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

St David’s Day concert, Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli: Treorchy Male Choir, Côr Lleisiau’r Cwm, Samuel Morris and compere Garry Owen. Loud Applause Productions in association with Theatrau Sir Gar. Compere Garry Owen had it right: We’re ahead of the game in Llanelli. Ymlaen (Forward) Llanelli and all that . . . It takes a certain amount of swagger and style to stage a St David’s Day concert well ahead of the actual event. But, Llanelli is a place brimful with ‘hwyl’ and making this concert work was never going to be a problem. It flowed like a river in full flood. Dramatic, inspiring and surprising. It was something of a surprise to learn that this was only the second appearance in Llanelli by the famous Treorchy Male Voice. A surprise also to see ‘debut day’ conductor Ryan Wood guiding the 50-plus choristers through a challenging programme which set a high performance benchmark for the evening. There were old favourites such as Calon Lan, Ar Lan y Mor and Myfanwy. But there were also pl...

Summer Soiree at Stradey Castle, Llanelli, featuring Loud Applause ‘Rising Stars’, including Samuel Morris, Keely Morgan, Nia Rees, Jordan Williams, Liam Reilly, Sophie Maliphant, Angharad Elise Thomas, Daniella Difede and ‘Perfect Harmony’. There was a touch of class about this summer showcase for young musical talent from West Wales. As intimate concert venues go, you cannot get much better than the Great Hall at Stradey Castle in Llanelli. And, with a dozen ‘Rising Stars’ taking the stage on the magnificent staircase, this was a musical soiree with something for everyone. Cerith Owens, the director of Loud Applause Productions, has set up the ‘Rising Stars’ platform in an effort to encourage and mentor up-and-coming youngsters and give them much-needed  exposure on concert stages. Ysgol y Strade head boy Samuel Morris and Coedcae school pupil Daniella Difede are already familiar figures on concert stages throughout West Wales, but this was an event designed to a...

It’s proving to be quite a week for up-and-coming Llanelli singer Samuel Morris. The 17-year-old student at Ysgol Gyfun y Strade passed his driving test – which makes it easier for him to get to his big stage appearances in Neath. Samuel is appearing in the lead role appearance of Jean Valjean in Mark Jermin’s production of Les Miserables at the Gwyn Hall in Neath from tomorrow (Weds) until Saturday. Where he finds time for it all is something of a mystery to his family and friends. Samuel is studying Welsh, drama and politics at Strade and is also the Head Boy! “Of course, it’s busy, but it’s great fun,” Samuel said before taking the stage at the Gwyn Hall. “Life can be a bit of a whirlwind of rehearsals and concert performances, but I love musical theatre. “It’s my dream to study musical theatre and become a West End star.” Samuel would love to follow in the footsteps of another ‘local lad’ who made his name playing Jean Valjean and The Phantom of the Opera. “John Owen...

A Night With The Stars, a Loud Applause production at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, featuring Shân Cothi , Mark Llewellyn Evans, Côr Meibion Llanelli (musical director Eifion Thomas), Samuel Morris, Daniella Difede, Sipsi Gallois, and accompanists Rhiannon Williams-Hale, Andrew Pike and Will Havard. There was plenty of the ‘Wow’ Factor at this wonderful showcase for the very best of Carmarthenshire talent. The star appeal of Shân Cothi and Mark Llewellyn Evans is already well known and they more than lived up to top billing. What is more of a secret (but not for much longer) in Carmarthenshire is the development of potential West End stars of the future. A full house at Ffwrnes was the ideal opportunity to bring 16-year-old Coedcae pupil Daniella Difede and 17-year-old Ysgol y Strade head boy Samuel Morris to a wider audience. The way they both shone made you think they’d been treading the boards for years, performing with a mature confidence and stage presence which captured the hear...

Llanelli singer Samuel Morris was the guest soloist at Llanelli Rotary Club's 'President's Night' at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli. Accompanied by Andrew Pike, he gave memorable performances of 'Stars' from the musical Les Miserables and 'Anthem' from Chess. Samuel is having a very busy autumn with solo spots at Radio Carmarthenshire and Scarlet FM Local Hero Awards, the Royal British Legion Gala Concert at the Lyric in Carmarthen and in the Night of the Stars at Ffwrnes Theatre, singing alongside Shan Cothi and Mark Llewelyn Evans. All this, when he only started singing this year. Samuel is pictured above - (left to right) Andrew Pike, Llanelli Rotary Club President Ken Abban and Samuel Morris. Samuel is part of an ambitious plan to develop young talent in South West Wales. Cerith Owens, the director of Loud Applause Productions has set up a ‘Rising Stars’ platform as part of his concert and theatre company. Samuel is a 17-year-old student at ...

South West Wales concert promoter Cerith Owens is launching an ambitious plan to develop young talent. The director of Loud Applause Productions has set up a ‘Rising Stars’ platform as part of his concert and theatre company. “Working in theatres and concert halls throughout South West Wales, I have been amazed at the amount of young talent there is in the area,” Mr Owens said. “If we are not careful, a lot of this young talent escapes the net here in South West Wales. “It’s my ambition to use my experiences of concerts and theatre projects to help nurture, encourage and mentor up-and-coming youngsters to make sure they get the exposure they deserve on the concert stage.” Mr Owens added: “There is so much talk nowadays about celebrity-style programmes like the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, but I want to focus on the proper development of young talent in our area. “There is a need for some careful and sensible mentoring of the young talent which shines through in South West Wales...