractors when it was tried out by dance groups from Africa and India.

Members of the public gathered round to watch the performances and some of them were invited to take part in the action, including town crier Chem and a group from the Town Council.

Over at St Collen's Church the day's free @One concert featured the Calgary Girls Choir and - on their country's Independence Day - the New Jersey Youth Chorus.

Meanwhile, on the Eisteddfod field a key attraction was the tenth annual Inclusion Project.

Facilitated by a grant from the ScottishPower Foundation, the performance to reflect the diversity of society and the International Eisteddfod’s ethos of promoting understanding and acceptance though music and dance.

This year the participating groups weree Ysgol Tir Morfa, a community special school in Rhyl that caters for pupils aged 3 – 19 years with a wide range of additional learning needs, specialist school St Christopher’s in Wrexham, Derwen on Tour (DOT), a group of  creative studies students from Derwen College, Gobowen, Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn from Denbigh, North Wales’ regional centre for autism education, and the Theatretrain Regional Choir from Mold. 

* Indian dancers try out the square as a large crowd looks on.

* A group from the Town Council, including town crier Chem, celebrate the completion of their Centenary Square project by joining the Indian dance group.

Care home residents sing with Only Boys Aloud

* Charley Barber, Nyx Neash and Sophie Potts from Ysgol Y Gwernant in Llangollen.

* Only Boys Aloud perform.

* Resident Gwen Davies-Barrett enjoys the singing.

Singing care home residents attracted bumper crowds as they teamed up with renowned choir Only Boys Aloud for a day long workshop at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

The residents of Pendine Park care organisation’s homes in Wrexham, were a star attraction as they helped fill a large marquee with non-stop music.

Strains of Yellow Submarine and My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean could be heard resounding around the tent, tempting an array of passer-by to call in and listen.

At one point an extra loud chorus of Happy Birthday filled the air as it was discovered three people in the marquee at the same time all had birthdays.

The delighted trio were Pendine Park artist in residence Sarah Edwards, young audience member Gwersyllt Primary School pupil Ethan Davies, and Eisteddfod photographer John Evans who had stopped by to capture some magical moments on film. He never expected one of those moments would be his own.

Sarah Edwards who organised the event said it was one of the most vibrant workshops yet.

She said: “We’ve been blessed with some fantastic weather and everyone is in a cheerful mood ready to sing and get into the musical mood.”

This year is the fifth time the dementia workshop with a musical theme has played a key part of the Eisteddfod programme.

For the dementia workshop school parties were invited into the marquee to join music sessions throughout the day. It offered the chance to interact with Pendine Park residents and members of the Only Boys Aloud (OBA) choir.

The choir, led by Only Boys Aloud North Wales project manager, Eleri Watkins, included young choristers from Holyhead, Caernarfon, Wrexham and Rhyl OBA branches. They first performed a short concert before going on to join sing-a-long sessions.

Leading the sing-a-longs were freelance musician and singer Morgana Warren-Jones, of Bangor, and Holyhead High School music teacher and pianist Andy Thomas, of Bangor.

Both were thrilled to be helping with the workshop for the first time.

Andy said: “This is a lovely idea and cross-generational. We’ve got the very young here and the very old, both gaining a huge amount of enjoyment from the music.”

In the weeks prior to the workshop the care home residents spent time tuning up for the event with the help of top mezzo soprano Jenny Pearson and pianist Annette Bryn Parri who plays regularly for international opera star Welsh-born Sir Bryn Terfel.

The two spent time at Pendine Park taking residents through rehearsals of songs they planned to sing on the workshop day.

Pendine Park care organisation is a long-term backer of the festival via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which supports nearly 30 arts and community initiatives.

Among them is the prestigious Pendine International Voice of the Future which is another highlight of the Eisteddfod.

Pendine Park owner and director Mario Kreft said the workshop was a great way for the care home residents to mix with young people whose enthusiasm for music was boundless.

