Dragons Come Home for Final Rehearsal
Newport Gwent Dragons choir – looking to defend their honour in the Millennium Stadium this weekend – will showcase their talents in front of a huge audience this Friday, as they perform the national anthem for the U20 Six Nations clash between Wales and France at Rodney Parade, kick-off 7.10pm.
Last year, the Dragons choir won the honour of singing the anthems before the Wales v England match in the 2007 Six Nations Championship with S4C’s Codi Canu series and, this weekend, they once again join singers from each of the Welsh regions before the crowds at the Millennium Stadium to sing for Wales.
The series judge, the renowned conductor, Owain Arwel Hughes will join Welsh Rugby Union Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, to choose one victorious choir to perform the anthems before the first whistle. He faces a tough decision again this year:
“The bar has been raised in terms of the quality of the competition during this second series,” he explains. “This year’s aim was to make the challenge bigger than ever, and the introduction of a fifth choir from North Wales was a great addition and has certainly added to the competition.
“I’m really looking forward to the day, especially as all the choirs are excited about singing in the stadium.
“I will make my final decision as to the winning choir on the day itself, judging all the choirs’ final performances and seeing how they cope with the pressure of singing in front of a huge crowd.”
Members of all five choirs, who have worked hard over the past six months to master musical classics from the rugby field, are also hoping to raise a song on the terraces at the Millennium Stadium.
Ronw Protheroe, Codi Canu Senior Producer, says, “There will be a total of four hundred choir members singing on the day, hoping to inspire thousands and thousands of supporters to join them in song to raise the team’s spirit and give them an extra boost in their battle against France. Let’s all sing for Wales!”
In the final of reality series Codi Canu, broadcast on S4C Sunday night, 16 March at 7.30pm, the Blues, Dragons, Ospreys, Scarlets and North Wales choirs will be seen performing a medley of rugby hymns and anthems, including Myfanwy and Bryn Myrddin, before Wales face France.
Also, on Saturday 15 March, all the excitement from the final match of the 2008 Six Nations Championship will be broadcast live on S4C in Y Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol. Gareth Roberts will be at the helm with expert commentary and analysis from the presentation team, which includes Huw Llewelyn Davies, Gwyn Jones, Sarra Elgan, Brynmor Williams, Derwyn Jones and Gareth Edwards.
Y Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol: Wales v France
Saturday, 15 March, 4.05pm, S4C
A BBC Cymru production for S4C
Codi Canu,
Sunday, 16 March, 7.30pm, S4C
