Gethin Hughes Memorial Bursary Prize will be launched next month

An exciting £1,000 musical bursary prize will be launched next month (September) to honour the man known as Llanelli’s Mr Music, Gethin Hughes MBE.

It will be the biggest prize of its kind on offer in Wales and the aim will be to find the very best young musical talent in Llanelli. 

The prize is the brainchild of Cor Meibion Llanelli musical director Eifion Thomas, a close friend of the late Mr Hughes.

"Gethin was a great pal and a long-serving accompanist for Cor Meibion Llanelli," said Mr Thomas.

"We travelled the world to concerts and festivals and Gethin was famous the world over for being a real character and a wonderful ambassador for Llanelli.

"Gethin made an outstanding contribution to music in Llanelli and in Wales. It is wonderfully fitting that we should honour his memory and celebrate his life with a musical bursary prize.

"Gethin cared very much about supporting and promoting youngsters on their musical careers. Hopefully, this new award will go a long way to encouraging, supporting and developing musical talent in Llanelli."

The bursary prize will be officially launched at the Gethin Hughes Memorial Concert at Greenfield Chapel, Llanelli, on Saturday, September 8.

The bursary organisers, led by Mr Thomas, include Cor Meibion Llanelli chorister Richard Christopher, Gethin’s second cousin.
Mr Christopher explained: “The aim is to perpetuate Gethin's memory by making this an annual concert and to include a competition for young Llanelli musicians.
“The prize will be a bursary of £1,000 to the winner to help them in their first year of music college.
“Competitors will have to have a guaranteed place at a music college in the coming academic year. The winner will be expected to perform at future concerts.
“Further details about how students can enter, the judging panel and the structure of the competition will follow later, but our target for competitors includes next year's A level students who are planning to move on to music college.” 
The £1,000 prize is being sponsored by the Jenkins Bakery.

Russell Jenkins, operations director of the Jenkins Bakery, said: “The death of Gethin Hughes last year robbed Llanelli and Wales of one of its best-loved musicians and characters.

“We are one of the oldest businesses in Llanelli and we have a long association with Gethin and his family.
“My grandfather was a deacon at Triniti Chapel. Triniti, of course, was very dear to Gethin’s heart.
“Gethin’s contribution to the musical life of Llanelli and Wales was immense. He died just a few days short of his 76th birthday after a wonderful musical career.
“The memorial bursary is a cause very dear to our hearts here at the Jenkins Bakery and we are happily supporting the plan with a £1,000 donation.” 

The concert at Greenfield will be compered by BBC TV newsreader and commentator Huw Edwards.

The organist will be Alan Fewster and the soprano soloist will be Stacey Wheeler.

Cor Meibion Llanelli will headline the bill.

 

Jenkins the Bakers is a third generation family business based in Llanelli. The firm celebrated its 90th anniversary last year.
The Jenkins bakery employs 300 people, full and part-time, across 25 different stores in South Wales.
The company has the Gold Standard Welsh Food Hygiene Award and the Investors in People award.
Weblink:
http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/
http://llanellimalechoir.co.uk/