Beethoven: Overture “Egmont”
Bryn Williams: Suite of Welsh Folk Songs
(conducted by the composer)
Mozart: Madaminla Il catalogo (from “Don
Giovanni”)
Mozart: Non piu andrai (from “Marriage of Figaro”)
Bartok: Romanian Folk Dances
Mozart: Duets from “The Magic Flute”
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 “Italian”
Conductor: Keith Dawber. Baritone: John Williams. Soprano: Christine Farrar. Leader: Norma Rothwell
What the papers said:
“Orchestra plays music by its
founder”
The opening concert of the Wrexham and
District Arts Festival was given by Wrexham Orchestral Society at the Memorial
Hall when they played works of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bartok, Mozart and Bryn
Williams.
The orchestra was founded two years ago
as a string ensemble, and is now a full orchestra, 40 strong, including
housewives, schoolchildren, shopkeepers, clerks, teachers, a sanitary
inspector, a joiner and people in other walks of life.
The orchestra is conducted by Mr Keith
Dawber, of 2, Delamere Avenue, Gwersyllt, who is a violin teacher for the Denbighshire
education authority.
The chairman of the society is Mr
Bernard Jones, and the secretary and treasurer Mrs Kay Webster.
The founder of the orchestra was Mr
Bryn Williams, who made a special visit from Derbyshire on Friday to conduct
the orchestra in his Suite for Welsh Folk Songs.
The orchestra is going from strength to
strength, but any musicians who would like to join would be welcomed.
PHOTOS (quality too poor to reproduce here): TOP LEFT: The
orchestra in full swing at rehearsal.
TOP RIGHT: The leader or the orchestra,
Norman Rothwell (should be Norma), and Emlyn Evans go over a score with
the conductor, Keith Dawber (right).
RIGHT: The woodwind section. Back row,
from left: John Hutton (clarinet), Andrew Williams and Charles Mainwaring
(bassoons). Front: Jane Yeo and Linda Twist (oboes).
ABOVE: The trumpets strike a high note.
>From left – Graham Jones, Paul Cunningham and O. Hollington.
BELOW: Side by side in harmony – the celloists
(!) at work. From left: A. W. Holgate and Linda Hollington.
(The Leader, October 27th 1970)