Another Sell-Out for Llangadog Christmas Concert

Once again Llangadog parish church was filled to capacity for the annual Christmas concert on Saturday, 15th December. The resident musicians of Symphonica Tywi and singers of Cantorion Tywi returned to the home base under the baton of their irrepressible conductor and parish priest, Michael Cottam. The programme was a blend of familiar classics, film music, choruses from Handel's "Messiah" and congregational carols which also gave local young musicians the chance to shine.

With regular leader Rhys Watkins away on tour, Benjamin Roskams left his place in the Philharmonia Orchestra to return to Symphonica Tywi and give a dazzling performance of Saint-Saens' virtuoso showpiece for violin and orchestra, the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. This early work was written in 1863 for the Spanish prodigy Sarasate and demands virtuosity and panache, qualities which the young soloist produced effortlessly without sacrificing tone quality or musical shape. Seventeen-year old mezzo soprano Beshlie Thorp, a regular performer with the choir and orchestra, again impressed with her rich tone and warm presence, this time in "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion" from the Messiah and in complete contrast, John Barry's dramatic James Bond theme song, "Goldfinger". The trio of soloists was completed by local treble, Sam Andreasen, whose crystal-clear performance of the Christmas favourite "Walking in the Air" really caught the flavour of Raymond Briggs' Snowman.

The orchestra had a chance to show off its talents in Sibelius' "Karelia Suite" with the horn section in fine form, and Michael Cottam's fondness for the music of John Barry allowed the strings to put a film score gloss on their tone. "Zadok the Priest" and the Hallelujah Chorus saw the choir in full confident voice and the carol singing of the audience concluded an evening of musical enjoyment.

The major works of the 2008 season will be Haydn's Creation in April and an orchestral concert featuring Dvorak's "New World" Symphony and Sibelius' Violin Concerto with Rhys Watkins in the summer. The autumn work will be the Requiem by popular Welsh composer, Karl Jenkins.

Not all concert goers agreed with the above review.

Comments received from others at the concert included :

"[We] enjoyed the concert - pity that the orchestra drowned the soloists though."

"You couldn't always hear the choir over the sound of the orchestra."

"The James Bond music seemed totally out of place in a Christmas concert."

"I was disappointed that there weren't more actual carols."