Cynthia Styles, the President of Chelmsford and District Welsh Society, welcomed a capacity audience of 500 to the annual concert, held at Chelmsford Cathedral on 14 June in the presence of the Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr. Tom Willis, and the Mayoress, Mrs Jane Willis. Cor Meibion Llanelli, under the baton of their talented Music Director Eifion Thomas, a Member of the highest order of the White Robes of the Bardic Circle of the British Isles, presented an interesting and varied programme, enhanced by the Cathedral's glorious acoustics. This included Myfanwy, considered by many to be the greatest Welsh love song and guaranteed to bring a tear to the eyes of everyone in the diaspora, works by Mozart and Verdi, traditional Welsh airs and hymn tunes, You'll Never Walk Alone, An American Trilogy and Geraint Roberts/Judith Proctor's rousing A-men. The choir was accompanied by Helen Roberts. The audience joined the choir to sing Calon Lan to the tune of Blaenwern at the end of the first half, and the much loved Unwaith Eto'n Nghymru Annwyl at the conclusion.
The guest soloist was the very talented young Welsh baritone Gary Griffiths, whose passion is Lieder, and who's programme also included oratorio, Strauss, Don Giovanni, Welsh airs - including a nostalgic My Little Welsh Home - and as an encore after a thunderous ovation, Some Enchanted Evening from Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. Gary's excellent accompanist was a young South African, Nico de Villiers.
The Mayor complimented the choir and soloist, and said that he was struck by the beauty of the Welsh language. Presentations were made to the choir, to Eifion, Helen, Gary and Nico by Cynthia. Finally, a spine tingling rendition of the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and a feeling of satisfaction and pride. Nothing can beat a good nostalgic evening of song!
Jim Armishaw |
