* Cyril Jones, Mario Kreft MBE, Dennis Williams, Dulyn Moss and Sam Hughes at the Aqueduct Inn in Froncysyllte. Picture by Mandy Jones
The choir that helped inspire Luciano Pavarotti is set to perform in Italy to mark what would have been the opera legend’s 90th birthday.
Thirty-six members of the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir will be travel to his home city of Modena to sing alongside Pavarotti’s old choir, Chorus Rossini.
The performance will form part of the Bel Canto Festival on October 12 – the exact date the Italian tenor would have celebrated his milestone birthday.
The Fron Choir, which famously welcomed Pavarotti to the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 1955 and 1995, is being hailed for continuing its unique bond with the late superstar.
Pavarotti himself revealed his first visit to the festival lit the spark that inspired his glittering international career.
The Modena trip is being made possible thanks to the backing of Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, owners of the arts-loving Pendine Park care organisation via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, which supports cultural and community initiatives.
The couple are also long-term supporters of the Llangollen Eisteddfod and in July they accompanied Pavarotti’s widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, when she arrived at this year’s event by train from Corwen to Llangollen.
On her trip she marked the 70th anniversary of her late husband’s first experience at the Eisteddfod where he performed with his father, Fernando, as part of Chorus Rossini, as well as the 30th anniversary of his return as a global superstar for a sell-out concert in 1995.
The Fron Choir performed for Nicoletta at Corwen railway station, a performance which led her to invite them to perform at Bel Canto alongside Chorus Rossini.
Choir member Simon Atkinson said: “Excitement is building for the performance now. We will be headlining on the last night of the festival which lands on the same date as what would have been Pavarotti’s 90th birthday.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and while we are nervous and starting to feel the pressure, we are really looking forward to it."
The Fron Choir found global fame and was dubbed “the oldest boyband in the world” after being spotted by pop music manager Daniel Glatman when he heard them perform at a wedding in Trevor Hall in 2006 - a chance meeting that led to the choir later signing a five album deal with Universal Music.
Earlier this year the choir released a single to coincide with the launch of Wrexham AFC’s third kit for the 2025/2026 season.
The choir has been putting in hours of extra practice each week ahead of their performance in Italy where they will sing 10 songs included six in Italian, one in Latin and one in French, as well as some traditional Welsh songs.
Simon added: “There have been some big hurdles along the way, especially with learning the different languages, but we are in good shape and are really looking forward to it.”
Some of the choir members met in the Aqueduct Inn in Froncysyllte - where Pavarotti and his choir socialised on both of his trips to Llangollen - this week to discuss plans for the upcoming trip.
They were joined by Mr Kreft who wished them luck for their performance and said: “Pavarotti will always be remembered as one of the finest and most beloved tenors of all time – and it’s wonderful to think that this area is where his remarkable journey to greatness began.
“We have been a supporter of the arts for a number of years and we are proud to celebrate the wonderful link between this area and its history with Pavarotti’s family.
“Gill and I were at the 1995 concert in Llangollen where Pavarotti performed and it was one of those moments you will remember forever. We had seen him several times before but his connection with the audience that night was remarkable.
“This is also a very special year for Pendine as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary and we’re delighted to help the Froncysyllte Choir to join Chorus Rossini in Modena for this performance. Music and the arts are the golden thread running through what we do in Pendine so it seemed fitting to support this incredible opportunity.
“As part of the agreement the choir will be performing at the North Wales International Music Festival which we also support through PAC Choir member Cyril Jones. 83, a retired police officer, will be one of those making the trip to Modena.
He said: “I am very much looking forward to it. While it will only be a brief visit it is going to be a wonderful opportunity for us.”
Cyril recalled singing with the Fron Choir as Pavarotti arrived at the Bryn Howel hotel where he stayed during his 1995 visit to Llangollen.
He said: “He was a very nice man and was very touched by the welcome we gave him. I spoke to him in Welsh, he spoke Italian back to me so we just smiled and shook hands!”
Dennis Williams, who was one of the founding members of the Fron Choir at the tender age of 16 back in 1947, won’t be joining his fellow singers on the trip but wished them well.
He added: “They are great ambassadors for Wales and I wish them luck with their performance.”
The former engineering manager at the now-closed Monsanto site in Cefn Mawr, who was born in a room upstairs in the Aqueduct inn 94 years ago, said he was proud to have travelled all over the world with the choir.
David Hennigan, from Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, added: “We’re delighted that the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir will be heading out to Modena to sing in this landmark concert.
“I know that Nicoletta Mantovani, the Maestro’s late wife was moved to tears when this outstanding choir performed for her at Corwen Railway Station, before travelling on Llangollen Railway to our Eisteddfod to mark the 70th anniversary of Pavarotti’s triumphant performance.
“This concert, marks another milestone and yet again thanks must go out to arts loving, Llangollen Eisteddfod supporters - Mario and Gill Kreft for helping fund this trip which will build on the special connection between the Fron Choir, the Llangollen Eisteddfod, and the legacy of Luciano Pavarotti.”
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