I love a story within a story. This school story has a lovely “full circle” to it.
A man who started as a pupil at Cwmbran’s Welsh primary school 44 years ago has helped the school’s current choir create a Christmas carol that’s been shortlisted for S4C’s annual Carol yr Ŵyl competition.
Wayne Beecham was a pupil from 1980 until 1987 at Uned Gymraeg Cwmbrȃn- the small Welsh unit inside the former English-language school known as the ‘Three Bears’ on Henllys Way- now Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrȃn.
He runs Cerdd Torfaen Music, an arts and music business that works with schools and young people, and is the musical director of both the Congress Youth Theatre and local choir Lleisiau Torfaen Voices.
The school’s deputy headteacher Catrin Passmore and year two teacher Elen Roberts worked with Wayne to create ‘Y Seren’ (The Star).
Last Monday, the school’s choir was filmed singing ‘Y Seren’ at the town’s Congress Theatre by S4C. I was invited along but won’t give any spoilers or share photos of the choir’s performance.
The end of this story has info on when you can watch the performance on TV.
Catrin wrote the lyrics, Wayne wrote the music, and Elen wrote the harmony.
Wayne said: “It’s been a team effort between the three of us. I wrote the music. It was easy to write as I had such beautiful lyrics to write to, which were amazing. It just rolled out of me. And then Elen took it and run with it and wrote the harmony.”
Elen said: “I just practiced with the children and wrote the harmony. The experience they’ve had today [being filmed for S4C] has been lovely to see and they’ve really enjoyed themselves. They must be exhausted. They’ve worked very hard.”
Catrin said: “It’s been a day of seeing how it’s filmed and how the production comes together. It’s been lovely. We did compete five years ago so we thought it’s time [to enter again]. And obviously, we’ve got Mr Beecham’s skills this year as well so he was like ‘right, let’s do it.’ And it’s nice to put Cwmbran on the map. That’s what we all want really and give experiences to the children.”
As I left the auditorium with the parents and relatives of the children I chatted to a woman on the stairs. Her name was Liz Beese and in a lovely twist she was Wayne’s teacher in year six.
She told me he was set for a life in theatre and music: “He was very talented at a very young age. In the infants’ school, we could tell he would go places. It’s a full circle. It’s wonderful. It’s so gratifying to see someone do so well and do so well with the children and they love it. They absolutely love it.”
Wayne said: “She was my year six teacher. Back then it wasn’t Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrȃn. It was Uned Gymraeg Cwmbrȃn which made it the Welsh unit so we shared the school with children who were receiving English language education.
“We were quite a small unit with about ten children in each class. Over the years Welsh education has grown in Cwmbran which is amazing for this area and then in 1991 we became a full school [the school now has 275 pupils).”
“I was given a lot of opportunities in this school, a lot of musical and theatrical opportunities which have really fed into my entire career. For me to be back in the school, it’s nice for me to be involved.”
Elen said: “As teachers that’s what you want to do, is give as many opportunities for children. They’ll remember this forever, won’t they?”
Wayne also mentioned Marian Evans who he said started the Welsh unit.
He said: “She’s recently turned 90. She was my inspiration to start piano lessons as she played for us in assembly every day. I visit her in her residential home in Cardiff and she always asks me to play the piano for her. She’s amazing.”
Carol yr Ŵyl is S4C’s annual Christmas carol competition for primary schools in Wales. This is the 26th year of the competition. The winning choir will be told before the end of term and the final programme featuring all ten schools will be shown on S4C on Friday 20 December at 8pm.