Press Reviews

Evening Post report on Christmas Concert at Brangwyn Hall Swansea Dec 19th 2008

"As concerts go, this was pretty good value. Not one choir, not two, but three. The occasion was Dunvant Male Choir's 20th Christmas Concert. Joining them on stage at Swansea's Brangwyn Hall were the Ariosa Singers, a city-based mixed choir made up o young would-be professional sigers learning their trade.

Younger still were the Ariosettes, primary school-age children with a talent audience was invited to make up an even bigger choir bny joining the performers in singing carols.

It was a varied programme of seasonal music with some particular highlights, notably the Dunvant Choir's first public performance of Pachelbel's Canon in D arranged for voices. It was very warmly received, as was the Karl Jenkins piece Lullay and the always popular Still, Still, Still.

The guest choir's best performance of the night was Lux Aeterna, a choral setting of Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations, a complex and demanding piece sung without accompaniment and requiring fine control and measure.

Christmas is not Christmas without the sound of little children's voices and the Ariosettes captured the hearts of the audience with their joyfulness.

Particularly well received was O Holy Night, featuring the two senior choirs.

The event was compared by the irrepressibly irreverent Dai Vaughan, who sent the audience on their way with big smiles on their faces...Terry Crockford."

Report on A Night at the Opera, All Saints Church

Reviewed in the South Wales Evening Post Jan 22^nd 2008 by Malcolm Rees

Legend has it that Wales has an outside-half factory turning out stars of rugby. But no one seems to have mentioned the opera-singing factory that has been turning our great voices for many years

And judging by this concert, there are a few more to keep an ear open for in the years ahead.

A Night at the Opera was organised by 21-year-old Joe Morgan as part of his studies at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

And he brought with him two of his fellow students and a young tenor for the Dulais Valley.

The quality on show was remarkable.

All the singers were still students, but showed huge potential.

Joe himself, a likeable young man with a relaxed personality, has a fine baritone voice which will develop in the future.

He launched the evening of music with the tongue-twisting aria Largo al Factotum, from the Barber of Seville, and closed the first half with the Toreador’s aria supported by the young Ariosa Singers.

The supporting singers were also a revelation. Soprano Natalya Romaniw, from Swansea demonstrated a powerful voice with enormous depth.

For a 20-year-old, she showed huge potential with a voice which could be suited to some of the dramatic roles in the world of opera.

North Walian Sioned Gwen Davies had a rich alto voice which she used with tremendous authority.

Finally there was a young Dulais Valley tenor, Wyn Davies. A qualified pharmacist, he is now looking to a career in music. His performance of Tome Rakewell in scenes from The Rake’s Progress showed he also has the potential to develop into a fine operatic tenor.

I must mention accompanist Caradog Williams, from Burry Port. He was quite outstanding and, while the singers took most of the limelight, he was equally impressive at the keyboard.

This was a tremendous evening for some of the developing young talent from the area, who are following a wonderful tradition.

South Wales Evening Post 22nd August 2007

written by Helen Keats

The only way to describe the sound of the Ariosa Singers is beautiful. When I saw them perform in rehearsal, I wasn't sure what to expect - after all, they have only been together for just over 18 months. The gentle music is stunningly performed, and punctuated by strong and stirring tones. The harmonies are helped along by the fact that the performers are clearly enjoying themselves, and putting their all into the music. Before interviewing them, I was invited to just listen. They sang Lux Aeterna (Nimrod), by Elgar, Totus Tuus, by Gorecki, and Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah, by Handel. They were occasionally accompanied by pianist Hywel Evans, but for the main piece they sang without an instrumental - a hard task even for the most accomplished and enduring choir. But the Ariosa Singers pulled it off in style. Penny Ryan formed the Ariosa Singers in December 2005 from a group of her singing pupils and members of All Saints' Church choir in Oystermouth, Mumbles. They practise at the church off Mumbles Road, but this choir is a completely separate entity. Penny said: "It is unapologetically musical. I love religious music, but this is about making it more accessible to those who previously might not have listened to it. It's important that Christian music can be appreciated by as many people as possible. "Although the ages of the singers range from 10 to 27, this is still a very young choir. We are combining the old with the new. "The choir is non-denominational," she added. "I think that's important. Although the music is all wonderful, it should still be accessible to everyone."

Penny added that the 31-strong choir was hugely diverse, which added to the choir's flavour. "They are from all different backgrounds," she said. "Some of the singers are from musical families and others are not, but they are all here singing together. They are from different schools and areas. "And even though they have only been together just over a year, the singers are already garnering a status and reputation." Three weeks ago the choir returned from a successful tour to Prague. Since their inception they have also toured Dublin and had the honour of singing Handel's Messiah on the steps of the Music Hall where it was premiered on April 13, 1742.

Next year Penny and her troupe are hoping to sing in Paris, including in the tour a working visit to Disneyland - a perfect blend of old and new aspects of western culture. Penny herself hails from a musical family. Her daughter Sali-Wyn is an accomplished violinist who is living her childhood dream of being a professional musician. A singer herself, Penny has recorded with the Morriston Orpheus Choir for record label EMI and broadcast for the BBC. And as the former principal of Gorseinon College, she has been awarded the OBE for services to education. Today, her students and colleagues have no end of praise for her talents and her work with the choir.

Younger still were the Ariosettes, primary school-age children with a talent audience was invited to make up an even bigger choir bny joining the performers in singing carols.

Christmas is not Christmas without the sound of little children's voices and the Ariosettes captured the hearts of the audience with their joyfulness.

Particularly well received was O Holy Night, featuring the two senior choirs.

The event was compared by the irrepressibly irreverent Dai Vaughan, who sent the audience on their way with big smiles on their faces...Terry Crockford."