Cart (0)

Morriston Orpheus at Royal Event in Milford Haven ~ May 12th 2009

The Morriston Orpheus Choir and singer Gwawr Edwards represented Wales at a recent ceremony when two royal households met to crown the UK leg of a multibillion-pound energy project.

The Queen, Prince Philip and the Duke of York attended the inauguration of the South Hook liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Milford Haven, West Wales. 

















The huge £1 billion terminal has taken three years to build and is at the end of a £8.5 billion delivery chain stretching from the gas fields of the Arabian state of Qatar to the West Wales port.

 

 






















 

Joy Amman Davies, Choir MD, was jubilant after being presented to the Queen during her official visit to the terminal. She gave a copy of the latest CD Nella Fantasia to Her Majesty. Joy said, “It was a really successful day, and I’m proud of the boys and all the hard work they put into the music.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 


























 

 

Later, she met the royals again as she took her place in a farewell lineout as both royal parties were leaving the event. She then had a brief comic encounter with Prince Philip as he was leaving.

"He asked me who I was, and I said I conducted the Choir," said Joy, who wore a sophisticated black evening dress for the occasion.

"He said to me, 'Turn round', and when I did, he said 'Now I recognise you from the back of your head'."

"Presenting the Queen with our CD was absolutely thrilling. I hope she listens to it and enjoys it."
 

Sharing a platform with the Queen was the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and other members of the Qatari Royal Family.The heads of both Royal parties sang the praises at the flagship project  during a high profile inauguration ceremony. Her Majesty the Queen described the world's first fully integrated chain supplying Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a 'truly ground-breaking achievement.' 
 

Children presented flowers and gifts to the Qatar Royal Highness and the Queen.

The Queen and the Amir of Qatar presented the children with engraved Crystal Plaques that were then ceremoniously passed along a choreographed line and placed in the sculpture which is to be kept on site as a memento of the event.

Choir spokesman Clive Williams said, " Security at the event was very tight, we had to be up at 4am to leave for Milford at 5.30am. Security checks, understandably, were very strict. We couldn't even take photos in some areas. It was a fantastic day, and a proud moment for the Choir."

An audience of more than 300 key figures from the State of Qatar, the UK and the global energy sector witnessed the historic milestone at the largest LNG terminal in Europe, which also marks Qatar's first involvement in the downstream gas industry.

Welsh Assembly First Minister Rhodri Morgan, a Vice-President of the Morriston Orpheus Choir, was also among the guests.

The royal families of Britain and Qatar were serenaded by the Choir singing  We'll keep a welcome and a new industrial song Building, Striving, Working, Innovating dedicated to LNG production today . Professional composer Dom Jones of Cheshire, whose family come from Cardiff and Llanelli, was called in to write a song especially for the occasion.

Choir spokesman Clive Williams said it was not the first time the Choir had performed for the Queen, as it did so at the Golden Jubilee celebrations in Buckingham Palace in 2002 and is featured on the official CD that marked the Jubilee – The Queen’s Golden Jubillee~ A Musical Celebration.

By using this site, you accept its use of cookies | Tell me more | I understand & accept, don't display this message again