He said: “There’s no denying music is infectious. Young and old gain great pleasure from it so what better medium for them to come together and celebrate at an event like the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Its basic premise is bringing different communities together.”

For 69 year old Hillbury Care Home resident Dianne Morris, the day was full of joy, as much of her life has revolved around music.

She was a long-standing member of Mold Choral Society for many years, took part in an operatic production of Carmen and has performed on stage with different music groups in Blackpool, Southport, Ellesmere Port and Liverpool.

She said: “Oh I love to sing and to listen to others singing. Music gladdens my heart.”

Fellow resident Gwen Davies Barratt, 88, also sang with local choirs in Wrexham in younger years.

She said: “This has been a wonderful day. It’s so good to sing with the children and to hear Only Boys Aloud perform – unforgettable.”

Among the many school parties who visited the tent were Ysgol Gwernant, of Llangollen.

Alfie Boe hammers home a memorable performance

* Alfie Boe belts out a number during his Eisteddfod concert.

Alfie Boe declared towards the finale of his smash-hit concert at the Eisteddfod last night (Tuesday) that it was the “best gig of my life”.

However, he admitted that his judgment had been slightly coloured by England’s World Cup victory over Colombia of which he was loudly informed by a member of the audience who’d been watching the match on his phone.

Not that the international singing star hadn’t been keeping in touch with developments in Russia himself – throughout the sell-out concert he’d been taking quick glances at a monitor at the front of the stage rigged up to show the action solely to him at the flip of a lid.  

The performance of over two hours set off at a cracking page as Boe leapt onto the stage to belt out two pulsing jazzy numbers from his latest album, Swing Swing and Best of All I’ve Got My Baby.

Perhaps not something his more traditional fans expected but then he did explain at a number of points that he likes to dart from musical style to style.

And that he did throughout the night, with more red hot jazz, country and plain hard rock all on liberal offer.

Not to disappoint the traditionalists there was a moving presentation of the number from Les Mis that helped make him famous, Bring Him Home, which prompted a partial standing ovation.

* Boe gets a standing ovation from the sell-out crowd.

Next up came a collection of the Italian material which also helped make his name. In the line-up had to be Volare one note of which he delivered so strongly that it almost bored into your soul.

It was during this number that he learned England had scored their first goal, which sent him hopping about the stage with glee and gave fresh impetus – if any were needed – to his delivery of Mambo Italiano.

As he turned his attention to country-style songs there was another memorable moment as Boe encouraged Eisteddfod president Terry Waite, sitting as always in the front row, to stand up and help him with the intro of one number, and this the old peacemaker did with perhaps surprising aplomb and gusto.

Later the star stopped another song to request that a pen be brought out to him so he could have Terry sign his guitar – telling the audience he’d have it up on an E-bay later.

There was another switch of style as he presented a couple of powerful songs, including the thumping A Thousand Years, from the award-winning album he did not long ago with fellow singing legend Michael Ball.

Working with Ball, he told us, had been his personal contribution to Help the Aged.

Numbers from his new solo album came flowing out like rich wine just before the cry went out from the watcher in the crowd that England had beaten down the Colombians on penalties to reach the World Cup quarter finals.     

As a result things went a bit wild both on stage and in the jam-packed auditorium as Boe and his excellent 10-piece band plus three backing singers cannoned out a couple of old The Who numbers from Quadraphenia.

After that it all became a bit of a blur as that sledgehammer of a voice slammed out more and more of the good stuff.

Just when you thought he didn’t have anything left to give he jumped down from the stage and embarked on a couple of laps of honour through the cheering crowd, sort of taking part in his own standing ovation.

This is a man who gives value for money.  

Chairman's message as Eisteddfod opens

llanblogger brings you a special message from Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies as the 2018 festival opens 

* Crowds at yesterday's Children's Day on the field.

* A group of Eisteddfod volunteers.

Eisteddfod week has now arrived and our trusted army of volunteers have been working flat out to get everything in place for an amazing event.

