Sunday 08 March 2015
The Choir of Oldcastle Primary School stole the show in a charity concert for St. John’s House Trust at the weekend. David Burt writes......
Two years ago the pupils heard Bridgend Male Choir singing Cy Coleman’s “Rhythm of Life”, enjoying its wordy lyrics and catchy tune and determined to learn it for a future event. Under the School’s Head of Music, Ros Stapleton the pupils did just that, thrilling the full house at Brynteg Comprehensive Lower School and receiving lengthy acclamation. The rest of their programme was also very well delivered. Well done children.
The guest ladies choir, the hugely talented Vocelle sang a number of beautiful songs, with great direction from Conductor, Meryn Williams. Particularly enjoyed were from the musical, Chess – I Know Him So Well; in Welsh, Suo Gan and the jazzy, Fever, which had a number of the Year 3 & 4 schoolchildren dancing in their seats. Bridgend Male Choir entertained with a varied programme and with their music team of MD, Rhiannon Williams-Hale & accompanist, Stephanie Bailey, coped well with a challenging staging set-up. Tenor soloist, Paul Carter was on top form with Bui Doi from Miss Saigon, as were the men’s & ladies choirs together in a rousing joint finale of Arwel Hughes’ Tydi a Roddaist. Compere, Gareth Davies pulled the show together with his usual knowledge & appropriate wit.
Ken Hinton of the Trust was effusive in his praise of this third Three Choirs Concert and reminded all that St John’s House is available for visits on the last Saturday each month, when the public are made very welcome.