Llandudno singer to appear with Bryn Terfel in TV Christmas special

Dec 16 2010 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

A RISING star from Llandudno will sing with world famous baritone Bryn Terfel in a Christmas TV special.

Elgan Llyr Thomas, 20, recently won the prestigious Bryn Terfel Scholarship, and earlier in the year won a first prize at the Urdd National Eisteddfod.

And he says the chance to appear with his idol in a show to be recorded at Llandudno’s Venue Cymru is the icing on the cake.

He will be performing a carol from Mexico, El Nacimiento.

“I’m really looking forward to singing with Bryn,” said Elgan. “I do feel nervous, especially since I haven’t sung in Spanish before, but it will be a great experience.

“This is the first opportunity I’ve had to sing with Bryn as a soloist, but I was a member of the choir that sang with him on his Bad Boys tour.

“He’s a lovely person. He works hard and was very kind to the choir and everyone on the tour.”

Former Ysgol y Creuddyn pupil Elgan is a student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, in his third year studying for a degree in music, concentrating on the voice.

He also plays the piano and tuba and was a member of Llandudno Town Band for 10 years.

He’ll be spending Christmas at home in Craig-y-Don with his parents, Aled, an officer with North Wales Fire Service, and Eleri, a teaching assistant at Llandudno’s Ysgol Craig-y-Don, and his sisters, Elen Haf and Alaw Môn.

Also sharing the stage with Bryn in the show – to be broadcast on S4C on Christmas Eve – will be Caryl Parry Jones, Catrin Finch, Gwawr Edwards, Côrdydd, Côr Iau Glanaethwy and John Ogwen.

“We’re all in a happy, Christmassy bubble working on this programme which has emanated from Bryn’s new CD,” says the producer of Nadolig Bryn Terfel (Bryn Terfel’s Christmas), Meinir Mai Richards.

“The music is fantastic, and I’m sure the viewers will enjoy every second of the performances from the stage of Venue Cymru.”

And Bryn commented: “For me, all roads at Christmas lead to home with a constant gathering of family and friends and singalongs of contrasting musical styles,” he says.

“That’s why it means so much to me that we are able to record this Christmas special in North Wales in front of a local audience, with a line-up of Welsh guests accompanied by Sinfonia Cymru.”