The flags are out, the tents are up, the seats are in, the floral displays perfected and now we are all set for the arrival of our musicians and dancers from all around the world.

It promises to be an excellent week with each day packed full of colour and activities and a diverse range of concerts that offers something for everyone. For full details and the daily schedules of field events, please visit the website http://internationaleisteddfod.co.uk/

The sights and sounds of the Eisteddfod will also spill out into the town with free performances taking place all week.

We will be holding recitals @ 1pm in St Collen’s Church (Tues – Saturday inclusive) and the preliminary competitions will be running in the Town Hall, Dinas Brân and English Methodist Church. The Dancing in the Street competition will be in the Riverside Park from 2 pm on Saturday 7th. 

We are delighted that the works on Centenary Square have been completed in time for this week, and thank the Town Council for allowing us to use that space in advance of its official reopening and rededication (which takes place on Sunday 8th July).  There will be international competitors performing in the Square everyday Tuesday – Saturday inclusive. 

The International Parade through the town will take place on Friday from 4.30pm. If you fancy soaking up the atmosphere of the Eisteddfod for a few hours, you can follow the parade back to the field and have entry for just £1 to enjoy the pre-concert bands until 8pm.

All of the activities in the town are free so do take advantage of this and experience what the Eisteddfod is all about. We appreciate the support of two local businesses Fouzis and the Corn Mill who are our outreach sponsors this year. 

We are delighted that competitor numbers for this year are high and we will be welcoming competitors from the following countries: Albania, Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Poland, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand, USA, Wales, Zimbabwe. Our Saturday programming is so full we will be starting the competitions in the main pavilion at 8.30am to make sure that the competitors all have the chance to take to the stage.

Do come and support them if you can. Saturday will also feature a range of entertainment for families on the outside stages, activities run by NSPCC , circus skills, floral workshops and much more!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year’s event in whatever way, whether  large or small, as without you this fantastic event would not happen. I hope to see you there! 

Dr Rhys Davies,
Eisteddfod Chairman  

Talent shines on Eisteddfod's sunny opening day

The sun shone down on the opening day of the 2018 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

On the field and in the big tent most of the activities revolved around Children's Day which saw hundreds of youngsters visiting the festival from across North Wales and neighbouring areas of England. 

The was also a full programme of entertainment - all of it free - at various venues in Llangollen town centre.

The Town Hall was turned over to the preliminary rounds of the International Voice of the Future competition which saw a breath-taking display of vocal talent.

There was more vocal power on show at St Collen's Church which was the setting for the first of the week's @One Concerts, which will be held each day of the festival at 1pm.

Providing the entertainment this afternoon (Tuesday) were two choirs from the USA - the Seattle Girls Choir from Washington State followed by the Phoenix Girls Chorus Cantabile from Arizona.

Music fans were then able to dash across town to the English Methodist Church to enjoy the opening rounds of the International Voice of Musical Theatre competition, which again witnessed some rare displays of vocal talent from a series of young performers.

Below the pictures is a list of attractions to be staged in the town centre over the rest of this week, sponsored by Fouzis and the Cornmill.

* Young Eisteddfod visitors enjoy a special performance on the NSPCC stand on the field. 

* A group perform traditional Chinese dances on one of the outdoor stages.

* Sarah Guildford from Cardiff was one of the

competitors in the International Voice of the Future

competition at the Town Hall.

* The Seattle Girls Choir perform at the @One concert in St Collen's Church.

* Also singing at St Collen's was the Phoenix Girls Chorus Cantabile from Arizona.

* Contractors put the finishing touches to the new-look Centenary

Square where a series of special events will be staged throughout the week.

What's On in town ...

Outdoor centre makes urgent appeal for cash

* Bryntysilio Centre in Llangollen.

Wide Horizons, an outdoor education charity which has a centre in Llangollen, is urgently appealing for help to raise funds to secure its future.

The charity which enables disadvantaged children and young people to experience outdoor learning adventures says it is in financial difficulty and are at risk of closure unless it can raise funds. 

