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

Less than a month to go... Narberth A Cappella Voice Festival returns for its sixth year on February 21. The only a cappella festival in Wales celebrates the diversity of singing without instruments (‘a cappella’ – an Italian phrase). Hundreds of people flock from all over the UK every year for three days of the world’s foremost singers and practitioners, who perform live and run a diverse range of workshops too. This year’s festival is larger and more diverse than ever before: extraordinary singers of real pedigree perform alongside an international line-up that includes flamenco divas,Welsh-language stars, and everything from Trinidadian folk to calypso and Indian film music, not to mention an enormous communal choir. In a triumph for the festival, curators of the London A Cappella Festival and internationally-acclaimed vocal group The Swingle Singers will be headlining the festival. Legendary in the world of a cappella singing, the group are celebrating their50th annivers...

If you’ve dreamed of performing to sell-out audiences, sharing the stage with international celebrities, singing at leading concert halls and to sing with nationally acclaimed orchestras – then this may be music to your ears! The famous Hywel Girls’ Choir & Hywel Boy Singers are currently accepting new members for their exciting Autumn and Winter concert season. Over coming months, choristers will perform with international singing stars such as Russell Watson and Lesley Garrett, give repeated performances at St. David’s Hall Cardiff, star in the Wales Festival of Remembrance, enjoy TV appearances and perform with the leading British Sinfonietta Orchestra. “It is a pleasure to open the choir’s doors to new choristers to join our current 70-strong ranks”, explained the choir’s London-based Director of Development, Jeremy Hywel Williams. “The teaching, the experiences and opportunities are life unique and can be positively life changing for many.” The opportunity to join is ...

If you love to sing, then this will be music to your ears. A series of workshops and open rehearsals will be held at the start of May for children who enjoy singing. On Sunday 12 May, the Hywel Girls’ Choir & Hywel Boy Singers will present “SING UP!” at Y Ffwrnes theatre's Studio Stepney in Llanelli. The event will feature a vocal and rhythm workshop featuring percussionists from the National Orchestra of Wales together with the press launch of the Trans-Continental Teddy Tour Challenge in aid of BBC Children in Need. On Monday 13 May, the Hywel Choir will sponsor “Got Rhythm! Got Voice!” – a series of educational workshops for local primary schools focused on music, singing and percussion to be held at Studio Stepney, Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. The workshops will even include percussion performances including a unique percussion piece played on basket balls. Demand has been so great for the workshops that organisers have had to double the number of places available for school child...

A new contemporary singing group has been set up in Llanelli. Called Jambori, the group has been set up by Sarah Mair Richards and Geraint Williams. Pauline Yudowitz is the spokesman for Jambori - Do you love singing? Come along and join Jambori - a brand new contemporary singing group for guys and gals aged 18-80. The aim is to enjoy and raise money for local charities and good causes. We will be singing all types of songs, from Lady Gaga through to Welsh hymns! Meetings are at The Halfway in Pemberton, Llanelli. They have been so helpful and supportive of the whole idea, allowing sole use of the room upstairs. Sarah can be contacted sarah@sglein.co.uk or contact myself direct pauline.yudowitz@aol.com  

If you dream of singing on stage, in theatres, concert halls or even television, then a prestigious regional Performance Singing Scholarships may be music to your ears! Performance Singing Scholarships for 2013 are now open to all children age 8 to 14 years from the South Wales region. The goals of the Scholarships are to provide expert individual tuition and performance experience to girls and boys who have a strong interest and enthusiasm for singing and performance to help build their skills and confidence and develop their talent and true potential. Performance Singing Scholarships awards exist for young people age 8 to 11 years and for children age 12 to 14 years. The Scholarships are sponsored by the Hywel Girls’ Choir & Hywel Boy Singers and Hywel Williams Foundation. The winner of each Scholarship will be awarded a six -month course of weekly individual singing tutorials by a professional singing performance expert, group singing and concert experience, potential oppor...

There will be a Songs of Praise festival at Burry Port harbour on the evening of Bank Holiday Sunday August 28. Hundreds are expected to attend, creating a cacophony of sound across the waves. The event has grown in recent years to quite a spectacular festival attracting support from all churches and chapels in the community with more than a 1,000 thronging the harbour walls. Carmarthenshire County Council’s tourism department is sponsoring the event providing a marquee to accommodate both the championship winning Burry Port town Band and Burry Port Male Voice Voice Choir. County Councillor Pat Jones said: “The harbour is looking fantastic this year with flags flying and this event is becoming a traditional way to see out the end of the summer holidays in the community. “Last month we had the carnival. Last weekend we had the fishing festival and now we have a Songs of Praise. You cannot argue that we do not have variety in this busy seaside community!” Everyone is welcome to att...