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 The formation of Llangollen Community Choir and its debut performance at Llangollen 2010 In preparation for this year's Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod the festival organisers have teamed up with local businesses to form a special Community Choir which is expected to forge a new and harmonious link between the festival and the surrounding communities. The Community Choir will make its inaugural appearance on Wednesday 7th July at the One World, One Stage Evening Concert and will play a major part in welcoming the world to Llangollen. In addition, local residents and businesses will be eligible for discounted ticket prices for this spectacular event. Since its inauguration in 1947 the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has welcomed singers, musicians and dancers from all over the world and audiences in the North Wales town have been thrilled and exhilarated by their vibrant performances. The joys of experiencing what it must be like to sing on the famed Llangollen stage is a privilege extended to very few but, this year, the Llangollen Eisteddfod is offering local people and businesses the opportunity to taste a little of this magic for themselves with the creation of the Llangollen Community Choir. This is a wonderful opportunity for people in Llangollen to be directly involved in welcoming the festival performers from all over the world and to have the chance (maybe of a lifetime!) to sing on the unique Llangollen stage says Mervyn Cousins, Chief Executive of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod: It is really important the Eisteddfod and the town work together, and this is a new and exciting venture. Singing in a choir is such good fun and brings people together too, and I am sure they will really enjoy this new experience. I am really looking forward to hearing the choir! The Llangollen Community Choir will be under the expert supervision of Tim Jones, Musical Director of Yale College Choir- and himself a veteran of the Llangollen stage. Performing on that famed Llangollen stage is such a thrill, he says, and I want the local people of Llangollen to taste it for themselves. I am absolutely convinced that Llangollen has Talent and that we can create something truly special here- something magical and unforgettable. What we need now is for one hundred local voices to come forward and to make themselves heard! Places for the choir are allocated on a first come, first served basis and they are offered to people living or working in the Llangollen area or to people who are connected to the Eisteddfod. The hotline number for anyone interested in joining is 01978 862000 and rehearsals will begin on Tuesday 25th May at St. Johns Church, Abbey Road, Llangollen and will continue on Tuesday evenings throughout June. The Rev Andrew Sully, who presides over the church, will also be singing in the choir. It will be great for local people to sample the true magic of participating in the Llangollen Eisteddfod says Rachel Jones, Director, Arts & Business Cymru. It is also, of course, a very effective way for local businesses to get involved in what is, after all, a truly global cultural event and to highlight the fact that businesses in the Llangollen area are very supportive of this unique and historical festival. The formation of a Llangollen Community Choir is such an excellent idea, says Ian Williams, Director North Wales Enterprise & International Business Wales. Every year, choirs travel from all over the world to visit Llangollen and to perform on its world-famous stage and this is a golden opportunity for local people- and local business people too of course- to match their enthusiasm and to express their support for the Eisteddfod through the medium of music by singing together in the Llangollen Community Choir! The choir will give its inaugural performance on the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod stage on Wednesday 7th July at the One World, One Stage evening concert. This event is a well-established favourite with Llangollen audiences and- in addition to the celebrated Welcome Ceremony and Procession of Performers through the Pavilion- it will be an unforgettable evening of truly global music and, with performances from countries such as Tibet, USA and Wales it offers a marvellous taster of the week to come. Ticket prices for the concert range from 14 to 18 but there will be special 3 discounted seats for local residents and local businesses, and support their friends and colleagues taking part in the Community Choir. I really hope the people of the Llangollen area will join me in this marvellous choir, says Eisteddfod Treasurer Simon Orton-Jones who has signed up as a member of the choir. We all know that the Welsh have great singing voices and this is a superb opportunity for Llangollen to prove that it is, probably, the most musical town in the whole of Wales. We really are going to make such a glorious sound on that stage and I am thrilled at the prospect of being a part of it. So come on, people of Llangollen, lets get singing!
