Man dubbed 'new Bryn Terfel' wins Eisteddfod's Voice of the Future title

* Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE presents the trophy to baritone Emyr Lloyd Jones, winner of the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition.

A 25-year-old baritone dubbed the new Bryn Terfel has been crowned as the best young singer in the world.

Emyr Lloyd Jones put in a stirring performance to take the title of the Pendine International Voice of the Future at the 75^th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Following a thrilling sing-off, watched by his proud parents and loving fiancée, he was presented with the Pendine Trophy - a solid silver salver, and a £3,000 prize by Mario Kreft MBE, proprietor of the arts-loving care organisation, Pendine Park, who sponsor the competition.

The prize comes from the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT) which supports cultural and community initiatives across Wales.

In what the judges described as an extremely close decision, Emyr clinched the victory just ahead of the hugely talented soprano Oksana Lepska, of Latvia.

The two virtuosos had battled their way through preliminary rounds involving more than 20 competitors from countries as far afield as China and the USA.

Just six singers made it to the semi-finals which were held on the opening days of the Eisteddfod where they competed for the final two places to perform on the show-stopping night of the famous pavilion stage.

Emyr comes from Bontnewydd, near Gwynedd, which is less than 10 miles away from where Bryn Terfel was raised in Pantglas.

He said he was “over the moon” to have won such a prestigious prize especially in the eisteddfod’s landmark 75th anniversary year.

He said: “I feel absolutely honoured. There have been so many exceptional performances in this year’s competition that I was overwhelmed to have got into the final.

“It is an occasion which is very close to my heart. I have been competing and visiting the International Musical Eisteddfod with choirs since I was a young child so to achieve success like this in the pavilion for which I hold such affection, well it’s just staggering for me.”

Emyr impressed the Eisteddfod judges with his entrancing performances of Hai gia vinta la causa, from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro; The Cloths of Heaven, taken from a poem by WB Yeats and Y Cymro by Meirion Williams.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod executive producer, Camilla King, said his voice was reminiscent of opera mega-star Sir Bryn Terfel in his earlier years.

She said: “It has that same timbre, it’s rich, passionate, mellow and versatile. He doesn’t just sing but his voice takes you on a journey.

“I believe Emyr has the talent to become a future star of the same standing as Sir Bryn. In fact, both our finalists are outstanding talents and I’ve no doubt we will be seeing a lot more of them both in years to come.”

After studying for six years at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he met fiancée, fellow singer Rhiannon Ashley, Emyr’s career course is already moving on apace. He will spend the next two years studying at the famed Guildhall School of Music in London where Bryn Terfel was also once a student.

He is hugely excited to have been accepted by the Guildhall but the move has some bitter sweet consequences as it means he will be parted from Rhiannon for a year.

She is heading off to teach in the Welsh settlement of Patagonia in Argentina.

Emyr said: “We only got engaged just over a month ago and we are immensely looking forward to making a life together but at the same time we both have goals to achieve. It will be hard being apart but we already have plans for me to go over and visit Patagonia in December.”

Rhiannon, 25, who hails from Newcastle Emlyn, South Wales, was delighted to be in the audience with Emyr’s proud parents Derek and Gillian Jones, watching Emyr perform in the Pendine International Voice of the Future final.

She said: “We were on the edge of our seats. We’re all really thrilled for him. We knew he could do it and he sang brilliantly well. It’s been a fantastic evening.”

Emyr’s dream is to become a professional opera singer and have the chance to perform on some of the world’s great stages like the New York Met, La Scala in Milan and the Royal Opera House.

He would also love to perform with each of the national opera companies in Britain.

Mario Kreft added: "The ethos of the Eisteddfod chimes perfectly with the values of my wife, Gill, and I at Pendine Park in nurturing young talent.

“We firmly believe in the vital role played by music and arts in social care and as part of our enrichment programme for people with dementia.

“The Pendine Trophy, which is solid Edwardian silver bearing a Chester hallmark, was kindly donated by the late Tony Kaye of Kaye’s Jewellers. It’s a stunning and beautiful trophy.

“I think tonight we have heard some of the future famous names of the global operatic stage for sure. Both contestants have remarkable voices and they kept the audience enthralled with their different performances.

“To have such a high standard of competition particularly in this, the first year of live performances again following the difficult, heart-wrenching times of the pandemic, is wonderfully uplifting. It shows what a wealth of talent there still is among our younger generations of musicians.

