The summer concert season at St John’s Church Llandudno got off to a successful start last night.
Getting Ready for the Summer Concert Season
Warm evening sunshine greeted choir and audience members. So pleasing to see so many turning up early to ensure a good seat.
Opening of Summer Concert Season
The first four choir items were well received:
· Y Ddau Wladgarwr
· You Raise Me Up (solo from Peter Davies)
· Gwawrio Mae’r Bore (Theme tune from Dances with Wolves)
· Abide With Me
Carys Eleri, Soprano
Carys Eleri, soprano, was our guest soloist. She opened with ‘If there were Dreams to Sell’ by John Ireland.
It was evident she was in fine voice.
‘Cymru Fach’ enabled her to express her love of her mother country. Her eyes sparkled as she sang about its mountains, vales and rivers.
Most of all, it was singing from the heart.
Also Nia Jones providing a sensitive and assured piano accompaniment.
The audience loved it.
The choir then sang the patriotic ‘Safwn yn y Bwlch’ (soloist Geraint Roberts).
A prophetic ‘Calm is the Sea’, ‘Angels Watching Over Me’, and the stirring ‘Yn y Man’ closed the first half.
Arwyn Roberts, Conductor, with Carys Eleri (left) and Nia Jones
Concert Second Half
Invigorated by a refreshing cup of tea at the interval the choir opened the second half with:
· Song of the Jolly Roger
· Pan Fyddo’r Nos yn Hir/Ti a dy Ddoniau (Ryan Davies)
· Fy Mhlentyn
· African Prayer
Carys Eleri then performed ‘Ave Maria’, a lesser known version
by Michal Lorenc, a contemporary composer of film scores.
‘Love Changes Everything’ was the show stopper. The famous, demanding last note engulfed the entire church. That alone was worth the price of admission.
Carys then joined the choir to sing ‘La Vergine’, Verdi’s haunting aria from The Force of Destiny.
The choir finished with ‘Take Me Home’ and ‘Coedmor’.
The journey home was comforting, the audience applause still ringing in the ears.
Furthermore, we look forward to our return appearances at St John’s summer concert season throughout the summer.
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