News

Local students perform with Welsh Guards

Published

7 years ago

February 9, 2017

Fantastic performance: A video of the Welsh Guard playing in the evening

THE BAND OF THE WELSH GUARDS attended The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven today (Feb 6) for a special performance for schools across Pembrokeshire.

The Band gave a presentation in the afternoon to the students, and explained to them all of the fantastic places where they’ve had the opportunity to perform, such as The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, The Royal Albert Hall and Will and Kate’s wedding.

After this, children from local schools enjoyed an hour-long performance by the Band of the Welsh Guards. However, it wasn’t just any performance. Skilled and talented young musicians joined them on stage to perform famous pieces from classical music to hit movie scores.

Before the musical afternoon began, the conductor said: “We have had the great pleasure of welcoming some young musicians from the local area. We’ve had a few rehearsals, but some of the music is very difficult.

“The students have done extremely well, and some are even sight reading.”

Kicking off the performance was the score of the Pirates of the Caribbean. This familiar music was performed so eloquently that it made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. The students fit in perfectly with The Guards and didn’t miss a beat. So much so, that you would never be able to tell that there were any inexperienced musicians among them. Only their uniforms gave them away.

The score from The Pirates of the Caribbean is beautiful as it is, but played by The Welsh Guards, it lended itself excellently to the majestic sounds that comes with the band itself.

After the first performance, a loud applause erupted from the auditorium.

Next up was the famous pop song, Just Haven’t Met You Yet by the world class vocalist, Michael Buble. Buble’s music is often associated with orchestras and brass bands, and the popular singer has performed live with orchestras in the past.

It was played so beautifully, that you had to stop yourself from trying to sing the melody, which was instead being carried by the trumpets. The break however, was carried by the saxophone, which gave it an extremely romantic feel.

The percussionists at the back of the stage – Guards and students alike – moved around and swapped instruments periodically, showing how dynamic and versatile their musical talents truly are.

A solo performance by Welsh Guard, Davey Jones was up next, who played a 1920s piece, Robin Harry on the xylophone and the vibraphone, accompanied by the band. The imagery created by this piece sent your mind reeling off into thoughts and memories of watching Charlie Chaplin’s famous silent movies.

Using four mallets toward the end of the piece, this enabled Jones to play four notes at once, in order to create chords and harmonies.

After this solo performance, it was time for a bit of fun. The conductor addressed the room, and explained that up next would be a solo performance from Sergeant Dan Evans on he post-horn.

He said: “When the post carriage would come into town, the men on the back of the carriage would sound their horn to inform them that their post had arrived.”

He added: “We were supposed to have two, but the other played has forgotten his and left it in London.”

A bow of shame was performed by the musician who had sadly forgotten his post-horn, and he took his place at the front of the stage, making his way there on crutches. The conductor explained that unfortunately, he has injured his leg since being in Pembrokeshire.

After a huge amount of sympathy given by the audience members, he sat in his chair while Sgt Evans played The Huntsman.

However, minutes into the performance, a fellow guard appeared with what seemed to be a metal tea pot. It was then to our surprise, that he joined in with Sergeant Evans, and began playing The Hunstman.

His next brilliant idea, was to take the mouth piece he had produced from his pocket, and places it on the end of his crutch. And – you guessed it – he started playing that too!

With laughter from the children in the audience, this spurred him on to go a step further. He took the chair he had been sitting on, placed the mouth piece on the end of a leg and began to play that, too.

It was after this fun performance that they decided to get back to business, and performed heir rendition of an ABBA medley they like to call ‘ABBA Gold’, which consisted of popular favourites, Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Fernando and The Winner Takes It All.

Finally, the audience were treated to a rendition of Tocatta in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach – but with a “twist!”

This extremely famous piece of music was performed traditionally to begin with, when it suddenly was accompanied with fantastically accomplished upbeat percussion.

Just when everybody thought it was time to go, the Band agreed to perform one more piece on one condition. The children in the audience agreed immediately without asking what the condition was, whereas the adults in the room weren’t quite so eager to agree before hearing what the bargain was!

The condition in actual fact, was no problem at all. The Band agreed to play Uptown Funk by world class Bruno Mars, on the condition that everybody gets out of their seats, sings along and has a dance. And so, they did! Adults and children alike all joined in, clapping, singing and dancing in their seats.

Before the close of their show, the band thanked the schools for attending the concert, and said they had been “bowled over” by the standard of the young musicians who had joined them on stage.

The Band of the Welsh Guard will play again this evening (Feb 6) at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

Community

Anzac Day commemoration service held in Milford Haven

Published

7 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IN a service held on Sunday (Apr 28), the Milford Haven Branch of the Royal British Legion led a poignant commemoration service to mark Anzac Day, honouring the valor and sacrifices of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.

The service, which took place at 11:00am, on Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven, witnessed a significant turnout.

Attendees included members of the Australian Signals and Signal Company as well as representatives of Milford Haven Town Council and the Milford Haven Sea Cadets.

The service commenced with a welcome and introduction by Lt Col Warren Coetzer, followed by a rendition of the National Anthems of Australia, New Zealand, and Wales, embodying a spirit of unity and remembrance. The anthems were a moving tribute to the camaraderie and international bonds formed in times of conflict.

***ANZAC service: Remembering soldiers who fought bravely (Pic: MHTC)***

During the service, the Ode of Remembrance was recited, a profound moment that prompted reflection on the courage and fellowship of the ANZAC forces.

The emblematic Rising Sun Cap Badge and the Union Flag were prominently displayed on the event programme, symbolising the service and sacrifice of those who served under them.

