Hoddinott Hall, CardiffA thoughtful and moving concert – with Paul Mealor’s new choral work its centrepiece – commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disasterA concert requiem of hope is how composer Paul Mealor describes his new choral work Aberfan: From Darkness to Light, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the disaster that killed 116 children and 28 adults. Heard first in the Aberfan Community Centre with the voices of children from today’s junior schools – Ynysowen Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Rhyd y Grug – joining the Ynysowen Male Voice Choir, the BBC National Chorus of Wales and an instrumental ensemble, this second performance, again conducted by Timothy Redmond, had the full weight of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. While the focus on hope coloured the whole, it was – not surprisingly – the bright, shining voices of the children, their every syllable crystal-clear, which made one well up.Setting words by Grahame Davies, whose poetic sequence of narrative and verse balanced remembrance with reflection, the piece was, at its heart, a celebration of life and the culture of the valley. Both librettist and composer were guided by Aberfan people themselves who asked that the spirit of hope and renewal be invoked, and that present and future be implicit alongside recognition of the tragic past. Continue reading...