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apply for one of their cards. Sorry I let her through but still shes the first spammer weve missed in over a year so its not a bad record. I'll be more careful in future....promise:)
I should add that the site she is spamming is listed at the ripoff report website here: -
RipoffReport: EMarket Research, Consumer Incentive Promotions ...
and theres much more in a similar vein here:-http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=consumerincentivepromotions.com&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=676b7c10d9dd9bf1
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Mike: "Well Cardiff, which is my home city has reached a European Cup Final for the first time since 1996. It could be the first time a Welsh team has won a European wide Rugby cup. Three members of the band have cheered on "The Blues" at matches this year so it seemed right to support them for the final in France. "Allez Les Blues" is the result and is the official song of the Cardiff Blues Supporters Club. (In case you wondered, the places listed in the song are all the clubs within the Blues region) The supporters Club has asked for copies of the song to play at various events as well as on the plane going over!" If you cant physically be on the plane on May 23rd you can be there in spirit with a sixpack of S.A. and a copy of Allez Les Blues . The Blues will be playing Toulon at Marseilles on May 23rd in a bid to win the Amlin Challenge Cup and become the first Welsh region to to win a European competition. ( read more here ) We seized the opportunity to ask Mike about he bands future recording and tour plans:- Mike: "Yeah We've got "Mae Yma Dreigiau" coming out soon (Welsh Language CD bonus in English) Then in the Autumn an album of Rugby songs. We're playing in Spain in the summer hope fully Wales and Italy in the Autumn." Heres wishing every success to the Blues in Marseilles on the 23rd and to Here Be Dragons, one of Wales finest Celtic bands.
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The Left Coast Eisteddfod will be held in Portland in the first week of October this year. Events cost money and the Eisteddod is no exception. The Meriwether Lewis Memorial Eisteddfod Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit which raises funds for this and other similar events. Our objective is to hold an annual Eisteddfod on the US West Coast with live competitions in poetry, story telling and other traditional ( and not so traditional ) bardic arts. Eventually we would like to inauguarate recognised Bardic chairs for some of these competition categories. Lovespoons are a traditional Welsh folk art. David Western and Laura Gorun are lovespoon carvers who have very generously donated their time to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in support of the Left Coast Eisteddfod. Every dollar you give buys you a ticket and a chance to win the spoon. Five dollars, equals five tickets, fifty dollars equals fifty tickets and fifty chances to win. This is David's second year of creation in support of this event and we are very grateful for his and Laura's generosity in sharing their work with us all. For a chance to win their spoon this year, click on the 'Donate' button in the right-hand column on any page on the AmeriCymru website and be sure to note that your payment is for the lovespoon. You do not need to be a member of AmeriCymru or logged into the site to do this and everyone will receive a PayPal receipt and an email of acknowledgement from the Eisteddfod organisers.Last years spoon, uniquely hand-crafted and valued at around $1000 is pictured on this page.
If you want to follow a step-by step account of the design and creation of this years spoon go to this blog:- http://davidwestern.blogspot.com/ The prize draw will take place at our 'Last Bard Standing' event in Portland on October 8th. More information about the event can be found here:- http://www.facebook.com/AmeriCymru?v=app_2344061033#!/event.php?eid=110551428972706&index=1 If you wish to enter the draw click on the 'Donate' button in the right hand column on this page Remember...every dollar you spend equals one extra chance to win this unique work of art. We are not necessarily looking for large sums. If everybody here gave $5 it would contribute enormously toward the success of the event. If you decide to contribute, we wish you pob lwc/best of luck in the draw.
Bendithion Ceri Shaw/Gaabriel Becket ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone wanting further information about attending, sponsoring, competing or anything else to do with the Eisteddfod schould contact us at americymru@gmail.com . We aim to answer all enquiries personally and in a timely manner.
