Côr Meibion Llanelli’s ‘Annual Concert’ at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, Llanelli, with soprano Adele O’Neill and the Tredegar Town Band.
You know you’ve witnessed something special when you’ve heard two standing ovations.
The first came when Côr Meibion Llanelli musical director Eifion Thomas paid tribute to the choir’s former accompanist, Gethin Hughes, who died just short of his 76th birthday.
Mr Thomas paid tribute to Gethin’s contribution to the musical life of Llanelli and Wales and invited the audience to pay tribute in the ‘way Gethin always appreciated’.
Cue: a minute-long standing ovation.
Predictably, the second standing ovation of the evening was reserved for the climax of the evening, a collaboration between the choir and their guests, soprano Adele O’Neill and the Tredegar Town Band. It took the shape of a stirring Climb Ev’ry Mountain from the Sound of Music and had followed a splendid duet between the soprano and Côr Meibion Llanelli’s musical director of the Andrea Bocelli favourite Time To Say Goodbye.
This was no night for Eisteddfod ‘Test pieces’ from Côr Meibion Llanelli. Instead, it was a well-balanced displayed of entertaining songs from the movies, from the West End and Broadway. The Tredegar Town Band, 2010 Grand Shield and British Open Champions, were as big and brassy as their reputation with a repertoire which showed why they are now regarded as one of the top two bands in the world.
Adele O’Neill revelled in her guest soprano role with I Feel Pretty from West Side Story and a solo set which included Think Of Me from Phantom of the Opera and I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady. The compere was celebrated Welsh TV personality Glan Davies. Gethin Hughes would have loved it.