With a heritage that dates all the way back to outdoor education being delivered at one of their purpose-built centres since 1929, Wide Horizons has delivered life-changing outdoor education to generations of local children and young people.  

The Bryntysilio Centre in Llangollen is visited by thousands of children and young people each year.

The Grade-II listed building was originally converted in 1968 to accommodate children for outdoor educational activity courses and was taken over by Wide Horizons in 2011.

* A youngster enjoys the water splash

on a Wide Horizons break.

Ever since then, Bryntysilio has regularly provided residential adventures for school children from across Walsall, Shropshire and the West Midlands.

Having worked with groups of children over the last 50 years, the centre staff now see the grandchildren of Walsall residents who visited Bryntysilio themselves when they were young.

Many local residents from Walsall still continue to call in when they are in the area to recall the happy memories they have of being there as children.  

Wide Horizons focuses its support on disadvantaged children and young people by working with schools and community groups in highly deprived areas, children with special educational needs and those facing other forms of disadvantage.

By creating new opportunities for children to experience adventure and the natural outdoors, many of who will not have spent a night away from their parents before, Wide Horizons enables them to build their confidence, gain new skills and learn more about themselves and the world around them. 

Wide Horizons says it is now at risk of closure due to "increasing financial difficulties following a decline in business and rising costs."

In  statement charity says that in order to survive, they are restructuring the organisation which includes closing some of their centres in London, Kent and Wales.

The statement adds: "Support from the local community is urgently needed to secure the future of the charity and keep the remaining centres open.

"Wide Horizons are aspiring to raise £200k which will help them to become a slimmer, fitter, more effective charity. All the funds raised will be used to continue to deliver life changing adventure experiences for children and young people who may otherwise miss out."  

Wide Horizons' chief executive Peter Rogers OBE said: “Wide Horizons is rightly proud of the outdoor education it delivers in fun, challenging and exciting ways and the real benefits this brings to children’s lives. We sincerely hope the public will get behind us to enable us to continue to deliver these opportunities to the most disadvantaged children.”  

The charity is asking people to visit its online crowdfunding page and giving what they can.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-wide-horizons 

Railway is back on TV this week

NOTE SCREENING DATE CHANGE

The concluding episode of the Great Rail Restorations series with presenter Peter Snow will feature scenes from a major filming event which took place at Llangollen Railway. 

The final episode  due for screening on Saturday (not Wednesday as originally advertised, due to World Cup coverage) will not only showcase all four of the wonderful carriage restorations as featured in the series but also Llangollen Railway and its setting in the beautiful Dee Valley.  

Llangollen Railway Business Manager, Liz McGuinness said: “We were fortunate enough to be chosen to host the final episode last autumn when the four carriages were brought together at Llangollen and coupled up to produce the fabulous, complete restoration train. 

“The unusual sight of four vintage carriages spanning the railway ages from the 1860s to 1960 was seen briefly in Llangollen station. The train featured the four-wheeled coach from the Isle of Wight, the London South West Royal saloon for Queen Victoria from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway, our own Great Northern Saloon and the Pullman coach Eagle from Tyseley Locomotive Works.

“The assembled train made three trips through the Dee Valley for the filming when the Llangollen Railway’s Standard Tank locomotive No.80072 was driven in part by Peter Snow.

"The autumnal filming produced some magical scenes and seeing all four restored carriages, together with their restoration teams, was amazing. It makes a magnificent climax to a very successful TV series which has highlighted the extra ordinary efforts put into restoring wrecks to their former glories. 

“Rail fans and members of Llangollen Railway are very excited about the final episode and look forward to seeing the train in action on the Dee Valley line. The final episode is a great promotional feature for North East Wales and can be seen on Channel 4 on Saturday July 7 at 7pm.”

Llangollen Railway’s restored Great Northern composite First/Third class saloon coach as designed by Sir Nigel Gresley is now stabled at Carrog station and will be open for viewings shortly.