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Pope Benedict XVI wishes every success to the Mass in honour of Saint John Roberts in Cymer Abbey
By Ceri Shaw, 2010-05-13
| This promises to be a very moving and emotional tribute, says Archbishop Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Cardiff. Its a sad but undeniable truism that a genuine prophet is hardly ever honoured in his own country but Im hoping that this magnificent Mass will help make St John Roberts as famous in his native Wales as he is in countries like France and Spain. St John Roberts was born at Rhiw Goch farm near Trawsfynydd and it is believed that he received his early education from a monk at Cymer Abbey before moving to Oxford to study Law. On the completion of his studies he travelled to France and it was here that he converted to Catholicism. He moved to Valladolid in Spain where he trained as a Priest, and returned to London to care for the poor but was exiled many times by the anti-catholic authorities before eventually being sentenced to death in Tyburn on December 10th, 1610. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970. 'Cymer Abbey is such a perfect location to commemorate the martyrdom of St John Roberts, said Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly. This was one of the many institutions of the Order of the Cistercians which received so much support during the days of the Welsh princes from Llywelyn the 1st and 2nd. They helped develop fishing and sheep farming in Meirionydd and their eventual downfall was a major blow, both in spiritual and social terms. It was St John Roberts conversion to Catholicism which led to his being created the first prior of the Benedictine college St Gregory and the orders first martyr in Britain four centuries ago. Three choirs St Josephs Schola from Pwllheli, the Wrexham Diocesan Choir and the Newcastle Emlyn Choir - will be present under the musical supervision of Gillian Williams FRCO and, in addition, the Mass will attract a distinguished ecclesiastical presence including Monsignor Brian Udaigwe - First Consellor to the Apostolic Nuncio, who will be making a special journey from the Vatican to represent His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. On behalf of His Holiness Pope Benedict, Monsignor Brian Udaigwe, First Counsellor to the Apostolic Nuncio, wishes every success to the Mass in honour of St John Roberts in Cymer Abbey on 6th June, 2010. Monsignor Brian will be representing the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz at the Mass. We are delighted that the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain will be represented at the celebration by Monsignor Brian Udaigwe, First Consellor to the Papal Nuncio, says Archbishop Peter Smith, this will be a very special ecumenical occasion in which we will be able to celebrate the life and sacrifice of a very remarkable man. For us in Dolgellau says the towns Member for Parliament Elfyn Llwyd, St John Roberts is more than a local hero- he was a national and, indeed- as the tremendous interest this event has inspired tends to suggest- an international hero too. I am looking forward to attending the Mass and honouring his memory. In recognition of St John Roberts period of study in Spain the Mass will welcome inhabitants of the city of Valladolid together with representatives of the Abbeys of Belmont and Downside of the Benedictine Congregation (St John Roberts founded Downside Abbey in 1605). Non-ecclesiastical dignitaries will include the Mayor of Dolgellau, the Chairperson of Gwynedd Council and numerous local dignitaries. It is also hoped that a 100 year old replica of the Cymer Abbey Chalice and Patten from the National Museum of Wales will be on display on the altar during the Mass. Following the open-air Mass St John Roberts will be further honoured between the 15th and 18th of July with a pilgrimage from Wales to London where- on the 10th of December 1610 - St John Roberts was martyred at Tyburn. The highlight of this pilgrimage will be a multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 17th July attended by the heads of all the Churches including The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams and The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nicholls. Both Archbishops will be addressing the event (Archbishop Rowan in Welsh and Archbishop Vincent in English) and all the Archbishops and Bishops of Wales, Catholic and Anglican, will be present. During the service, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas will unveil a newly-commissioned mosaic of St David and the Most Reverend Peter Smith will host a reception after the service. By recognizing and celebrating our religious heritage, says Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, we recognize also the unfortunate divisions and prejudices that lie within religions both in the past and in the present age. I am hopeful that we can come together in prayer and hope for greater understanding between communities and religious convictions- understanding which can benefit us all both today and well into the future.
Images of Cymer Abbey by Jeffrey L. Thomas |
Win A Copy of 'Onwards & Upwards' - Support the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal
By Ceri Shaw, 2010-05-02
This months giveaway competition on AmeriCymru marks a new departure for the site. At the request of one of our members ( David Webb ) we are inviting you to answer one simple question for a chance to win the superb Welsh Guards Reunited Afghanistan Appeal " Onwards & Upwards ". CD.
