Jazz royalty calls in to provide red-hot Eisteddfod concert

For one night only, the International Pavilion stage was transformed into an intimate New Orleans jazz club – minus the smoke – when the Guy Barker Big Band came to call.

The formidable assembly of top-drawer talent headlined the Eisteddfod’s Friday evening concert ably assisted by a star line-up of guest performers who really are modern day jazz royalty.

Initially formed as a septet in 2001 for the Mercury Award-nominated album of legendary trumpeter Barker, the band went on to become residents for Cheltenham Jazz Festival, opening the London Jazz Festival, performing at the BBC Proms, hosting the annual Royal Albert Hall’s Big Band Christmas, and much more besides.

Deploying punchy brass and New Orleans soul, they led us on a journey through the history of jazz song, featuring both classics and surprise new arrangements.

Setting the tone of lots of hot music for a hot night the band opened with old standard I Can’t Stop Loving You with Baker setting the direction on trumpet.

Guest singers Vanessa Haynes and Clare Teal soon jumped aboard to show how things were going to get even better, with former Van Morrison vocalist Haynes’s contribution including a honeyed I’m Going Lock My Heart and Throw Away the Key.

Teal laid on some similar masterpieces in the same vein and also slotted into her role as the evening’s entertaining MC.

Next to stop by was the rare talent of Giacomo Smith, a native New Yorker now based in the UK who has rapidly become recognised as one of the most distinct and versatile performers on the London jazz scene.

If you’ve ever watched Strictly Come Dancing on the TV and marvelled at the versatility of sheer musical ability of the man who provides it you’ll know all about Tommy Blaize but to see him in the flesh in Llangollen was a real thrill.

An early sample of his smooth style came with a laid-back Careless Love.

After Teal came back with a scat-laden version of Let’s Fall in Love the band stepped things up even higher with Barker’s own crazy yet masterful arrangement of  Tom Waits’s Temptation, a marvellous concoction of brassy blaring and guitar twanging fun.

We were back in New Orleans in the sixties as Haynes gave us a soul-fuelled Mean Man, first made popular by Betsy Harris in the day.

We went even further back in the New Orleans jazz annals as Smith led a number called High Society – not the Frank Sinatra one – on his fantastic clarinet to close the first half of the show.

After the break Smith returned to lead the band, assisted by a blaring solo trumpet, as it headed on through a superb version of Rocking in Rhythm.

Teal did an intricately jazzed-up version of Singing in the Rain followed by a highlight of the whole night – Smith providing the haunting clarinet-based pace for the old Midnight in Paris which was totally evocative of the hot jazz club days of the City of Lights.

There was much more from the assembled singing talent, including Blaize with Can’t Stay Away from the Door and Woman from Haynes, by which point came the first signs of dancing from somewhere in front of the audience.  

Things came almost to a head with a driving, sizzling Tiger Rag, with Smith and his clarinet in the driving seat, and finally rounding off with all three singers lending a skilful hand on Jump Jive.

The only thing to do after all that was to head out in search of a glass of bourbon or two.          

llanblogger's Friday Eisteddfod picture round-up

Here's llanblogger's Friday round-up of the day from the Eisteddfod

* Better late then never: the Kammerchor Manila Choir (above and below) at last kept their date to sing at St Collen's. They were due to give a recital there on Thursday but had to cancel after their plane from the Philippines was cancelled.   

* Pianist Evi Wang competes in the Kronospan International Musician of the Future preliminary round at the Pavilion.

* A Kurdish folk dancing group performs in Centenary Square.

* Back on the maes the Saint Agnes choir from Cornwall sings on the Globe stage.

* Penn West Clarion Concert choir performs at Centenary Square.

* Delaware Choral Scholars from the USA during their lunchtime recital at St Collen's Church. See the video on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/C22kSTF3msQ

* The Cazadors playing the Globe stage this evening.

Eisteddfod recreates Dylan Thomas broadcast of 70 years ago

* Actor Celyn Jones reads Dylan Thomas's reflections on the 1953 Llangollen Eisteddfod.

* The audience around the Dome stage. 

* Dylan Thomas makes a broadcast for the BBC.

A famous radio broadcast by legendary Welsh poet Dylan Thomas about Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has been recreated to mark its 70^th anniversary.

The reading this afternoon (Friday) by actor, writer and director Celyn Jones formed the centrepiece of a mini-programme of events to celebrate the literary magician’s 15-minute masterpiece on the BBC’s Home Service about his visit to Llangollen in 1953.

