Emily Walker joined the Nidus Choir last year and busily went about achieving her Grade 2 Certificate of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.this year. Singing in the Christmas concerts, Emily has continued to attend regularly. She was a Gold medallist singer at the Hereford Musical Festival, and came third in  her school's Eisteddfod against other Year 6's. Emily has a wealth of high notes and also sings in her school choir. Here she is pictured with the cup from her school Inglefield House of Monmouth School for Girls- a prize given to the child who has contributed most towards music in her school amidst considerable competition. Emily is a talented swimmer and keen cyclist. Sheis currently preparing Grade 4 Singing  and sang a solo in the Black Velvet Band, an Irish Folk Song with Lily May and Jessica Millard, who all gave spirited performances......

Nidus Choir Members Lily May Davey and Oliva Gibbs singing 'Panis Angelicus' at St Mary's Church. Bryn Eglwys, Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran. Both recently achieved their Grade IV Singing with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. A lovely performance!

St Mary's Church sits on the lower slopes of Croesyceiliog on the aptly named Bryn Eglwys (Hill of the Church) . It is spacious, with a good accoustic, large leaded windows and good community facilities. The Children's choir attended on a swelteringly hot evening, many people travelling from other areas too, Brecon, Monmouth, Devauden and outside the Bran, but theyall came to give an excellent performance.No one fainted, thank heavens. 

We drew from our usual repertoire, Rutter's I will sing with the Spirit, The Water of Tyne in Neaum's lovely arrangement, Moon River  Henry Mancini, Getting to know you  from The King and I  being a new addition. Other contributions included Spanish Eyes by Villalobos , Kalinka in Joan Gregoryk's arrangement,  Amanda McBroom's The Rose  and the French Vois se ton chemin., an exhortation for pity for  suffering children. The recent prize-winning song from Abergavenny 'The Happy Wanderer' ended the first half.

Our three soloists in 'The Black Velvet Band' were Emily Walker, Jessica Millard and Lily May Davey-see below. Few photos were taken at this concert, but these are the choir members at Usk Priory.

Half way through each part of the programme, we were treated to some soloists, who had prepared particular duets for the programme. The First half presented Olivia Gibbs and Lily-May Davey, Sopranos in a truly lovely rendering of Cesar Franck's Panis Angelicus  which we hope will be entered at Abergavenny next year. They are stalwarts of the choir with good attendance.Their voices were very different, but they bought poignancy and pathos to this beautiful song.
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The choir is most fortunate to have two stalwart members, who have supported the choir from a very young age and whose voices are rapidly turning into an excellently developed and musical sound. They have gone on,however to support the choir Soprano and Alto sections. Amelia Hughes lovely voice supports the sound, yet she has,on occasion even taught her section their parts and always turned up at rehearsals to help. Her rounded and developed technique caught the ear of many at Abergavenny, especially the professional opera singer brought in to adjudicate. She said 'If she sounds like that at 15 years old, where will she be in a few years' time?' Rhys Nicholson is also a gift to the choir and is highly prized, for his support of the altos-to date the younges section of the choir, which is now taking extra members. A Cellist and pianist, Rhys' musical ability makes him especially important to this section of the choir as it rebuilds and he is a powerful leader. He has also instructed the altos in their parts. Amelia Hughes joined together as soloists to sing the delightful 'Bei Männern welche Liebe fühlen'  from the Magic Flute by Mozart. Both the gifted young performers sang exquisitely, Rhys as the hapless birdcatcher Papageno expressing his lines in immaculate  phrasing and Amelia as Princess Pamina, with her very difficult cadenzas expertly and expressively executed. With techniques like this, they will catch the ear of many producers.

A TIMELY THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE CHOIR DURING RETRAINING
MAny thanks to two other members of the choir entangled in exams at the moment. We would like to thank all of them, plus former members who have come to help out and substitute  for absences.  Thank you to  ALEX COURTNEY a lovely soprano,/vocalist, HANNAH KINDRED who achieved a Distinction at  Grade 8 Singing andis engaged in A levels, after which we will lose her to university, GEORGIA NICHOLSON-TOTTLE who has recently won a major scholarship to the Millennium Performing Arts School, winning awards at school plus a suspected Distinction at Grade 8, and Hannah Tottle , an exceptional voice, with a Diploma in Singing and a Distinction at Grade 8, but is now at University but is willing to help when she can. Lastly NICOLE COX who kindly helped by singing soprano at Abergavenny with her beautiful bright tone. Missing you all, those who have had to go. ALEX please stay with the choir when you can!

FINALLY  The evening came to a close with a tribute to the patron of the church - St Mary with the ancient hymn Hail Holy Queen  in a rocking arrangement by Shaiman. This got everyone excited, the young choristers rattling off the Latin words as if they had know them forever to an ecstatic reception by the listeners and a thank you on behalf of the StMary's Ladies' Guild by Croesyceiliog South Councillor, Veronica Crick JP. The Ladies of the Guild then invited in the choir and ticket holders to a buffet reception, which ended an exciting performance. The warmth and appreciation of the audience was palpable,one lady saying to me 'You teach them real music.what it is about'  a  lovely comment and a vinidcation of my teaching and that of my c0-workers, Heidi Nicholson, Gabriela and Nicholas Dunbar and Christian Jenkins.