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Aberdare Boys’ Grammar SchoolMusical & Dramatic Activities |
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Glamorgan Youth Choir and Orchestra
St Elvan's Church, Aberdare
September 3rd, 1963
(photo contributed by Susan Dennis, additional notes by John Samuel)
This picture shows the Glamorgan Youth Choir and Orchestra on the day of
their concert at St Elvan's Church in Aberdare. The programme for
this concert is on the site.
It shows that the main works performed by the choir were as follows:
Vaughan Williams' Toward the Unknown Region
and
Handel's Dettingen Te Deum
There were several Aberdarians in the choir:
Susan Dennis, Pamela Field, Rhian Samuel
Annette Merriman, Pamela Mann
Hywel Davies, Peter Ballinger
David Martin Burridge, Roger Humphreys and John Samuel
Gethin Evans (ABGS music master) is in the central area together with
Russell Sheppard (conductor)
(please let us know if we have missed
anybody or incorrectly identified someone)
Hover your mouse pointer over the faces in the picture. If you get to one
of the Aberdarians
their names should appear.
Russell Sheppard (1914-1999) was from Mountain Ash where his father worked as a miner, principally at the Deep Duffryn colliery. Initially he studied piano but later organ at St Elvan's, Aberdare, although the family were regular attenders at St. Margaret's, Mountain Ash. At the age of sixteen he was appointed choirmaster and organist at St. Illtyd's Church, Cefnpennar and it was here that he first experienced the responsibilities of organising, accompanying and conducting at the church services. He was later to fulfil a similar role at St. Donat's, Abercynon. Sheppard attended Mountain Ash County School, entered U.C. Cardiff (1932-35) as a Glamorgan County Council Music Scholar, followed by a one-year teacher training course. His first, and only, teaching post (1936) was as
music master at Holyhead County School, before returning to South Wales in 1949 as
Music Organiser and Inspector for Glamorgan.
In 1940, during his Anglesey days, he married Catherine (‘Karen’) E. Williams from Holyhead, and it was there that his two daughters, Wendy and Pat were born. Following Sheppard's death in 1999, John Jenkins, his son-in-law,
published a book of a biographical nature dedicated to his father-in-law entitled Toward the Unknown Region, (ISBN: 1902709047).
It contains a full account of Sheppard's career - also included is a cutting from the Aberdare Leader which was
a report of the September, 1963 St. Elvan's concert by its correspondent, E. Morley
Smith (sub-postmaster at Foundry Town P.O., Ynyslwyd St).
Vaughan Williams had himself conducted Toward the Unknown Region in a concert given by the Cwmaman Choral Society at
the Cwmaman Institute on Boxing Day, 1932, when a 17-year-old Russell Sheppard was present in the audience.
List of participating musicians
GLAMORGAN YOUTH CHOIR
Soprano, Second Soprano and Alto :
Aberdare:
Susan Dennis, Pamela Mann, Annette Merriman, Rhian Samuel
Mountain Ash:
Angela Williams, Glynis Blacker
Kenfig Hill:
Lesley Henson, Pam Jones
Hengoed:
Delyth Thomas
Pontycymer:
Merian Williams, Hilary Polmeer, Margaret Robbins, Margaret Hopkins
Ogmore Valley:
Elizabeth Ingle, Delyth Morris, Heather Tuck
Bridgend:
Caryl Saunders, Carolyn Rees
Neath:
Delia Jones, Judith Dargavel, Georgina Griffiths, Gaynor Jenkins, Kay Morgan, Mair Hopkins
Tonyrefail:
Kathryn Gould, Carole Badman
Pontypridd:
Beverley Humphreys, Margaret Meredith, Joan Collier, Phyllis Evans, Delyth Jones, Mary Morgan, Andrea Luscombe
Port Talbot:
Lynda Walters, Rhian Jones, Penelope Abbott, Christine Jones
Barry:
Jennifer Clarke, Lynne Peter, Mary Alien, Christine Baynham
Cowbridge:
Janice Newton, Gwendoline John, June Hughes
Whitchurch:
Susan Thomas
Pontardawe:
Christine Davies, Anne Morgan
Gowerton:
Lynette Howells, Olwen Howells, Marian Edwards, Ann Edwards, Margaret Rees
Tonypandy:
Jane Evans, Marcia Perry
Pentre
Jennifer Jones
Tenor and Bass :
Aberdare
Allen Richards, Roger Humphreys, David Burridge, Hywel Davies, Peter Ballinger, John Samuel
Mountain Ash:
Gareth Burridge, Paul Nicholas
Caerphilly:
David Waters, Elgar Lewis, Graham Marshman
Deri:
Kenneth Green
Tongwynlais:
Adrian Perrett
Bridgend:
John Jones, David Sweet
Kenfig Hill:
David Lean, Martyn Patterson
Pontycymer:
Richard Vaughan, Richard Watkins, Neil Fricker
Ogmore Valley:
Kendail Davies
Maesteg:
Eurof Parry
Whitchurch:
Colin Baldwin, Andrew Payne
Tonyrefail:
David Llewelyn, Alan Badman
Gowerton:
Geraint Davies, David Murfin, David Richards,
Wynne Edwards, Dewi Jones, Sidney Head, Derrick John,
Lynn Williams, Dennis O'Neill
Gorseinon:
Brian Llewelyn, Alun Hughes, Morlais Gwyther
Barry
Howard Patch, Norman Pereira
Port Talbot:
Alan Griffiths
Pontardawe:
Philip Young, Eurof Humphreys
Tonypandy:
Wynfor Davies, Robert Turner
Pentre:
Clive Mars
Neath:
Stuart Kale
Ystalyfera:
Arwel Phillips, Geraint Thomas.