Latest news with #LlangollenInternationalMusicalEisteddfod
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Aled Jones pays tribute to one of Wales' greatest musicians
Annette Bryn Parri, Musical Director of the North Wales Police Choir, was from the Deiniolen area. She died on May 27 aged 62. The esteemed Welsh Pianist, described as one of Wales' greatest musicians by Welsh singer, radio and television presenter Aled Jones, was well-known in Welsh culture circles and appeared regularly at the Eisteddfod in Llangollen. At the time of her passing, she was the Musical Director of the North Wales Police Choir. Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said: 'It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of our friend Annette Bryn Parri. Annette was the musical director of our force choir. 'From day one put her heart and soul into developing and nurturing the choir. Annette Bryn Parry plays the piano for residents at Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon (Image: Mandy Jones) 'Those who knew Annette will know that her warmth, talent, passion, and courage was outstanding. 'I spent some time with her recently and we spoke of the ambitious plans she had for the choir and for the love she had for those who are part of this special group." North Wales Police lowered their flag to half mast as a mark of respect. "We are thinking of Annette's family and close friends at this most difficult time," Chief Constable Blakeman added, Arwyn Tudur Jones, Choir Conductor and Sergeant, said: 'On behalf of the North Wales Police Choir I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies to Annette's family and friends. 'Annette meant so much to our police choir and she brought joy and happiness to so many. Her talent shone through, and we were so privileged to have Annette as our Musical Director - a role I know she cherished deeply. 'We have lost a dear friend and we will all miss her terribly.' Welsh singer, radio and television presenter Aled Jones said: "So saddened to hear of the death of one of Wales' greatest musicians. I had the honour of working with Annette Bryn Parri many times both as a boy and as a man. "I am proud to have known her and to have been fortunate enough to call her a friend." So saddened to hear of the death of one of Wales' greatest musicians. I had the honour of working with Annette Bryn Parri many times both as a boy and as a man. I am proud to have known her and to have been fortunate enough to call her a friend. RIP x John Gambles, Chairman of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Annette Bryn Parri, whose musical brilliance and generous spirit enriched the Llangollen Eisteddfod for so many years. "Her contribution to Welsh music and her legacy of excellence will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.' Llion Iwan, S4C's Chief Content Officer, said: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of accompanist Annette Bryn Parri. "She made a remarkable contribution to Welsh culture, contributing to a number of programmes over the decades while accompanying renowned singers such as Sir Bryn Terfel. MORE NEWS Child dies after medical incident in North Wales village "We extend our deepest sympathy to her family in their bereavement." In a statement, Pendine Park Care Homes said: "It will be a huge loss without Annette Bryn Parri who sadly passed away on Tuesday, May 27. "Annette was so wonderful at our Children's Day Workshops at Llangollen Eisteddfod and she also performed in our homes in Wrexham and Bryn Seiont Newydd much to the delight of our residents and staff. "Our condolences and thoughts to all her family." Trelawnyd Male Voice Choir said it was a "privilege" to share the stage with Annette. They said: "The choir are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Annette Parri who we've had the privilege to have shared the stage with on a number of occasions including the recent St David's Day concert in St Asaph Cathedral when she performed alongside Dylan Cernwy. "The renowned and distinguished pianist with such a remarkable talent would leave our audiences 'visibly joyful'. "Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time." Annette's musical journey began at an early age. She became an official accompanist at 15 and made her first appearance at the 1983 National Eisteddfod in Llangefni. In 1982, she won the Grace Williams Medal for composition at the Urdd Gobaith Cymru Eisteddfod at Pwllheli and the Blue Riband for instrumentalists at the 1985 National Eisteddfod at Rhyl. After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Annette joined the staff of the music department of Bangor University as a piano tutor. Annette accompanied the choirs of Ysgol Glanaethwy performing arts school in Bangor for more than 30 years. She was musical director of the Anglesey-based Côr y Traeth for nearly a decade and established Trio, a male vocal trio. In 2024, she took on the role of musical director of the newly formed North Wales Police Choir.
