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October 2009 - January 2010
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Join Us for WSCO's 2009 Gymanfa!
Mary Ellen Morgan
Sunday, October 18, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. is the date and time for this year's Gymanfa Ganu, at Central College Church, 975 Sunbury Road, Westerville.
Dr. Jack Lewis, a longtime WSCO member and Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association officer, was hit with some major surgery in August which made it impossible for him to conduct for us, as was scheduled. Jack is doing well after his surgery and has asked to be rescheduled as a conductor for our annual song fest, which will certainly happen. All of WSCO wishes him a speedy recovery, and we hope he can attend this year's Gymanfa.
Graciously stepping into the conducting void, Thomas Lloyd, an outstanding conductor, has consented to guide us through our hymns. A tip of the hat to Tom for not only leading our talent but for leading us through our favorites. Many of you will remember that Tom conducted for us in 2007.
Thomas Lloyd earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree at Otterbein College and master’s degrees in both Education and Music at Wright State University. He has been teaching in Ohio for 35 years and is currently Band Director at Columbus State Community College where he also teaches music history.
He has been the choir director at First Presbyterian Church in London, Ohio, since 1983. His choir frequently performs Welsh hymns and in 2004 he organized a Gymanfa Ganu to celebrate the church’s 175th anniversary. He directs the London Silver Cornet Band, a brass band which traces its roots to 1855.
As a tenor soloist he has performed opera, oratorio, and recitals of American music. This past August he presented a seminar on the life and music of African-American composer William Grant Still at the Lakeside, Ohio, Chautauqua.
Tom attended his first Gymanfa Ganu in 1960. His paternal great-grandparents were born in Wales and came to the United States in the late nineteenth century and settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Our special music will be presented by the London Presbyterian Men’s Ensemble, Thomas A. Lloyd, conductor. First Presbyterian Church of London, Ohio, founded in 1829, has a rich history of music making. The Men’s Ensemble began singing under Thomas Lloyd in 1983 and performs a wide variety of music ranging from spirituals to Welsh hymns and classic men’s choir literature. Several of the songs we will hear were arranged by John Lloyd, the director’s brother.
We are fortunate to have our favorite organist James Hildreth returning to make us sound even better. Jim received his Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, and a Master of Sacred Music in Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Since 1987, Jim has been Organist at the Broad Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Capital University in Columbus and teaches private piano and organ. Since 1988 he has been Organist for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and has performed numerous times with the Columbus Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra.
He has given solo organ recitals in various locales, including venues in Ohio, Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Illinois, St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City, Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Massachusetts, and for the 2003 National Convention of the Organ Historical Society in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. Jim performed at the Organ Hall in Dnepropetrovsk, the third largest city of Ukraine, in November 2004. He was the first American to perform there.
The accompanist for the ensemble will be James Predovich, a senior harp student at Ohio State University. He has performed throughout Central Ohio, most recently with the Cardinal Health Orchestra and for “Paws for a Cause”, a Great Dane rescue league fund raiser. James is a frequent guest artist at the First Presbyterian Church in London, Ohio. Since 2002 he has also been principal horn with the Columbus State Community College Concert Band and performs with the Columbus State Woodwind Ensemble.
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