The vivid verbal images conjured from the Dome stage form an enchanting and unforgettable picture of the unique event and were delivered in his deep, resonant voice.

Back in 1953 year the late Queen Elizabeth II also attended the Eisteddfod shortly after her Coronation.

The festival had been established six years earlier under the dark shadow cast by the Second World War as a way of promoting peace through musical harmony and dance.

According to the Eisteddfod’s executive producer Camilla King, they were particularly keen to celebrate the anniversary of Thomas’s memorable broadcast.

She said: “Although sadly Dylan Thomas died in New York a few months after his visit to Llangollen, his priceless legacy will live on because he is rightly regarded as one of the literary greats.

“We felt it was particularly appropriate to remember not only his brilliant broadcast but also the wider canon of his work which turned him into a superstar poet.”

The commemorative activities included a presentation by Prof Chris Adams, vice chair of the Eisteddfod and a member of its Archive Committee, who revealed the poet was paid the princely sum of 20 guineas for his endeavours.

Prof Adams said that Swansea-born Thomas had “generated verbal images of the early Eisteddfod whose power resonates to this day”.

It was all the more remarkable, he said, because locals recall he had spent a lot of his time in Llangollen in the pub, with the Wynnstay Hotel (now The Three Eagles) being a favourite watering hole.

That was borne out by the late Aneirin Talfan Davies, the BBC producer who was despatched to Llangollen to keep an eye on Thomas, who accompanied by his wife, Aeronwy and their daughter, Caitlin.

Talfan Davies, who was himself a talented poet, later told how Thomas had spent the week “wandering aimlessly through the streets of Llangollen, with the odd half hour spent in the eisteddfod tent and many hours in the  bars of the town’s pubs.”

He also described the poet’s way of working which involved “writing notes on cigarette packets, and the panic on the way back to Cardiff when Thomas feared he had lost the material”.

Thankfully, the notes came to light in the nick of time and the finished, finessed piece has been described as a classic example of his genius with words.

Eisteddfod action continues right into Sunday

* The Loughgiel folk dancers from Northern Ireland will perform on Sunday.

Sunday's Eisteddfod programme is packed with events. 

In the Pavilion you can watch the first round of Voice of Musical Theatre from 11.45-2pm as 12 competitors take to the stage in the hope of being crowned the overall winner in our closing concert. 

From 2.15pm there's the first ever Dance Off competition and the audience choose the winners.

Groups from across the globe duke it out to be chosen as the most entertaining and inventive dancers. Audience participation is encouraged.

 

From 6.30pm there's Stars of Tomorrow, presented by Sian Thomas, which sees four top-class vocalists battle it out to be crowned The Voice of Musical Theatre 2023. 

Previous finalists and winners of this prestigious competition have gone on to big things, and were even seen singing alongside Alfie Boe in Tuesday's evening concert. 

For the first time, S4C will be broadcasting highlights from the competition on the same evening.

 

The concert’s second half features some of the Eisteddfod's finest international performers in a series of highlight performances from acts including Mother Touch Dance Zimbabwe, Shebre Ghana, Soul Oasis Trinidad & Tobago, Loughgiel Northern Ireland as well as some to be announced guest stars.

 

On the Eisteddfod Maes there's a wide variety of entertainment taking place from 10:30 onwards including: Lilly Boughey – Chester Male Voice Choir – The Montagues – Vocal Highs – Xplore Science Activities – Circus Skills with Jester Jack – Poet Natasha Borton – Hip & Harmony – Klaus & the If-tones – Sound Bathing Session – Lego Building – Diddi Dance - Our new Community Band Competitions (brass, silver, concert).

Also during the day former BBC Breakfast star Louise Minchin will be doing a talk and book signing.

Eisteddfod Maes / Field Tickets: 

Cost – £12 adult / £10 concessions / £5 children (age 5yrs & over, under 5s go free)

Family tickets – £25 family (2 adults & 3 children age 5yrs & over) / £15 solo family (1 adult & 3 children age 5yrs & over)
Also includes free entry to Stars of Tomorrow closing concert from 6.30-8.30pm.

Eisteddfod's grand parade comes back in fine style

* All pictures by Mandy Jones 

The spectacular pageant of the Parade of Nations has made its long-awaited return to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

The colourful cavalcade, sponsored by Everbright, included competitors from 19 countries on five different continents who were given a joyous welcome by delighted spectators who lined the streets in the picturesque town where Wales meets the world.

