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

Trinity University College’s Ffrinj Festival saw record audience numbers across a range of creative events organised and performed by the University’s students. The Student Ffrinj Committee worked all year to prepare an exciting and vibrant programme of artistic events and were richly rewarded for their efforts. Kevin Matherick, Head of the Faculty of Arts and Social Studies said: “This year has seen the students worked alongside Liane Davies from the iCreu project and Dominic Williams of Parthian Books which gave them the opportunity to work within a more professional context, creating a ffrinj website and developing their entrepreneurial skills.” The events ranged from readings from the MA Creative Writing anthology Shadow Plays at Dylan Thomas' Boathouse, Laugharne to performances of Edward Bond's play Derek ; from the launch of Sunflowers in Your Eyes, an anthology of Zimbabwean women poets, a closing Evening of Music and Dance involving Trinity’s Theatre & Performance ...

Lynwen Haf Roberts, 21, from Llangadfan, Welshpool, has won the first prize in the Musical Theatre Competition held during the Trinity Arts Festival. Lynwen, a recent graduate of performing arts at Trinity University College Carmarthen, won the competition for her performance of Everybody Loves Louis, from the musical Sunday in the Park with George, Still Hurting from The Last Five Years and Astonishing from Little Women. She received a cheque for £300 from competition adjudicator West End star Peter Karrie. “I’m delighted to have won this prize and I must say it was a bit of a shock. It’s the pinnacle of a fantastic time at Trinity as I’ve had the opportunity to study in America, perform in New York experienced success in the Urdd National Eisteddfod and have been a part of a touring production of musical Heb Ei Fai by Eilir Owen Griffith and Ceri Elen. I’m really grateful for all the help I’ve received during my three years at Trinity.” The other finalist in the competition were Am...

A young tenor from South Korea has won the Stuart Burrows International Voice Award and the top prize of £4,000. Jung Soo Yun impressed judges Brian Hughes and Dr Terry James in the closing event in the Trinity Arts Festival which saw five other soloist reach the final for the coveted prize. A music graduate of Yonsei University in Seoul, Jung Soo has gained a Master of Music degree with distinction in 2008 and Master of Opera with distinction in November 2009 before being awarded the Director's Scholarship to study at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice under Dennis O'Neill CBE in September 2009. His repertoire for the competition included Kuda, Kuda from Tchaikovsy’s Eugene Onegin, Si mes ver avaient des ailes by Hahn, Am feierabend from Die Schone Mullerin by Schubert and Che gelida manina from Puccini’s La bohème. The other competitors to reach the final of the competition were tenor Robyn Lyn Evans, from Tregaron, Irish mezzo-soprano, Máire Flavin, Swansea Soprano N...

The Trinity Arts Festival (Gwyl y Drindod) is building up to a truly international climax this weekend. The grand finale sees the Stuart Burrows International Voice Award final at Trinity on Sunday. “Always a hugely popular and very competitive event, the Stuart Burrows award is always a highlight for the festival,” artistic director Eilir Owen Griffiths said this week. “And this year’s event promises to have added star appeal as Stuart Burrows himself has kindly agreed to be one of the judges. “His fans will know that he has not been well recently, but he has pronounced himself fighting fit to act as a judge for the award. “It will be no easy task for the judges, as this year we have competitors from as far afield as Korea, Australia and Ireland. “The reputation of the Stuart Burrows award builds year by year. Every winner goes on to bigger and better things and we have found that award winners use it as a featured and highly-valued prize in their international CVs.” Mr Griffiths said...

