THE latest community news from Aberystwyth

Rotary Club

ELIN Wallace addressed the club about her visit to Peru in April and May this year, for which she had received support from the Lionel White Scholarship fund.

Elin, a former Ysgol Penweddig student, was currently working in the university’s conference office after graduating in French and Spanish at Bangor. Her visit to Peru with her friend Hanna had been organised by Globalteer, a charity involved in volunteer placements abroad.

She was based in the small town of Oropesa, around 15 miles from Cusco, working in a local school which was entirely dependent on private foundations, without state funding. Her day-to-day programme involved holding classes and bonding with the children, taking advantage of her fluency in Spanish, which was the second language of most of the local population alongside the indigenous Quechua.

Hygiene and personal welfare were emphasised at the school; children were given a free lunch and a piece of fruit to take home.

The work also involved helping with the upkeep of the garden, which Elin admitted was difficult in the Peruvian heat.

During her spare time, she had an opportunity to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, and had experienced an overnight stay on an island in Lake Titikaka.

St David’s Church

ON Sunday, 6 October is Morning Service at 10.30am with Harvest Thanksgiving Service with Rev Adrian Williams. The Evening Service is at 6pm with Dr Rhydian Griffiths.

Choral society

TUESDAY evening rehearsals for the society’s forthcoming Christmas concert got underway on Tuesday, 24 September, to a very promising start with seven new choristers joining the ranks; one soprano, four altos, one tenor, and one bass; the latter being an experienced chorister who has recently moved into the area from Gloucester where he was a member of the City of Gloucester Choral Society. All received a very warm welcome.

Conductor David Russell Hulme concentrated on two movements of Faure’s sublime and unforgettable Requiem for the first rehearsal, and everyone present left the rehearsal looking forward to a very successful Christmas concert.

More new choristers in all voices will still be most welcome to join the choir and anyone interested should come to the Tuesday evening practices, where they can be assured of a warm welcome.

The choir has a no auditions policy.

Further information on the society and the forthcoming concert is available from the chairman, June Wilson on 07852 188184.

Aberystwyth and District Floral Society

THE meeting on 17 September was with Jane Pugh demonstrating on ‘Chocolate Fantasy’ theme.

Chairperson Glenys welcomed everyone to the meeting, including several new members. She gave a summary of the AGM that was held the previous week.

Jane’s first design was ‘Cadbury’s Milk Tray’ which began with two twisted wire mechanics in purple and cerise colour flowing up and around at two different heights, with twisted lights on the highest and a bowl of oasis at the base. She began by placing large Fatsia Japonica leaves and folded Aspidistra leaves to cover the oasis. She added purple Lisianthus at various heights to create a triangular shape. She used Viburnum Tinus to fill in the base and as contrast she added five cool water purple/ lilac vintage looking roses and five lilac Moon Aqua Carnations. She placed a stem of Twisted Bamboo at the centre and used twisted lilac midelino sticks to add rhythm to the arrangement. The display was placed on a velvet purple cloth with a bar of Dairy Milk.

Jane’s second arrangement was ‘Chocolate Orange’.

She had a natural coloured round narrow depth container with a rectangular tray of oasis fixed to the top. She began by placing Lobelia leaves out to each side, adding Bergenia and Crososcima leaves out to the sides and across the top. To this she added some trimmed Fatsia leaves and Sedum for different texture with a little Laurel at the front. She placed seven scented orange Columbian Roses and little orange Carnations with Viburnum Tinus to fill in. To finish the design she added narrow wooden bands to add interest and complement the colour of the pot. It was displayed on a black cloth with a Chocolate Orange bar.

Her third design was ‘Mint Aero’.

She began with a very tall cocktail glass filled with oasis. To this she added a green and cream variety of conifer to fill the centre and sides. She placed a couple of pieces if Trailing Ivy, Clematis and Labernum Tidus to cascade down one side. She used a variety of seeded and large lime green Ivy leaves to fill in. She placed five Anastasia Chrysanthemum Blooms and added bunches of pale green Prado Carnations to convey the mint green colour of Aero. To complete the design, a large Oriental Lilly was placed in the arrangement and the whole arrangement was placed on a green cloth with a bag of Mint Aero Balls.

Her fourth arrangement was ‘Bounty’.

She wanted to create a floaty, tropical design to convey a taste of paradise. It began with a large ship shaped, oval twig basket with oasis. She used tall Eucalyptus foliage, Robeline Palm leaves and Barbulus Senecio Greyi to create floaty effect. To convey the blue and light grey of the wrapper she added Blue Delphinium, added White Lisianthus to portray the coconut filling and white Gerberas to the front area to convey an exotic feel. She placed Cymbidium Orchids to portray sails and completed the design with Sea Holly. This was placed on a blue cloth with a Bounty.

Jane’s fifth and final design was ‘Flake’.

This design began with a piece of wooden log with oasis at the centre. She filled the centre with a variety of Pittosporum foliage to build up and create shape adding Conifer, Viburnum and Cordyline. She added Purple Lisianthus and purple Mickle Miss Daisy for height. She placed three large Sun Flowers, several bright yellow single Carnations and tiny yellow Santini Chrysanthemums to fill in. The arrangement portrayed the colouring of the flake wrapper and added a Flake to complete the design. Another similar design was produced for presentation.

It was a very enjoyable evening with excellent arrangements. We had extra entertainment with Jane singing a few songs as she did the arrangements.

The next meeting will be on 15 October, a demonstration by Adrian Cooke, ‘Shades of Autumn’.

For further information contact Donald Morgan at blodaurbedol@ aol.com or 01974 202233.

Aber Opera

ABER Opera’s concerts are always a delight and are now a well-established part of the Aberystwyth music scene, attracting a very good regular following of opera lovers who enjoy splendid renderings of a wide range of operatic choruses and solos.

Their next concert after the summer break is on Friday, 4 October, at 7pm, in Llanbadarn Fawr Church.

However, many Aber Opera singers are also active in other local choirs and three Aber Opera Singers sing with the small church choir at Holy Trinity Church.

Until the end of July, Holy Trinity had a very active children’s choir led by Aber Opera Tenor David Cooper.

The choir had some very talented young musicians in it and three of the youngsters qualified for the Blue Ribbon Award of Royal School of Church Music. Efa Humphreys, Winnie and Jenny Choi, received their awards at the 11am morning service last Sunday, 29 September.

This was the Harvest Festival and the first Sunday with services led by Holy Trinity’s new Vicar, the Rev Cei Rees.

After receiving their awards the youngsters were joined by Aber Opera singers Gillian Olewicz, Catherine Brown and Anna Lisa Biagini, to sing Mendelssohn’s twopart anthem I waited for the Lord.

They were conducted by David Cooper and the organist was second-year Aberystwyth University student, James Sale.

Wildlife Trust

A GOOD number of members of the north Ceredigion section of the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales have been taking advantage of opportunities to get out and enjoy the natural world over the course of the summer, in particular attending activities organised by the Penparcau ‘Nature in our Village’ Project.

A very full and interesting autumn newsletter giving full details of what has been going on, has recently been sent out to members via email. It can also be accessed on the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales website.

The section’s meetings recommence on Monday, 7 October at 7pm in Lecture Theatre C22, in the Hugh Owen Building, on the Penglais Campus when Barbara Brown, the Welsh officer of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, will be talking about ‘Plants and Citizen Science’.

A very warm welcome is extended to all to this first indoor meeting of the autumn.

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