“Emyr is a credit to his home village of Bontnewydd and an inspiration to other budding young singers from north Wales and further afield. It is our hope that this competition offers a stepping stone for outstanding young talents like Emyr and Oksana to go on and further their careers.”

Emyr said the cash windfall will be an enormous support towards his costs of living in London, as well as helping towards purchase of vital materials and extra tuition fees.

He said: “Apart from my delight about winning this is a tremendous boost on a practical level and will definitely help me afford to live in London, especially at a time when expenses everywhere are going up. I cannot thank Mario and Pendine enough.”

Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies said the organisers would be overjoyed to see all the competitors again.

He said: “It has been a lovely evening, emotional, and heartwarming. We have been bowled over by the standard of performances. What a wonderful way to celebrate the 75th anniversary year of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.”

* Winner of the prestigious Choir of the World title at the Eisteddfod's closing evening concert was CF1 from Cardiff, conducted by former Llangollen Eisteddfod musical director Elir Owen Griffiths.

Overall winners of this year's dance competitions were Loughgiel from Northern Ireland.

* Cardiff-based CF1 won the Choir of the World title.

* Loughgiel won the overall dance competition.

International choirs sing at Eisteddfod closing service

* Palmdale High School Choir from California.

Three international choirs sang during a service of celebration to close the 75th anniversary Eisteddfod at St Collen's Church this morning (Sunday).

Palmdale High School Choral Union from California, USA, Cantica Nova from Slovakia and Vocal Ensemble Coloroso from Belgium, all of whom had competed at the Eisteddfod this week, filled the church with delightful choral music, each of them performing two pieces. 

The service, attended by Eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies who read one of the lessons, was conducted by the Vicar, Father Lee Taylor.

* Coloroso choir from Belgium.

* Cantica Nova from Slovakia.

In his address Father Lee spoke of how it had been proven that music releases "happy chemicals" into the brain to make people feel good about themselves and boost their mood.

Music was also a language that was understood no matter what tongue people spoke, allowing the promotion of light and peace in the world.

"That is something the Eisteddfod has been doing in a number of performances across our town," he said.

"We give thanks for the 75 years of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and also to all those people, living and departed, who have come here to share their music and traditions with us and hope this continues long into the future."

During the service a poem by composed by Llangollen's Gareth Culshaw and entitled "Eisteddfod Week" was read out. 

Latest local roadworks alerts

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

Outside PONSONBY ARMS MILL STREET 15/07/2022 15/07/2022. Traffic control on diversion route. 

120m east of Medical centre to The Sun Inn A539 LLANGOLLEN ROAD until 14/07/2022 Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY. Temp Traffic Lights. 

A day of colourful choral action on Eisteddfod's sizzling third day

* Brymbo Male Voice Choir on the Music Stage Saturday afternoon.

It was a melodic day of choirs both on and off the field on the third day of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (Saturday). 

Action started early on the main Pavilion stage where three ensembles competed for the final of the Female Voice crown.

* Above, Belcanto from Kettering compete in the Female Voice Choir competition in the Pavilion. Below first, in the same competition, were Chanteuse Chamber Choir from Stafford and, below second, Peterborough Voices.  

Across the other side of the field on the Music Stage, the red-coated Brymbo Male Voice was going through its intricate vocal paces. 

Then over at St Collen's Church it was time for the latest lunchtime recital. 

First up was the sweet-voiced St Agnes Choir from Cornwall followed by the 2019 winners of the Eisteddfod's coveted Choir of the World title, John's Boys from Rhos.

* St Agnes Choir from Cornwall in the lunchtime recital at St Collen's.

* John's Boys Choir also sang in St Collen's.

Members of the audience heading back towards the field had the opportunity to stop off in Centenary Square to listen to the Bostock Singers from just across the English border in Northwich.

Later in the afternoon they could return to the square, with its packed streetside audience, to take in some songs from the New Dublin Voices from Ireland.

* The Bostock Choir from Northwich sing in Centenary Square.

* The New Dublin Voices choir perform in the square.

But the day wasn't just about dancing because at various locations people could take in some dance highly colourful routines from across the world, including that performed by street dancers from Kurdistan in Centenary Square.

* Kurdistan street dancers from London delight crowds in the square.

The action continues throughout the afternoon and the day culminates with the Saturday evening concert in the Pavilion, Choir of the World - both the competition of that name and some demonstrations by the winners of various singing and dancing competitions held over the past three days. This starts at 7.30pm.  

