Dolgellau Music Club Report

Report By Mr Ben Ridler , Secretary of the Dolgellau Music Club :

To borrow from the Rev. Eli Jenkins' sunset poem – it was 'touch-and-go' whether or not Storm Amy would force postponement of the concert to be given by Côr y Brythoniaid at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor on Friday, 3rd October. The show did go ahead however and a fine performance was given, bookended by those stirring hymns Laudamus (Bryn Calfaria), and Mor Fawr Wyt Ti / How great thou art. By the end the Rev. Eli could once again happily have murmured – 'Praise the Lord! We are a musical nation.' Conductor John Eifion Jones will next year celebrate a quarter of a century leading Côr y Brythoniaid, building on the strong tradition established since its foundation in 1964 by Blaenau man Meirion Jones. An outstanding tenor himself (winner of the 1999 Blue Riband), John Eifion showed an instinctive rapport with his singers, conducting (without a copy) all ten of their items in a firm but fluid way that elicited a wide range of dynamics, from pianissimo to the full forte one expects from such a body. (Weather had reduced their numbers, but not it seemed their sound.) In two numbers, a gentle Maori lullaby Hine e Hine and the final Mor Fawr Wyt Ti, John Eifion turned to the audience and sang the opening verse himself, his warm legato a perfect introduction in each case. The choir's repertoire was rich and varied, ranging from a Ryan Davies medley, Puccini's Nessun Dorma (in a choral version 'Nos 'di Derfyn') and Engyl Wylia Drosof Fi / Angels Watching Over Me; to Coldplay's When I Need a Friend, whose lyrics 'Slowly, slowly Violence, end' were a balm in context of the current war-torn news. Two excellent soloists from within the choir provided contrast, first of all bass Eilir Davies, who sang Mozart's O Isis und Osiris and the comic song A Basso Profundo am I, with profundo low notes to match. Later baritone Rhodri Williams gave a moving rendering of Tell my Father (from the musical The Civil War), and an atmospheric one in Shane MacGowan's A Rainy Night in Soho, his relaxed style and warm timbre most beguiling. Guest soloist Edryd Williams added yet another dimension with his four songs, especially in his ebullient delivery (gestures and all) of Fagin's I'm Reviewing the Situation. Boldly choosing a quiet song to end with, Ryan Davies's Y Gân Olaf, made his set still more special. Accompanists get little rest, and Elizabeth Ellis was indeed kept fully engaged throughout (in a venue she once knew as a former pupil of Dr Williams School). Their accompanist since 1984, she has become an integral part of the Brythoniaid's success in these last decades. Responding to soloists is a special skill (not least in theatrical numbers like the Fagin one), requiring close focus on dynamics and timing, and all three singers were enabled to come across at their very best. Many thanks to performers and audience alike for getting the 2026-27 season, wind & rain notwithstanding, underway in such heartwarming fashion. Many thanks