Search for world's most talented young singers begins

* Soprano Charlotte Hoather.

A “supremely talented soprano” has launched a search to find the world’s most talented young singers.

According to Charlotte Hoather, 24, winning the prestigious Pendine International Voice of the Future competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod last year catapulted her career to a new level on the global stage.

Organisers say entries are already flooding in for the prestigious competition this year which has a first prize of £5,000, along with a £2,000 cheque for the runner up.

Every year the picturesque town of Llangollen in the Dee Valley welcomes around 4,000 international performers and around 50,000 visitors to the week-long festival of music and dance.

Among the highlights of the week is the prestigious Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, which showcases young talent alongside other gifted global performers.

Once again this year the arts-loving care organisation, Pendine Park, is contributing  £5,000 to the prize fund and a beautiful silver salver via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, with the balance coming from Sir Bryn’s Terfel’s foundation and Llangollen Eisteddfod.

Following her “life-changing” experience last year, Charlotte, from Winsford, in Cheshire, is urging other young soloists not to miss the deadline for entries on March 1.

The format will be slightly different this year, with the preliminary rounds being held at Llangollen Town Hall on Tuesday, July 2.

The semi-final will then be held on the pavilion stage the following day with two

two finalists going head to head during the live televised concert in the evening.

Charlotte, who trained at the Royal College of Music, said: “The competition gave me a massive boost. It’s been huge for my confidence and helped me push the boundaries of where I could go and what I can do. And the prize money gave me such a massive opportunity to further my career.

“Having the money available meant I could fly to New York to audition for Pittsburgh Opera and attend an event at the Metropolitan Opera House and I’m also jetting off to Seoul, South Korea at the end of March for another competition which is very exciting.”

Charlotte, who previously gained a First Class Honours Degree in Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, added: “I’d encourage any young singer to give it a go.

“Winning the competition is life-changing. It’s helped me to take more risks and travel internationally for opportunities as a professional singer.”

“The year has been amazing. I toured the role of Uccelina in Paris organised by the Théâtre du Châtelet, and appeared at the Metropolitan Opera House in the same role latter touring the Scottish Highlands performing in Bambino for Scottish Opera.

“I also performed at the inaugural Waterperry Opera Festival whose Patron is Jonathan Dove, the composer of Mansfield Park and I will reprising the role again this coming July.

“I was also guest soloist at Tideswell Remembrance concert and sang in the Rachmaninov recital at Pushkin House in Bloomsbury, London. More recently I reached the quarter finals of an International Singing competition in Dublin, It was certainly a busy year!”

Charlotte’s success was music to the years of Pendine Park proprietors Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill.

Mr Kreft said: “This is the third year of the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition and the standard just seems to go up and up. Last year’s winner, Charlotte Hoather, was exceptional and a very deserving winner.

“She is a supremely talented soprano and the competition has helped unlock the door to a hugely bright future.

“Our aim in supporting the competition in conjunction with the Sir Bryn Terfel Foundation is to provide a springboard for brilliant young singers from around the world to achieve their dreams of establishing a career on the global stage.

“Sir Bryn is living proof that supreme talent can take you a long way and we are delighted to doing our bit to help gifted young singers attain new heights.

“The competition chimes perfectly with our ethos at Pendine Park because the arts in general and music in particular provide the golden thread running through everything we do to enrich the lives of our residents and staff alike.”

The festival’s musical director, Edward-Rhys Harry, said: “We are so grateful to Pendine Arts and Community Trust for their continued support for this truly international competition.

“I know how much the competition has accelerated the career of Charlotte Hoather, last year’s winner and how she used her prize money to help further her career.

“It’s a massive opportunity to perform before a big live audience and live on TV. My advice is very simple, if you are a young singer aged between 19 and 28 and think you may be good enough, then go for it.

“Approach the competition with courage and conviction and even if you don’t make the final it will still be an invaluable lesson and a wonderful experience.”

“This major competition is something that we need to nurture and thanks to the support of Pendine Arts and Community Trust young artists are getting an opportunity to further their careers.

“It’s certainly a competition I’m really looking forward to and it promises to be one of the major highlights of this year’s International Music Eisteddfod. And another new aspect of the competition is that the winner will be offered additional performances at other venues. The competition really is going on to another level.

* To find out more about the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod and for competition details please visit www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Ponderosa boss gives reason for temporary closure

The owner of the Ponderosa Café on the Horseshoe Pass has spoken to the Denbighshire Free Press about the reason for its temporary closure last weekend.

For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/17425772.storm-erik-blamed-for-temporary-closure-of-ponderosa-cafe-on-horseshoe-pass

Council warns over potential phone scams

Denbighshire and Conwy Councils are warning the public to beware of potential phone scams from individuals reportedly selling telecare equipment.

A number of complaints have been received by both councils with some residents reporting they have received cold-calls from individuals selling telecare equipment, but also requesting personal bank details over the phone.

Both Councils are urging residents never to provide bank details to anyone, unless you are completely satisfied that the individual requesting the information is genuine and works for a legitimate, bona fide organisation.

A trustworthy company will not mind having their credentials checked

The councils are also reminding people about the North Wales Buy with Confidence scheme, set up in response to concerns about rogue traders.

The scheme provides consumers with a list of local businesses, which have given their commitment to trading fairly. Every business listed has undergone a series of detailed checks before being approved as a member of the scheme.

Buy with Confidence is the largest scheme of its kind nationally and continues to expand its geographical coverage.