Q. What Heavenly body did Capt Mendoza, US Army, Kuwait, compare Welsh singer Bethan Myfanwy to in the following quote from 2005. ( Bethan has 2 tracks on the Album )
"Our spirits will never be the same, by sharing your gift of music withus, you are truly an ---------- of the Battlefield"
A. Was it:-
a. angel
b. cherub
c. sprite
Not too difficult we think you'll agree
For anyone who doesnt want to wait till the end of the month to check whether their entry was the winner we would urge you to go to this site Welsh Guards Reunited and purchase a copy direct. We have reproduced the objectives of the appeal from the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal site. below. Anyone wishing to make a donation should go to THIS page.
The deadline for entries is May 31st 2010 and the lucky winner will be announced on the site on June 1st. Please remember that we will only accept one entry per email address and duplicate submissions will be disqualified. Email your answer to :- americymrucontest@gmail.com
| Objectives of the Appeal
* Support to those wounded on operations, particularly those who have had to leave the Army, to assist in finding them new employment and to help them become active family and community members.
* Support to the families and dependants of those seriously wounded or injured in prolonged recovery situations.
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AmeriCymru member Elly Roberts has been a local and international DJ for over 30 years, having performed in Greece, Holland, Spain and Los Angeles, USA. He has been a music lover since he was a child, and considers himself a lapsed musician since giving up playing the piano as a teenager. His love of music has never waned, and by having his own show on Calon FM , hes realising a life-long ambition to be a presenter. AmeriCymru spoke to him about his work on Calon FM and elsewhere. Elly: Calon FM offers all kinds of support to the local community, from free open access training courses for anyone with an interest in radio (provided in conjucture with Glyndwr University), to supporting a multitude of local businesses and, crucially, giving airtime to local and national charities. Calon works with people from a huge range of backgrounds and skill sets. From complete novices to to experienced journalists and the technically minded, from university graduates to those just beginning their training. Being part of this environment is one of the many joys of being involved in community radio were always approachable and can usually offer something for everyone. Americymru: What kind of programming does the station put out? Elly: Many, many different kinds. Theres currently at least 80 hours going out live every week and this is really only limited by the imagination of the presenters. Cookery, comedy, local news, multi-lingual shows, poetry, local interest (very important), whilst every genre of music is represented throughout the week. Finding free time to put out all of the programming is definitely a challenge. Americymru: Do you broadcast in Welsh? If so what proportion of your broadcasts are in the Welsh language? Elly: The station puts out shows not just in Welsh but a variety of languages that include Spanish, Chinese, Polish, and German. Calon FM are always on the lookout for Welsh language presenters and our current bilingual host Michelle Murphy broadcasts for 4 hours each week. The terrific thing about Michelles style is her inclusion of the English audience too. As a result the overwhelming majority of listeners understand whats being discussed and can get involved with the programme, and in doing so pick up elements of the Welsh language. Americymru: Can you tell us something about your show "The Plug". Elly: THE PLUG - My mission. The Plug name itself was purposely designed to be short and memorable, like the television music show The Tube back in the 80s. I chose the name because the programme is designed to plug (good) music that may not necessarily be heard on the radio. At one time a plugger was employed by an artist or band, and even by record companies themselves, to go around the radio stations across the UK , promoting their artists, persuading stations to air their music. On The Plug playlist itself, it includes both new ( and pre-release) singles by up-and-coming artists and album tracks. Each week theres an Album of the Week, where I play 2 (or sometimes 3) tracks from it. Older music can be used as a hook (a musical term) to reel-in the listener at the beginning on the show, generally something anthemic. During the 2 hour show there can be two features, like Dusted Down, that includes a back-catalogue classic, forgotten gem, or an obscure song. Another feature is Flashback, where I play a song that (hopefully) brings back happy memories, but sometimes sad ones too. Music has a knack of taking people back to a certain time, place and event, creating a soundtrack to our lives. Depending on time etc, other mini- features may be explored in the future, building-up a considerable body of work that appeals to both younger and older listeners. By definition, the PLUG is a no boundaries show that aims to be the most eclectic on the airwaves, where one minute youll hear rock, then jazz, then soul, then folk, etc. all sitting nicely next to each other, due to careful planning. There are possibilities of including genre specials like a soul, rock, jazz, Americana, and country theme. In addition, topical themes can be introduced like, say Mothers Day selections, or a dedicated show to a recently deceased artist, paying homage to their work. Americymru: You also appear on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru. When can our readers listen to you on those stations? Elly: This is a tricky one. Since 2004 I have been making freelance contributions to BBC Radio Wales, and BBC Radio Cymru since 2005. Due to the nature of those contributions, I can be called at any time in advance about a musical topic, say The Beatles for example, and I will then do the link nationally (Wales) from the BBCs studio here in Wrexham. Unfortunately, I never know when I will receive the call, so its totally unpredictable. The same applies with BBC Radio Cymru, but their contributions are normally done on the telephone. BBC Radio Cymru has also given me the chance to make none-music contributions such as local or national issues. The latter brought me the opportunity to guest on BBC Radio 2s Jeremy Vine Show on 12 April this yea, with a listening audience of approximately 8.5 million, the largest in Europe. I was contacted by producers in London, who said they had been tracking my contributions on both of the Welsh channels.
