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75th Anniversary of the Swansea Blitz - Commemorative Concert at St Mary's Parish Church Swansea

Saturday 20th Feb 2016 featuring the Morriston Orpheus Choir, the Siren Sisters and Kevin Johns as compère. Below - the church immediately after the German bombardment of Swansea February 1941
The Church was full for the commemorative concert. The Choir's repertoire included a selection of  Welsh hymns, songs from World Wars 1 and 2 and Eric Jones'  'Y Tangnefeddwyr' ,  a setting of Waldo Williams' poem 'The Peacemakers'.  Waldo Williams was a conscientous objector and pacifist, and when, from some distance, he saw Swansea in flames after the 1941 Blitz he was moved to write his poem. He explains that in the midst of the mayhem of WW2 the peacemakers are the children of God.
The Morriston Orpheus was directed by Joy Amman Davies with accompanist Llyr Simon and Leslie Ryan, organist. The concert helped to raise funds for the St Mary's Restoration Appeal and was jointly organised by our Engagement Secretary Steve Pearson, St Mary's Church Officers, Swansea Rotary Club, and Literacy Specialist from the City and County of Swansea.
"The Morriston Orpheus was outstanding and picked a perfect selection of songs for such a night."  Kevin Johns in his column in the South Wales Evening Post  22 Feb 2016.

Above, Kevin Johns interviews a young pupil from Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr who wrote a poem about the Swansea Blitz.

Below:  The Siren Sisters who sang numbers from the 1940s and 1950s

Lord and Lady Heseltine attended the commemorative concert, Lord Heseltine was born in Swansea and is a Vice-President of Morriston Orpheus Choir
Photos © South Wales Evening Post

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