A warm, evocative carol which says that the Nativity Story is still very relevant today has won the prestigious S4C Carol Competition.
A highly respected composer from Talwrn, Anglesey, E Olwen Jones has won the £1,000 prize and her composition ‘Dim ond Un’ (There’s Only One) will now be premiered at the Thousand Voices Christmas Concert at the Llangollen Pavilion on Sunday, 12 December.
Highlights of the concert, organised by S4C and The Daily Post newspaper, will be broadcast on Wednesday. 21 December. Tenor Wynne Evans, treble Rhys Meilyr and a number of local choirs are among the impressive line-up presented by broadcasters Branwen Gwyn and Hywel Gwynfryn.
Former Head of the Music Department at the Normal College, Bangor and a former peripatetic music teacher, E Olwen Jones is a respected composer who has published songbooks for both adults and children.
“I feel honoured to have won this award and look forward to the first performance at the Llangollen Pavilion. This is the first time I’ve won a competition of this kind and I enjoyed the whole experience of composing the music and words for Dim Ond Un. “says E Olwen Jones, 74, who was brought up in Liverpool but who has lived for over 40 years on Anglesey, where she has family roots.
“It’s a traditional carol which is both intense and reflective and it celebrates the wonders of the Nativity Story – the Three Wise Men, the guiding star and Baby Jesus. I believe that the Nativity Story is just as relevant today and I firmly believe that,” added E Olwen Jones, who is an experienced arranger of melodies.
Rob Nicholls, S4C Culture Content Editor, “E Olwen Jones is a recognised composer and the fact that she entered the competition reflects the high regard in which this competition is now held.
“The competition is now in its 12th year and its performance is one of the highlights of the Christmas Thousand Voices Concert. Viewers can look forward to the programme on S4C which is one of the highlights of S4C’s Christmas schedule.”
