Llandovery Male Voice Choir - Côr Meibion Llanymddyfri - celebrated its 125th anniversary in style last Saturday, treating a sold out house at Ysgol Rhys Prichard’s Pantycelyn Hall to a hugely entertaining evening of music, writes Huw S Thomas.

The concert – deftly and confidently compered by BBC announcer Gary Owen – standing in for Huw Edwards - and with guest artists tenor Trystan Llŷr Griffiths and soprano Shân Cothi in irrepressible form – was a fitting start to a year of concerts to commemorate the choir’s beginnings.

In those early years the choir won numerous prizes at local Eisteffodau. On May 18, 1878 the South Wales Daily News reported that “the Williams Pantycelyn choir, also known as Vicar Prichard’s Choir, conducted by Gwilym Cynon, took the prize at the Whitemill Eisteddfod” in a three choir competition.

The choir continued prosper up to the end of the First World War and there were various ad hoc mixed and male voice choirs who performed in the inter war years but it was not until 1947 that the current choir made its debut as the Cor Meibion Llanymddyfri.

And on Saturday under the direction of their acclaimed conductress Lynne Jones - former headteacher at Llangorse Primary School - and accompanist Elaine Robbins, they sang themselves joyfully through a rich variety of choral music, ranging from classic Welsh to the more popular modern pieces.

It was their first official concert for three years following the disruption to life caused by the Covid pandemic.

“We all love singing,” said chorister and chairman Owen Bennett. “But it’s far more than just singing, it’s very much a family, very much a community of music lovers of all ages spanning eight decades.

“It’s been a huge part of everyone’s life and continues to be so and this concert was a joyous event both for us and the Llandovery community at large.”

His words were echoed by the Choir’s President Meiriona Rees who had instilled a love of music and Welsh culture in so many schoolchildren in her 37 years of teaching at Ysgol Rhys Prichard.

“How lucky we are as a small community to be able to enjoy such a heart warming evening of choral and solo singing as we wonder at the power of music,” he said.

There was, too, a warm tribute to the choir from Brian Jones - former landlord of the Cottage Inn in Llandeilo - who presented a specially commissioned plate in recognition of the choir’s work for charity.

Brian said: “We raised £90,000 during my time at the Cottage” said Jones “and it was the annual concert that the choir gave which was the main contributor to the charities we embraced.

“MacMillan Charity Support, Tenovus and the Welsh Air Ambulance along with the Llandelo Show were the beneficiaries of the Choir’s continued support over the years.”

The brilliance of two talented soloists in Trystan Llŷr Griffiths and Shân Cothi and the youthful energy of the supporting Côr Ysgol Rhys Prichard under Tracey Aston-Rees made for a sparkling evening of music.

The magnetic Shân Cothi gave full range to her talents with a stunning rendering of Puccini’s aria O mio babbino cara, sang a medley of Ivor Novello melodies and brought lumps to the throat with her performance of O Gymru.

Trystan Llŷr Griffiths’s version of Cymru fach i mi and Calon Lan - to a special arrangement by accompanist Jeffrey Howard - proved immensely popular, almost as much as his dynamic toreador song from Granada.

But it was the night of the 44-strong choir to turn in one of its most accomplished and polished performances.

With works wide ranging from Clawdd Madog , Anfonaf Angel and Y Darlun to Bizet’s Pearl Fishers and Offenbach’s Beau Gendarme, the choir confirmed its ever growing reputation and versatility.

The finale with all the artistes on stage was a rousing rendering of the ever popular Y Bob Yn Sydd Ffyddlon, bringing the concert to its end, the standing ovation from a packed hall testament to an unforgettable evening of music.

The choir will be busy with concerts to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on June 5, Myddfai Church on August 14 and the Llandovery Sheep Festival on September 17.

And on October 22 there will a star studded Noson Lawen 125 Year Celebration at Pantycelyn Hall - those unfortunate enough not to get tickets for the May Concert which was sold out a month before performance, should not miss out again.