Testimonials
Cwmbran Baroque Singers, April 5th 2025
Carol Williams
I’d like to pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation to you and the wonderful team of musicians who played for us yesterday. The performance was very well received with a number of the audience and choir commenting on how fantastic the orchestra were. I was particularly grateful that the music kept moving onwards and, after just one rehearsal, the performers were able to sound at one with the choir. That is a testament to everyone’s skill and professionalism.
Huge thanks to you all.
With best wishes,
Carol and all at Cwmbran Baroque Singers
Gwent Chorale July 2024
Martin Hodson
“Thank you so much for providing a splendid orchestra for our concert.
The strings played beautifully for the Mozart, and I think it was lovely for the audience to see how an ensemble can work without a conductor. It made for an excellent start to the concert.
With the additional instruments in place, we really enjoyed their support for us singers in the Mass. The orchestral sound didn't overwhelm us, and there was some fine solo playing on the way through. It could hardly have been better. I hope they enjoyed working with us, and we look forward already to a similar ensemble for our Messiah next year. Please pass on our thanks and good wishes to them all”
Ross Choral Society April 2024
Antonia Cuthbert
"We had a wonderful evening last night and the orchestra were fabulous. Please thank them very much for their efforts, they really were superb. I didn’t have a chance to see them afterwards as I was taking the staging down which is quite a complicated process. By the time I turned around everyone had gone! We enjoyed their company too so hopefully we can collaborate again."
Cwmbran Baroque Singers April 2024
Carol Williams
“Wow and wow again! What a brilliant concert! I’m still buzzing after a great evening of music-making with you all. I realise it is probably the most varied and challenging programme we have done in a while (even compared to Walton!)………..
Special thanks too to the wonderful Orchestra de Cymru who create magic for us with their wonderful sounds and the flexibility of their musicianship (adding in parts written for different instruments, adding in parts to support tricky passages for us etc.). Most of all, we thank them for being lovely people to work with. We must continue to raise funds in whatever way we can to ensure possibilities of singing with an orchestra in this part of Wales can continue. (suggestions please!)”
Llandaf Cathedral March 2024
Thank you for putting such a marvellous bunch of players together for us. The concert was a triumph. Mozart is so challenging to play well and the concerto was exquisite with Ariel duetting beautifully with your players. Iain’s piece, being challenging in a very different kind of way, was also a triumph and, although I haven’t listened to it yet, I’m very much looking forward to hearing the recording of that.
Hereford Cathedral March 2024
Mark `Ewins - Secretary
“In the haste to clear up after the concert last night, I seriously neglected to give you my thanks, both personally and on behalf of Hereford Choral Society, for the superb orchestra you put together for us. It was a glorious sound and played with such sensitivity. A good measure of that is proven by the conversation I had with Graham Bradley just before the rehearsal: I’d realised the impossibility for the percussionists to practise beforehand due to having to set out so much kit. He confirmed that they have to sight-read in the moment, so it is for that very reason that the accuracy and sensitivity of mood to the music showed the true measure of their musicianship. This is a specific example that simply illustrates what we experienced from the whole orchestra yesterday. Thank you!”
Gwent Chorale July 2024
Martin Hodson - Choir manager
Thank you so very much for all your efforts in providing a delightful ensemble for us, it worked very well and helped us give a good performance. I loved the sonorities achieved in the Cantique especially.
Cwmbran Baroque Singers - April 2023
Carol Williams - conductor
On behalf of everyone in Cwmbrân Baroque Singers, I would like to thank you and all the wonderful musicians in the orchestra for a great coronation concert yesterday evening. My personal thanks to the instrumentalists for watching, displaying great musicianship and making sure nothing went astray! The sound was truly magnificent. Thanks to you for all your hard work.
Orchestra De Cymru - March 2023
On Sunday 12th March at St John the Evangelist Church Canton, a near capacity audience were treated to a late afternoon of both orchestral and vocal singing, to raise funds for the DEC Turkey/ Syria Earthquake Appeal. The enthusiastic audience were treated to a wide range of music, including Bach, Mozart, Bartok, Rutter, Joel, McCartney, and Sayers.
With so much high-quality music throughout the performance it is churlish to single out individuals, but a special mention must be given to the two soloists in Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe; Elizabeth French and Sam Baxter, for their wonderful interpretation, which drew the heart and mind into the music.
The highlight of the concert was Lenny Sayers’s entertaining and superb performance of his own composition ‘Complete Nonsense’, narrated by Lenny in full costume and bringing to life poems of Lewis Carroll of Edward Lear.
Priory Singers September 2023
Stephen Benaventi -Musical Director
On 21st September the Priory Singers again joined forces with the Orchestra De Cymru to present a concert featuring anthems and the Requiem of John Rutter. Following the usual pattern of a single rehearsal with the choir and orchestra, the performance was enthusiastically received by all.