It was the first time parade has been held since 2019 with Covid taking its toll on the event for three years before this its triumphant return.

Nisha Guy, from Trinidad and Tobago, a cultural ambassador with the Soul Oasis group among a party of 40 from the West Indian islands.

She said: “I’ve just been blown away by the music and dance performances – everyone just really giving their all.

“It’s just been great to have some normalcy brought back to our lives after Covid and it’s been so emotional and so lovely as well, backstage and in the audience as well.

“The Parade is something special and I was singing as part of that and in the town square as well.”

Kiki Dari has been bringing groups of competitors from Djakarta, in Indonesia, for over 20 years and this year is with Labschool Kebayoran and she said: “I feel like Llangollen is my second home and I have missed it .

“I even came here two weeks before the festival to make sure everything was fine and it’s so nice to be back and be part of it all, especially the Parade.

“We have some traditional dancers with us and they have performed as part of the parade today.

“I hope to come many more times in future. I enjoy so much bringing Indonesian people here.”

Gurnoor Kaur, a young dancer from the Punjab, in India, was here for the first time in 2019, the last time the Eisteddfod was held as a full event and she said: “There have been lots of changes from last time but it is such an amazing event.

“It’s just such a great experience and so amazing, even the weather, and the people are so caring, respectful and show lots of love. They have really made us feel at home.

“It’s great to get to know about other cultures and other nations. That’s what makes Llangollen so special – I’d love to come again.”

It was a special moment for the Eisteddfod’s mastermind, Executive Producer Camilla King, who took over last year and hadn’t see it make its colourful way down Abbey Road from the International Pavilion to the town and back again in a kaleidoscopic river of colour.

She said: “It’s been fantastic and the Parade has been wonderful. It’s the first time it has been held since 2019 and the first time I’ve seen and experienced it and it has just been spectacular.

“Having no restrictions to worry about is absolutely wonderful and we’ve had lots of competitors from all over the world taking part, from the West Indies to the East Indies with groups from Trinidad and Tobago to Indonesia.

“We were a bit worried after Covid whether people would come back to the Eisteddfod, particularly from overseas but the response has been magnificent and seeing so many happy faces with people having fun is what the Eisteddfod is all about.

“Events like ours need support and so it’s been wonderful to see so many people along the route because Llangollen is unique. We have a wonderful message of peace and friendship.

“You see things here you won’t see anywhere else, meeting people you wouldn’t meet anywhere else and I’m very proud of that and most of the work is done to make all this happen is done by our volunteers who are phenomenal.”

Among those volunteers are Bill Kong and his wife, Solana, who have settled in the town after Bill first visited the Eisteddfod in 2013 and started volunteering two years later even though he had to fly 6,000 miles to do it.

He has now been here three years and is delighted to see the Eisteddfod back and he said: “I love the people here, the hwyl, the friendliness, the music and the countryside.

“The Parade is back now and that was really important because it really seals the whole connection between the festival and the town and that’s really important.

“It’s been going 76 years now and that not something to be taken lightly.”

* 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

Join Llangollen Parkrun as it marks NHS's 75th birthday

Llangollen's first Parkrun on June 17 had 249 people attending.

According to organisers, this figure was boosted by what are known as "Parkrun tourists" - people from all over the UK who like to attend a first run. 

On its second week  the run attracted 181 participants and last week 160 settling down for more local people.

A spokesperson said: "This week we are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS and our run director on the day is Janet Knight, who local people will know is a senior partner at the GP Practice at Llangollen Health Centre, supported by some of her colleagues from the practice which is actually an official Parkrun practice, to encourage people to volunteer, walk, jog or run at our event."

* Parkrun is now a regular weekly event, starting at 9am every Saturday, in which people can volunteer, walk, jog or run to improve their health and wellbeing, please see: home | Old Railway Trail parkrun, Llangollen | Old Railway Trail parkrun, Llangollen

Hundreds come out to watch Eisteddfod's big parade

llanblogger picture special

Llangollen Eisteddfod's traditional International Parade took place this afternoon.

Hundreds of onlookers packed into the town centre to watch and cheer the cavalcade of colour and music as it made its way from the Eisteddfod field, down Abbey Road, across the famous bridge and into the heart of Llangollen.

Flag-waving competitors and performers from across the globe were in the big line-up, led by town crier Chem.