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Aled Jones pays tribute to one of Wales' greatest musicians
Annette Bryn Parri, Musical Director of the North Wales Police Choir, was from the Deiniolen area. She died on May 27 aged 62. The esteemed Welsh Pianist, described as one of Wales' greatest musicians by Welsh singer, radio and television presenter Aled Jones, was well-known in Welsh culture circles and appeared regularly at the Eisteddfod in Llangollen. At the time of her passing, she was the Musical Director of the North Wales Police Choir. Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said: 'It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of our friend Annette Bryn Parri. Annette was the musical director of our force choir. 'From day one put her heart and soul into developing and nurturing the choir. Annette Bryn Parry plays the piano for residents at Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon (Image: Mandy Jones) 'Those who knew Annette will know that her warmth, talent, passion, and courage was outstanding. 'I spent some time with her recently and we spoke of the ambitious plans she had for the choir and for the love she had for those who are part of this special group." North Wales Police lowered their flag to half mast as a mark of respect. "We are thinking of Annette's family and close friends at this most difficult time," Chief Constable Blakeman added, Arwyn Tudur Jones, Choir Conductor and Sergeant, said: 'On behalf of the North Wales Police Choir I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies to Annette's family and friends. 'Annette meant so much to our police choir and she brought joy and happiness to so many. Her talent shone through, and we were so privileged to have Annette as our Musical Director - a role I know she cherished deeply. 'We have lost a dear friend and we will all miss her terribly.' Welsh singer, radio and television presenter Aled Jones said: "So saddened to hear of the death of one of Wales' greatest musicians. I had the honour of working with Annette Bryn Parri many times both as a boy and as a man. "I am proud to have known her and to have been fortunate enough to call her a friend." So saddened to hear of the death of one of Wales' greatest musicians. I had the honour of working with Annette Bryn Parri many times both as a boy and as a man. I am proud to have known her and to have been fortunate enough to call her a friend. RIP x John Gambles, Chairman of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Annette Bryn Parri, whose musical brilliance and generous spirit enriched the Llangollen Eisteddfod for so many years. "Her contribution to Welsh music and her legacy of excellence will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.' Llion Iwan, S4C's Chief Content Officer, said: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of accompanist Annette Bryn Parri. "She made a remarkable contribution to Welsh culture, contributing to a number of programmes over the decades while accompanying renowned singers such as Sir Bryn Terfel. MORE NEWS Child dies after medical incident in North Wales village "We extend our deepest sympathy to her family in their bereavement." In a statement, Pendine Park Care Homes said: "It will be a huge loss without Annette Bryn Parri who sadly passed away on Tuesday, May 27. "Annette was so wonderful at our Children's Day Workshops at Llangollen Eisteddfod and she also performed in our homes in Wrexham and Bryn Seiont Newydd much to the delight of our residents and staff. "Our condolences and thoughts to all her family." Trelawnyd Male Voice Choir said it was a "privilege" to share the stage with Annette. They said: "The choir are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Annette Parri who we've had the privilege to have shared the stage with on a number of occasions including the recent St David's Day concert in St Asaph Cathedral when she performed alongside Dylan Cernwy. "The renowned and distinguished pianist with such a remarkable talent would leave our audiences 'visibly joyful'. "Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time." Annette's musical journey began at an early age. She became an official accompanist at 15 and made her first appearance at the 1983 National Eisteddfod in Llangefni. In 1982, she won the Grace Williams Medal for composition at the Urdd Gobaith Cymru Eisteddfod at Pwllheli and the Blue Riband for instrumentalists at the 1985 National Eisteddfod at Rhyl. After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Annette joined the staff of the music department of Bangor University as a piano tutor. Annette accompanied the choirs of Ysgol Glanaethwy performing arts school in Bangor for more than 30 years. She was musical director of the Anglesey-based Côr y Traeth for nearly a decade and established Trio, a male vocal trio. In 2024, she took on the role of musical director of the newly formed North Wales Police Choir.
Leader Live
25-05-2025
- General
- Leader Live
Wrexham: Hillbury House celebrates 60 years of care
Hillbury House, built in 1864 for businessman John Bury, became a care home in 1965 and was taken over by the Catholic Order of the Sisters of Nazareth, who ran it until 2005 as Nazareth House. In 2005, it became part of the Pendine Park care organisation, founded by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill. Mr Kreft said: 'It was built in 1864 for John Bury who was well known locally and was one of the founders of the Wrexham War Memorial Hospital. "In building the house, they dug into a Bronze Age burial mound and found a number of artefacts which were given to the Wrexham Museum. 'Gill and I were looking for somewhere to open a care home in 1985 because we wanted a place suitable for our elderly grandparents which would provide the level of care we wanted for them. 'A property in Llandudno was set up but it fell through at the last minute and Gwern Alyn became available in Wrexham which was another of the areas we were looking. 