The Orchestra De Cymru was on top form as usual; sensitively accompanying choruses and soloists with fine musicianship. This was no better displayed than in Rutter’s ensemble version of his Requiem. Using just six instruments, the accompaniment was always empathetic with some sublime solo work from several members of the group. A delightful group of musicians who were friendly and sociable company throughout the whole experience. Here’s to the next one!"
Steve Benavente,
Music Director - Priory Singers
Gwent Chorale
Martin Hodson,
To Rosie and all the wonderful team that is Orchestra De Cymru, many thanks for the splendid accompaniments provided for Gwent Chorale last Saturday. We enjoyed some lovely sounds from the ensemble and from individual instrumentalists. It was one of those evenings that just worked and our well attended audience certainly had a thoroughly good experience.
It really was thegrandest of grand opera galas. Our guest soloists and the school choir added hugely to the evening. Gwent Chorale looks forward to working with Orchestra De Cymru again next year. Thanks all, and to Rosie for her organisational skills.
Newport Philharmonic Choir
Guy Harbottle, Conductor -
Thanks so much for Concert Orchestra De Cymru's fabulous playing in the Elijah on October 14th 2017. The orchestra played superbly and your consummate professionalism made what could have been very stressful run very smoothly indeed.
Guest at 'Concert for Sara'
A fantastic Concert on Sunday in memory of cellist Sara Lovell who died of breast cancer in February. Over £1200 was raised was for the Breast Centre Cardiff & the Vale & Penny Brohn UK.
The highlight of the evening was a magnificent performance of the Bruch Violin Concerto by Charlie Lovell-Jones (Sara's nephew) conducted by Simon (her brother and Charlie's father). Many thanks to everyone who took part & helped organise this concert especially the 54 professional musicians from the Concert Orchestra De Cymru and who donated their services,
Dorothy Adams Sing
David Owen, Musical Director
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your wonderful orchestra for last night's performance. I honestly think it was possibly the best line-up I have ever had the pleasure of conducting. The quality of your playing gave the choir such confidence and the friendliness of all the players made my job so much much easier.
South Wales Argus
November 2014
The consistent vocal quality and carefully calculated balance meant that at no point were they swamped by the excellent accompanying Concert Orchestra De Cymru.
There were also solo contributions from soprano soloist Stephanie Benavente that included a memorable Let the bright seraphim – one of Handel’s most popular arias with its brilliant trumpet obligato, superbly performed here.
Both halves had begun with instrumental contributions – a wonderfully fluent Arrival of the Queen of Sheba set the scene for the choral excellence to follow and the Music for the Royal Fireworks, written for a display in Green Park in 1749
Newport Philharmonic Choir October 2014
Guy Harbottle, Musical Director
Many thanks to Concert Orchestra De Cymru for their excellent playing in our opera concert last week. The standard of every section was very high indeed and the tone was excellent. Most striking was the orchestra's ability, on one short rehearsal, to interpret my conducting style and deliver a tight ensemble in some highly challenging music. As ever the players were thoroughly obliging and a great pleasure to work with.
Cwmbran Baroque Singers
Alan Moore, Conductor -
Great concert on Saturday. The Cherubini was superb a huge sound and well received by the audience who had never heard it before.
Coleg Gwent
Martin Hodson,
Just to say a huge thank you personally and on behalf of CGC for the excellent support given to the choir and soloists by the orchestra last night. It's always lovely to see you all again, the old faces and the new!
There were some outstanding individual playing as well don't you think? Those trombones were right on the ball, or rather, on the note!
It was great to sing to your accompaniment and I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the back row! Lots of exciting and at the same time, beautiful playing to inspire us.
30 January 2014
The Echo
Concert Orchestra De Cymru has performed in aid of Save the Children's Philippines Appeal. New Year in Vienna was a stunning evening of musical favourites presented by Concert Orchestra De Cymru and headed up by visiting conductor Emmanuel Siffert from Switzerland. The concert at St Teilo’s Church, Cathays last Sunday also featured solos and duets by husband and wife duo Eldrydd Cynan Jones (soprano) and Geraint Dodd (tenor).
Manager Rosie de Lloyd arranged and organised the concert. She said “I decided to support Save the Children as soon as I saw the emergency appeal on the news following the typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. “I was devastated and wanted to raise some money and awareness for Save the Children whose tremendous work makes such a positive and life changing difference”. She added, “It is heart breaking to think of children being parted from their parents. They are dependent on Save the Children who are supporting these families when they need it most.”
Martin Hodson,
Coleg Gwent Chorale
I just want to express on behalf of the Chorale our huge thanks for providing us with an excellent ensemble. I thought the orchestral sound was glorious... The audience reaction spoke much!
Apart from your playing, I must say it was good to chat briefly to many of you, and what lovely people you are, friends after all these years.