The Trinity Festival Ffrinj stages the following today - Tuesday 8 June, 7pm Shadow Plays behind the Boathouse The setting summer sun plays with the seascape where the Taf flows into Carmarthen Bay. Students from the MA Creative Writing Programme gather from Canada, Wales, India and England to entertain with readings from their new publication Shadow Plays. The poems and prose contributions all concern the theme after dark. The writers invite you to join them in an experience of what may or may not happen after dark. Supported by Parthian Books. Venue: Laugharne – Dylan Thomas’ Boathouse Tickets £3 (£2 concessions) Box Office 01267 676685 For more on the Ffrinj, see earlier posts - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/excitement-building-for-trinity.html

Coming up at the Trinity Festival this week is the following - 9 - 11 June, 7.30pm Miss Julie Living Pictures Productions in association with Trinity University College, Cegin Productions and Sherman Cymru will be performing a new translation of Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Set at the turn of the 19th Century, this classic tale deals with the struggles of class, love and lust. Set on midsummer night on the estate of a Count in Wales, Miss Julie is attempting to escape an existence cramped by the social mores of the time. Directed by Robert Bowman (Bristol Old Vic, Bath Theatre Royal and RSC); Stars Ragna Weisteen (Joint Artistic Director Bastionen Theatre, Sweden), Rhydian Jones (S4C) and Sian Summers (Sherman Cymru). Venue: Halliwell Theatre,Trinity University College Tickets: £7.50 / £5 (concessions) Box Office: 01267 676685 For more information about the festival, see my earlier post - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/trinity-festival-promises-to-be-treat.html

As part of the Trinity festival, the following is now on - 7 - 18 June (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm) BA Fine Art Degree Exhibition Venue: Parry Building,Trinity University College Free admission See previous posts for more news about the festival.

The Trinity University Festival fringe is featured in the centre pages of the Carmarthen Journal this week. See previous post - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/excitement-building-for-trinity.html

Trinity University College students will present a Fringe Festival during the forthcoming Trinity Festival. (See earlier post - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/trinity-festival-promises-to-be-treat.html ) There will be a week of events organised by Trinity students and staff. For full details - Telephone 01267 676685 Weblink - www.ffrinj.com Details Monday 7 June, 7pm International Poetry Evening The launch of Sunflowers in Your Eyes by Cinnamon Press: a volume of poetry edited by Menna Elfyn of four Zimbabwean women poets. Two poets from Zimbabwe will read their works from their book: Blessing Musariri and Ethel Kwaboto and Menna Elfyn will introduce the evening. Event Supported by Academi and The British Council Venue: Archbishop Childs Hall, Trinity University College Tickets £3 (£2 concessions) Box Office 01267 676685 Tuesday 8 June Schools’ Workshops* BA Film Studies students will be running workshops for students of local 6th Forms and Colleges. There will be a Writing for...

The Trinity Arts Festival (Gwyl y Drindod) is all set to provide a magnificent month of music and drama. “Always hugely popular, the festival guarantees to provide something for everyone,” festival director Eilir Owen Griffiths said this week. The festival will kick-off on May 31 and run throughout the month of June. This year’s event – the fifth festival – will see a new innovation, with events also being staged in Lampeter. The Lampeter venues have been added as part of the move towards the formation of a new university – Trinity St David in September. “It means we get to reach out to a wider section of the public and it also sees us building on the greats links we are establishing with Lampeter,” the festival director said from the Trinity University campus in Carmarthen. The festival will also use the stunning Newton House in Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo, for some performances. “After last year’s festival, when we saw the world premiere of a work by Karl Jenkins, it was always going to ...

Dates for the Trinity University Festival in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Llandeilo are as follows - 31 May - 4 June, 6.30pm Sherlock Holmes and the Wicked Women* “Come,Watson, come! The game is afoot!” Mystery and intrigue abound in Newton House as the National Trust opens its doors to an evening of Victorian drama. Bring the family for a glimpse into the past as the School of Theatre and Performance at Trinity University College bring the famous sleuth to life. Venue:Newton House, Dinefwr Park & Castle, Llandeilo Tickets: £5 / £3 (concessions) £15 family ticket Box Office: 01558 823902 31 May, 12.30 & 2.30pm School of Theatre and Performance presents Sir Bertie and the Wyvern* A fantastic free 40 minute puppet show for all the family! Travel back to the Middle Ages as Sir Bertie the Bold Knight outwits the evil Sir Jasper de Gargoyle and finds the fabulous legendary beast - the Wyvern. Suitable for all ages. Venue:Newton House, Dinefwr Park & Castle, Llandeilo Tickets: Normal...