Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Reflections on a ground-breaking trip to honour links between Llanelli and a city in The Netherlands were the order of the day at Plas Llanelly House. There was a full house for an afternoon which mixed music and memories for the team from Loud Applause Rising Stars. ‘Rising Stars’ is the charitable wing of Loud Applause Productions and works to help mentor up-and-coming singers and musicians and give them experience of the concert stage. The team from Rising Stars were invited to attend World War Two commemoration events in s’Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) in The Netherlands. And the success of the trip was outlined in a photo presentation by Loud Applause Rising Stars Trustee Mrs Susan Roberts. Loud Applause Rising Stars took two of their young singers, Thomas Bytheway and Callum Rhys Williams, to s’Hertogenbosch. They were accompanied by Rising Stars Ambassador Mark Llewelyn Evans and accompanied by Andrew Pike, musical advisor – and a team of Rising Stars supporters. Mrs Roberts said ...

A Night With the Stars gala concert, featuring Shân Cothi , Charlie Lovell-Jones (violin) and The Loud Applause Rising Stars, at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli. Simply dazzling . . . No, we’re not talking Shân Cothi’s frocks here (although they were eye-catching, as always!). On a night of stirring singing, the show-stealing performance of the night was provided by an individual musician. Cardiff-based 17-year-old Charlie Lovell-Jones has a growing reputation as one of the UK’s finest young musical talents. And he blew the packed house away at Ffwrnes Theatre with a virtuoso violin performance. It was stunning stuff. At times you could swear a small chamber orchestra was playing, such was his dexterity during Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Sain-Saens. It took some time for some members of the audience to re-set their dropped jaws, but the violinist did reward everyone with a special addition to his set – a wonderfully emotional performance of the famous Suo Gan lullaby. He foll...

Two members of the West Wales Loud Applause Productions 'Rising Stars' team joined Carmarthen baritone Mark Llewellyn Evans on a special trip to mark an emotional and enduring link between The Netherlands and Wales. The trio journeyed to s’Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands for events commemorating the liberation of the town in World War Two. The two ‘Rising Stars’ were Thomas Bytheway and Callum Rhys Williams, who are both part of the charitable wing of Loud Applause Productions, a group dedicated to mentoring and training young singers and musicians across South Wales. Mark Llewellyn Evans is an Ambassador for ‘Rising Stars’ so he took the lead role in the Welsh contribution to the commemorative events. The Welsh link with s’Hertogenbosch was formed back in October, 1944, when the 53rd Welsh Division spent five days in brutal fighting to liberate the town from the Nazis. The chief executive of s’Hertogenbosch City Council Jan de Wit said: “It was wonderful to...

Loud Applause Rising Stars ‘Music of the Night’ at Machynys Golf Club, featuring host Mark Llewellyn Evans and Rising Stars Keely Morgan, Thomas Bytheway, Callum Rhys Williams, Jordan Williams and Callum Howells Tears of laughter, tears of remembrance . . . this was a night when emotional heartstrings were played in perfect harmony. The Loud Applause Rising Stars charity ‘Music of the Night’ event at Machynys didn’t necessarily set out to have the audience reaching for their hankies, but the power of the music and the singing made it so. It was an evening when the featured artistes were the members of the Loud Applause Rising Stars stable of young up-and-coming performers. But host Mark Llewellyn Evans is such a wonderful performer that he couldn’t help but steal a sizeable chunk of the show. His rendition of Tell My Father from the Civil War musical was timed as his tribute to the World War One Somme battle centenary. Mark’s version of the song has already raised an estimated £25...

Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity ‘Friends Thank You Soirée’ at Llanelly House, featuring Daniella Difede, Benjamin Anthony, Dylan Morgan, Piet Zorn and Ffion Elin Williams. If you wanted to bottle the essence of the Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity, then this soirée at Llanelly House was the place to do it. The impressive oak-panelled Great Hall at Llanelli’s Georgian showpiece (with the backdrop of the Stepney Armorial Dinner Service) always provides an aromatic and atmospheric backdrop to showcase events. And this was a showcase which lived up to its impressive surroundings, putting the accent on new singing and musical talent. The Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) charity was formed in January, with chairman Cerith Owens determined to use it as a vehicle to mentor and develop young talent. Harpist Ffion Elin Williams set the tone for the evening by providing the music for the welcome and the interval for an event billed as a ‘Thank You’ for the Friends of the chari...