Côr Meibion Llanelli have a triple-whammy of crowd-pleasers lined up for their much-anticipated ‘Annual Concert’ on Saturday night. The choir will be accompanied by their very own ‘Adele’ at the Selwyn Samuel Centre on Saturday, July 16.
They will also have support from one of the UK’s leading brass bands, the multi-award-winning Tredegar Town Band. And the choir will feature a repertoire as varied as any they have ever performed, ranging from songs from the shows and movie favourites to negro spirituals. “It’s a wonderful programme which is sure to entertain,” said Côr Meibion Llanelli musical director Eifion Thomas.
“The concert programme is ideally suited to a summer’s evening in July – and whatever the weather outside you can be assured you will be basking in the glow of a musical treat inside the Selwyn Samuel Centre. “The choir programme will feature familiar songs from West Side Story, Les Miserables and The Sound of Music.
“But that only tells part of the story. We can promise the audience some surprises and rare treats along the way.”
Mr Thomas added:
“We are very fortunate to be joined on stage by soprano Adele O’Neill, who is a star attraction in her own right for South Wales concert-goers.
“And we have further support from the Tredegar Town Band. This is a rare opportunity to hear the band in Llanelli and they have a rich and dynamic sound which enjoys a worldwide reputation.”
The concert at the Selwyn Samuel Centre starts at 7pm. Tickets are £10 and are available from the Theatr Elli Box Office, other Llanelli town centre locations and choir members. The compere is celebrated Welsh TV personality Glan Davies.
Adele O’Neill: Adele O’Neill is a celebrated soprano whose passion for singing was founded and inspired as a child by her grandmother’s old records of the opera greats and the beauty and emotion of such voices.
A native of Pontarddulais, Adele’s singing talent was first spotted in her early years as she enjoyed various singing roles with regional societies before her singing career swept her to London, where she studied and graduated from the acclaimed Guildhall School of Music and Drama London under the tutelage of Professor Laura Sarti, the internationally celebrated Italian mezzo-soprano.
Adele’s exciting singing career has see her perform with a wealth of choruses, orchestras and artists with countless performances given in both the UK and internationally spanning France, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Canada. Memorable performances include Eglise Notre Dame Versailles, Bedrich Smetana Concert Hall Prague, Peterborough Cathedral, La Casa de la cultura Andalucia, Gloucester Cathedral, St. David’s Cathedral, Collegiate Concert Hall Budapest and the Krakow’s acclaimed Maritsky Church. As an award-winning soprano, Adele has won many prestigious awards. These include several prizes at the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the esteemed International Gold Medal Singing Competition at the internationally renowned Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Adele was also a semi-finalist in the prestigious Montserrat Caballe International singing competition in Zaragoza. Her charming, warm and embracing performances have brought her numerous operatic and oratorio roles. Operatic roles are numerous but a favourite sample would include Micaela (Carmen), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Mimi (La Boheme), Antonia (The tales of Hoffman), Leonora (Fidelio), Papagena (Magic Flute), Arabella (Arabella), Contessa (Marriage of Figaro), Filipnevya (Eugene Onegin). Oratorio performances include The Elijah (Mendelssohn), The Messiah (Handel), Requiem (Verdi), Requiem (Mozart), A Child of our Time (Tipett), Gloria (Vivaldi), St John Passion (Bach), Messa di Gloria (Puccini), Mass in time of war (Haydn), Coronation Mass (Mozart), Requiem (Faure), The Armed Man (Jenkins), Nelson Mass (Haydn).
Tredegar Town Band’s history can be traced as far back as 1849 when they are recorded as leading a giant procession to celebrate the opening of a new mill for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. In 1876 facing extinction local citizens met in the Town Hall and pledged financial support. From the very beginning of industrial Tredegar, and its two ironworks and numerous coal-mines the sound of brass has echoed from the midst of heavy industry. One-and-a-half centuries on, the ironworks and pits have gone and the town, though far from prosperous, does enjoy more varied employment, better amenities and a brighter environment. The band has also moved forward and is now part of an elite group of top brass bands in Wales which stand among the best that Britain has to offer.