Elly: Yes, I have performed in all those countries, and in most cases just one offs, like my friends wedding party in Enschede, Holland, in 2000. But by far the most thrilling experience of all was in LA and Santa Barbara, California. It was dream come true. I was invited over to LA, by my old friend, to back-up his then embryonic new musical Rock venture, a favour I was more than happy to oblige. He needed an experienced DJ that could handle anything thrown at him, in this case me. Due to my vast CD collection, I can pretty much handle any type of gig, tailored to specific needs, though they are few and far between nowadays, and tend to be favours for friends. Before leaving for LA I carefully selected the relevant CDs. The plan was to top n tail the gig with back-up during the participant switch over during the presentation. Initially, we did two house party warm-ups in Beverly Hills, leading to a proper public performance in Santa Barbara, 90 miles north of LA. During my three week vacation, I met several actors, musicians and show-biz types. I have been invited back to LA, sometime in the future, with a planned visit back to Holland this summer. Americymru: Where can listeners go to tune in to Calon FM? Elly: Locally with an approximate radius of 15-20 miles from Wrexham in north-east Wales, CALON FM can be found on the 105 FM band. Globally, or even locally, using a computer, it can be found at www.calonfm.com My show can be heard between 2 4 PM each Monday via the Listen Live link, with a Listen Again facility up-and-running by Wednesday afternoon, which can then be heard any time if you miss the Monday slot. If your readers go to the CALON FM homepage at www.calonfm.com theyll find my showpage under Shows. Americymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru? Elly: Yes. Via the internet, I genuinely hope that listeners in America will follow all shows on CALON FM at www.calonfm.com because the station can provide listeners with a flavour of what the station is all about and keep abreast of events in our thriving community here in Wrexham, and surrounding area. Despite Wrexhams close proximity to the English border - about 5 miles away - there continues to be a an ever present and long established Welsh speaking community in and around the town, particularly in my own native village of Rhosllannerchrugog, barely 3 miles outside Wrexham. Calon FM also provides a bi-lingual (Welsh-English) programme fronted by presenter Michelle Murphy, a show called Hanner Reis Hanner Chips ( Half Rice Half Chips) on a Friday afternoon between 2 3PM UK time, again with a Listen Again facility for anytime listening. This show will be invaluable for Welsh learners and fluent speakers in America. One final request. I would very much appreciate if your readers could SPREAD THE WORD about both the radio station and my show, which is now listened to online, in USA, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Holland, Japan and the UK. The Plug feedback is more than welcome at the CALON FM email addresses info@calonfm.com or the studio directly at studio@calonfm.com Your readers, if they wish, can contact me directly now at either my new email address ellyr@ellyr.co.uk (and/or elly2000@freenet.co.uk for the next 6 months) As I have a string family connection with Wisconsin and America, I hope your readers will follow my show on a regular basis. If you Google Elly Roberts, youll learn a lot more about what I get involved with. Thank you for your kind interest.
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