And the young Wrexham songstress is urging other performers to enter this year’s
competition.
The
talented 16 year-old competed in
the finals at the Llangollen Eisteddfod two years ago, and along with top marks
from festival judges, scored herself an audition with British record label
Decca.
* Elan Catrin Parry singing at the eisteddfod.
Elan’s debut album was released in August and she will be performing at the Royal Albert Hall this month (October 13th), as a special guest of the London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs, which is directed by Llangollen Eisteddfod Musical Director Edward-Rhys Harry - all whilst studying for her GCSEs.
She said: “Without the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod it
is very unlikely that I would be in the fantastic position that I am in now,
and for that I feel incredibly grateful.
"I can’t thank the eisteddfod
enough for the continued support throughout my exciting journey and want to
encourage as many performers as possible to enter the amazing competitions at
Llangollen.
“I’ve
visited the festival with my family for many years previous to competing, and
you can never forget the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.
“The
combination of different cultures, music, dance and costumes and the warm and
friendly nature of the festival provides a truly magical experience. In fact,
it’s a cultural lesson to the world about international peace and harmony.”
Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies said: “We are very proud of Elan and what she has achieved. We welcome
the world to our little piece of heaven here in Wales every summer and pride
ourselves on showcasing young and upcoming talent from across the globe.
“After
visiting the festival for many years and achieving a finalist position in
various competitions here, we are delighted that her talent has been recognised
by a worldwide record label and wish her the best of luck in the future, we
know she will go on to do very well.”
Eisteddfod music director Edward-Rhys Harry said: "We congratulate Elan
on her continued success since singing on the famous Pavilion stage and we know
that the international
performers and audience who will be attending the
sold out performance at the Royal Albert Hall are very much looking forward to
welcoming her there.”
* For
more information on the competitions or to apply through the Eisteddfod participants’
website visit: http://eisteddfodcompetitions.co.uk/