'Converting Gwern Alyn into a care home was the start of the Pendine story and choosing Wrexham was the right decision for us.' He added: "We started with 14 residents at Gwern Alyn and now we're up to 440 at our nine care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon. "Later this year, we will welcome our 6,000th resident and at the same time we employ 864 people and what we do supports the NHS." The Krefts were the first care organisation in Wales to employ an artist in residence. Thirty years later, the person they appointed, Sarah Edwards, is still working with them as a consultant, along with a musician in residence, a creative practitioner, and an army of enrichment co-ordinators. The couple have also launched the Pendine Arts and Communities Trust, which supports a host of community and arts-related activities. This includes the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, where they sponsor the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, and the North Wales International Music Festival, where they sponsor the Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition. Mrs Kreft, a chartered accountant, also set up the influential Wrexham Business Professionals group to promote regional prosperity and shine a light on the enterprise and expertise that exists in the region. Both care homes are run by manager Cindy Clutton, who began her own career in care in 1982 aged just 15, working at weekends and in the school holidays at Nazareth House, as Hillbury was then called. She said: "My mum was there and she had always worked in care and I went there when I was still in school and I enjoyed it so when I finished school I went on to take a YTS - Youth Training Scheme - in care and started with Clwyd County Council in their home at Wren's Nest in Rhosddu. "I joined Pendine in 2000 at Gwern Alyn and they took over Nazareth House and I became acting manager of Gwern Alyn and Hillbury and the rest is history. "Mario had encouraged me to my Level Five management course and gave me the support I needed and I've been at the two homes ever since. "I've really enjoyed it. "It's a challenging job but it's also very rewarding when you see the residents all smiling and happy. "I still love coming to work each day." Mr Kreft said: "Four decades on and Pendine Park has become a very, very important community asset for Wrexham and 10 years ago we opened Bryn Seiont Newydd in Caernarfon. MORE NEWS: "We were the very first in the UK to deliver what in those days were NVQs – National Vocational Qualifications – although the skills you need as a carer are not something everyone can do and you don't really learn them at a college. "It's about empathy and emotional intelligence and you probably either have or don't have that by the time you leave primary school." Mr Kreft has also found time to become a campaigner for the social care sector, founding both Care Forum Wales, which represents around 500 independent providers, and the Wales Care Awards, to recognise frontline care workers.
Leader Live
15-05-2025
- General
- Leader Live
Llangollen: Memorial bench to be placed for 'amazing' woman
Born in Birmingham, Samantha 'Sam' Hodgetts moved to the North Wales town with her family when she was young. After years living abroad, she returned to the area just 18-months ago. Sadly, on April 15, Sam passed away. She was just 33-years-old. Sam Hodgetts with Dad Stephen Hodgetts at her graduation at Edinburgh Law School (Image: UGC) Her brother, George Hodgetts, says the news changed the lives of their family forever. "We received the absolutely heart-shattering news that no brother, no parent, no friend should ever have to hear", he said. "It was sudden and devastating. Even now, writing this two weeks on, I still can't begin to process it. At just 33 years of age, with so much still to give and so many dreams left unfulfilled, she has been taken from us." In Sam's honour, George is raising money to install a memorial bench along Llangollen Canal, the town where she grew up and touched many lives. Sam with brother George Hodgetts and Laura Jones (Image: UGC) George said: "Sam often said how being near water soothed her and helped her feel at ease. We feel this would be a fitting tribute, somewhere a passers-by can rest their tired legs and take in the calming waters and peaceful views, just as Sam loved to do. "It will also give all of us who knew and loved her a quiet, reflective place to sit, remember her, and feel close to her spirit." Sam had recently moved back to the area, after spending much time in Paris and Geneva where she worked for NGO charitable organisations. "Sam finally came full circle and ended up back in Llangollen" George said. "And to be honest we were so glad, it was so nice to finally have her close to home. She was so so happy in the months leading up to this. Brother and sister, George and Sam Hodgetts (Image: UGC) "She also did a three month volunteer programme in Ghana, so charity and being so caring and kind was definitely a huge part of her life. Upon her return to North Wales, her family say she was thriving in her new role as Volunteer Coordinator for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Despite only being three months in, Sam oversaw the hundreds of volunteers who make the event a huge success. Her family say her colleagues 'couldn't speak any more positively about her.' Sam was also working as Clinic Manager for the Paris Psychology Centre and was in the final stages of her master's degree in Psychology, with hopes of becoming a clinical psychologist in the future - highlighting her unwavering desire to help people. The fundraiser was initially set with a target of £4,000, the cost of a memorial bench as stated by the Canal and Rivers Trust. However, within 24-hours, donations are just shy of reaching £6,000. You can visit the Just Giving page here. "The target was smashed within hours we honestly couldn't believe it", George says. MOST READ "My sister Sam was one of a kind. She had a genuine heart of gold and so much love to give. She had a fearlessness about her—a passion and courage to do what she believed was right at any given time. "She was always ready to help others—whether through her work with various charitable organisations or by supporting friends and family through their struggles. She often put others before herself. "Her personality was amazing and she had friends all over the world from where she had worked and travelled, she seemed to impact every person she met." "A truly beautiful soul, and one who will be so painfully missed by all of us who were close to her."