* Eisteddfod action at the sun helped make Castle Street busier than it's been for years.

llanblogger celebrates 10th anniversary ... and millions of hits

Today llanblogger is celebrating its 10^th birthday.

And as founder and editor I would like to say thanks a million to all our readers for their support – or, to be more accurate, over 2.7 million because that’s the total number of hits which Llangollen’s own news blog has attracted since it was first published – free of charge - on July 9, 2012.

Our opening story was about the canal being blocked by a fallen tree and since that humble beginning, which was seen by just a few score of people, readership has grown to an army of regulars who make around 30,000 visits to the site every month.

Over the past decade llanblogger, with a total of over 7,000 stories, has covered everything from tragedies such as fatal fires and road accidents to key developments like the opening of our local superstores and the re-shaping of the town centre.

Another regular on the blog has been our local heritage railway, particularly its recent and incredible fightback from the double-blow of receivership and the pandemic.  

The blog has also been delighted to publish news from the Eisteddfod and regular reviews of local stage shows.

More seriously, llanblogger prided itself on the way it gave daily in-depth coverage to the pandemic, publishing an average of half a dozen stories on the topic every day for weeks on end.

There have also been political stories from how the workings of the town and county councils and of our MPs and Senedd Members affect local people to coverage of a couple of General Elections.

All these stories attract large numbers of hits on the blog but what attract the largest readership are stories about ordinary local people often doing extraordinary things.

Along the way, the blog has won its fair share of praise and its high-point came in 2019 when we were delighted to be presented with a Mayor’s Civic Award for our efforts on behalf of the community.  

After passing the 10-year milestone we intend to keep on bringing you the news of views of Llangollen and its people.

So llanblogger would be delighted if you’d keep on reading as we enter our second decade.        

Thanks again,

Phil Robinson

Summer of fun returns for children and young people

A Summer of Fun is returning for children and young people in the county.

Denbighshire County Council is once again providing a range of free sporting, cultural and play based bilingual activities as part of the Welsh Government’s Summer of Fun project.

Events are taking place across the county until September 30.

Cllr Gill German, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Education, Children and Families, said: “We are pleased to be once again supporting this great project and offering a fantastic bilingual programme of events in Denbighshire. The Council is working with a number of partners on this project and I would like to thank all those involved.

“These free activities will certainly give our children and young people something to look forward to during the summer holidays and also help support their social, emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.

“I would encourage parents to have a look at the events on offer to help their children enjoy the best possible summer this year.”

Events and activities are being arranged for children and young people aged 0 to 25.

They are designed to support children and young people to express themselves through play, offer community based interactive, creative and play-based initiatives for all ages and provide opportunities to play with friends and peers.

* To book onto one of the events or activities visit: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/summer-of-fun-2022/summer-of-fun.aspx

Eisteddfod enjoys a packed second day

* The Choir of E.Mikeladze Central Music School from Georgia sings at St Collen's. 

It was another packed day of activities, both on and off the field, as the second day of the 75th anniversary Eisteddfod got under way today (Friday).

Around lunchtime St Collen's Church was once again the perfect setting for a performance by international competitors - this time the Choir of E.Mikeladze Central Music School from Georgia whose young members showcased a selection of their soulful and moving numbers. 

Up on the field early in the afternoon there was a wholly different act going through his crazy paces on the outdoor Music Stage.

* Bill Brookman gives a new meaning to the word 'hotpants' on the Music Stage.

Entertainer Bill Brookman gave the sun-drenched audience a selection of mad-capped routines ranging from stilt walking to fire eating - as a finale sticking a lighted torch down the front of his pants.

Old friends from the Eisteddfod parade, drum band Karamba Samba, were out in front of the Pavilion drumming up plenty of interest from onlookers as they basked in the late afternoon sun.    

* The Karamba Samba Band play on the field.

Meanwhile, back in the town centre Centenary Square played host to a variety of acts, including a group of musicians from India who are appearing in the Eisteddfod despite problems with obtaining visas.  

Throughout the day a series of competition preliminary rounds of various competitions continued to be  held in the town with their respective finals being played out on the main Pavilion stage.

* Indian musicians play on Centenary Square.

Today's evening concert in the Pavilion is headlined by world-famous sitar star Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, and also featuring Austrian percussionist, composer, Hang-player and Björk collaborator Manu Delago and the strings of the Britten Sinfonia.    

* Anoushka Shankar headlines tonight's concert.

* For more on Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and its competitions and concerts as well as how to get to it and where to stay go to http://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/ or check out https://www.facebook.com/llangollen