* For further information, please visit your local council website.  

Galw Gofal / Care Connect, the North Wales Regional Call Monitoring Service, does not sell telecare equipment and therefore does not cold call to sell equipment.

Llan Male Voice faces uncertain future, says BBC

* Llangollen Male Voice appears on the BBC to say it faces  a membership crisis. 

A story on BBC News this morning says Llangollen Male Voice Choir could have to disband if it doesn't attract new members.

Its chairman David Smith says in the story, carried on air and online, that numbers have dwindled over the past few years.

But he adds: "My hope is in one way or another, the choir will continue. It would be a shame for Llangollen Male Voice Choir to disappear."

For the full story, see: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47192153

Events and news from Llangollen Railway

'Give offenders a second chance', urges police boss

A police chief is urging company bosses in North Wales to follow the example of the Timpson shoe and watch repair chain by giving offenders a second chance.

According to North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones, (pictured) recruiting people with convictions can have a positive impact on their businesses by giving them access to a new talent pool.

Mr Jones’s comments came during an address to the North Wales Business Club at the Quay Hotel and Spa in Deganwy.

The commissioner pointed to the success of companies like Timpsons who employ ex-offenders and he urged bosses not to adopt a blanket exclusion for people with convictions.

Instead Mr Jones called on them to support the Ban the Box campaign to remove the criminal tick box from application forms and to ask about candidates’ criminal convictions later in the process.

Campaigners have been given renewed hope after a landmark judgement in the Supreme Court which could lead to a review by the Home Office.

The court ruled that the current requirement for all previous convictions to be disclosed, however minor, where the person has more than one conviction, and in the case of any warnings or reprimands issued to young offenders was disproportionate.

The court also ruled that it was in breach of article 8 of human rights laws which entitle people to a private and family life.

The court ruled that the current requirement for all previous convictions to be disclosed, however minor, where the person has more than one conviction, and in the case of any warnings or reprimands issued to young offenders was disproportionate.

The court also ruled that it was in breach of article 8 of human rights laws which entitle people to a private and family life.

Taking a positive approach to employing people with a criminal record would, the commissioner believes, help reduce reoffending which is a key priority in his Police and Crime Plan.

Mr Jones said: “Employers who focus on criminal conviction on their application forms may well be excluding people from jobs that they may be very well qualified and capable of doing, in fact they may be missing out on a talent pool of over 10.5 million people with criminal convictions.

“What I, David Cameron and the charity  Unlock are working on for you as potential employers to Ban the Box – remove the criminal record tick box from your application forms and ask about your candidate’s criminal convictions later and avoid the interviewers ‘unconscious bias’.

“Ex-offenders are often rejected for jobs out right because of their past. Of course, I want businesses to know who they are interviewing. But here’s my question, should offenders have to declare it up-front, or might this be done a bit later or before an actual offer of work is made?

“So that is what the Ban the Box is all about – giving your job candidates the opportunity to state their case without the unconscious bias of ticking a previous conviction box influencing your decision.

“Not only will his decision give your business an advantage in a greater pool of employees but it will reduce the pool of disaffected offenders retiring to a life of crime because they are not trusted to turn over a new leaf and given a second chance.

“Many large companies do give offenders a second chance, Boots, Barclays and the Civil Services to be first a few not to mention the creditable work that Timpson have been doing in this area for many years.

“Ban the Box gives people the confidence and motivation to apply for jobs in the first place.

“They know they have a chance because they will be judged on their skills, strength and experience first, rather than their past.

“Businesses can’t afford to ignore the diverse talent of applicants with criminal records. With a job, people become tax-payers rather than burdens on the state.

“Stable, meaningful employment is proven to reduce reoffending, meaning less crime and fewer victims. Everyone’s a winner.”

Following the decision in the Supreme Court, Christopher Stacey, co-director of Unlock, a charity for people with convictions, which intervened in the case, said: "This is an important ruling which stands to affect many thousands of people with old and minor criminal records who have been unnecessarily anchored to their past.

"We strongly urge the Government to take prompt and considered action on the filtering system, as well as committing to carrying out a fundamental review of the wider criminal records disclosure regime."

"At a time when businesses are struggling to recruit, companies need to make sure they are welcoming a diverse range of applicants.

“Over 11 million people in the UK have a criminal record and I welcome the focus by the Police and Crime Commissioner in North Wales to encourage companies to look at people with convictions as an untapped talent pool that can benefit their business.

“Unlock supports businesses to recruit people with convictions and to deal with criminal records fairly. We have a website for employers and we welcome conversations with individual employers that are keen to explore this further."

Ponderosa Cafe "due to open again tomorrow"

4.37pm UPDATE:

The Café has posted the following update this afternoon:

Ponderosa Café

Good afternoon, for everyone's information the cafe will be open as normal 9am tomorrow Monday 11th of February. We thank everyone for the patience and appreciate the support we have received.

Kind Regards
Simon Clemence...
Company Director

The Denbighshire Free Press is reporting on its website this morning (Sunday) that the Ponderosa Café on the Horseshoe Pass has been closed until further notice.

A post on the cafe's Facebook site this morning says:

Ponderosa Café

Good morning everyone,

Again due to circumstances beyond our the control the Cafe will not be open today.
Thank you for all the positive messages we have received from our loyal customers.
...

Apologies Simon Clemence.

* For the Free Press story, go to:

https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/17422079.popular-ponderosa-cafe-on-horseshoe-pass-closed-until-further-notice/