Local dignitaries laid wreaths, and a two-minute silence was observed, offering a chance for personal reflection on the cost of war and the price of peace.

**Sea Cadets and member of the public at the service (Pic: MH Sea Cadets)**

The commemoration concluded with a prayer for peace, leaving the attendees with a message of hope and a renewed commitment to the values for which the ANZAC soldiers bravely fought.

The service was not just a remembrance of past sacrifices but also a reminder of the enduring spirit of the ANZACs, which continues to inspire and guide future generations.

Community

Survey of Picton Castle reveals groundbreaking medieval architecture

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE first ever detailed architectural survey of Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, has revealed a medieval castle ahead of its time in terms of design and high status living. Much altered in the Georgian period, the castle was surveyed by the author, Neil Ludlow, with Phil Poucher of Heneb – Dyfed Archaeology (formerly Dyfed Archaeological Trust) and funded by the Castle Studies Trust: it reveals a sophisticated building fit for royalty.

However, the building was actually built between 1315-20 by a senior royal government official called Sir John Wogan, who held office in Pembrokeshire, Northern England and Ireland and possibly fought on a military campaign in Gascony.

While outwardly it retains much of its medieval flavour, the interiors were extensively made over during the eighteenth century so that it now presents itself first and foremost as a Georgian country seat. But beneath this veneer, much medieval work still survives – though a lot of it is tucked away behind stud-walls, in cupboards, or is otherwise obscured.

Picton’s unique layout makes it a castle of great importance and architecturally ground-breaking for when it was built in the early fourteenth century. Most castles have at least some close parallels, but Picton is effectively one of a kind. Close study shows that it resolves as a central first-floor hall, flanked by services and a chamber-block to form a very early example of the three-unit ‘H-plan’ house.

The gatehouse – unusual in buildings of this kind – led onto an equally unusual ‘grand stairway’ to the hall; a second ground-floor entry probably led to an external kitchen and bakehouse.

The castle’s spatial disposition, access and circulation are meticulously planned, while the domestic appointments show a remarkable level of sophistication for the period, including what appear to be vertical serving-hatches between the ground floor and the service rooms above. At second-floor level, the east towers and gatehouse form two integrated suites of residential apartments either side of a chapel, in a manner firmly rooted within royal planning. The opposite pair of towers, at the west end, seem to have been united internally to form a residential chamber-block, for Wogan’s officials and guests, possibly served by latrines in the former west tower; the present partition walls are later.

Neil Ludlow told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “The enigmatic castle at Picton in Pembrokeshire is best-known for its magnificent Georgian interiors. But beneath this veneer is a medieval castle, from around 1315-20, with a unique layout. A towered hall-block with a pioneering ‘H-plan’, it reveals elements derived from royal planning, and sophisticated domestic arrangements including serving hatches between the floor levels. These innovations show it to have been a castle that was ahead of its time.”

Castle Studies Trust Chair of Trustees Jeremy Cunnington added: “The Castle Studies Trust is delighted to have funded the first ever detailed survey of Picton Castle and to have learned so much more about the medieval form of this unique building.”

Dr Rhiannon Talbot-English, Director at Picton Castle Trust told this newspaper: “Picton Castle has always been something of an enigmatic mystery: hidden gothic alcoves and arches, secret spiral staircases and untouched medieval Undercroft. Picton Castle Charitable Trust is extremely grateful to the Castle Studies Trust for its generous financial support which has enabled this research to be undertaken and we look forward to sharing this new knowledge with the public in a new exhibition about the early castle.”

Community

Solemn tributes at Freshwater West for WWII maritime tragedy

Published

8 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IN an emotional gathering at Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, the public and veterans convened on April 29, to honour the memory of the 85 souls lost in the tragic sinking of Landing Craft, Gun (LCG) 15 and LCG 16 during a brutal storm in April 1943.

The memorial service took place near the scenic, surf-popular beach, where the community assembled to reflect on the calamity that struck during a perilous wartime operation.

The service highlighted the sacrifices made by those aboard the LCGs, as well as six valiant crew members from the HMS Rosemary, who perished while attempting a daring rescue amidst the tempest.

Originally designed as Landing Craft, Tanks (LCTs), LCG 15 and LCG 16 were converted at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff shipyard to support amphibious operations by equipping them with heavy artillery.

Their redesign included the installation of two 4.7 inch guns intended for use during D-Day, suggesting that, had they survived, these crafts and their crews could have played a pivotal role in the Normandy Landings.

The crafts were en route to Falmouth when they encountered severe weather off the coast of Freshwater West.

Compounded by their flat-bottomed design, which was ill-suited for rough seas, both vessels tragically succumbed to the stormy conditions.

Denied shelter at Fishguard, they were compelled to continue towards Milford Haven, a decision that ultimately led to their sinking.

Today, the wrecks of LCG 15 and LCG 16 lie as protected war graves, and a poignant memorial stands overlooking the beach, a testament to the bravery and enduring legacy of the men lost to the sea.

Visitors to the memorial site at Freshwater West, which also hosts another commemorative marker at Thornton Cemetery in Milford Haven, can reflect upon the harrowing experiences faced by wartime naval personnel and the profound impact of their service.

The event served not only as a remembrance but also as an educational experience, particularly for younger generations unaware of the perils faced by their forebears during such tumultuous times.

The memorial at Freshwater West remains open to the public, offering a place for contemplation and respect, against the backdrop of one of Wales’ most beloved surfing beaches, where the echoes of history resonate with the sounds of the waves.