Opera great Sir Bryn Terfel teamed up with the famous Fisherman’s Friends singers to transport the Pavilion audience on a roistering musical voyage last night (Sunday).
The towering Welsh bass-baritone was making a long-awaited return to Llangollen International Eisteddfod, where he has performed so memorably on a number of previous occasions, to present Bryn Terfel: Sea Songs, a salty ocean-going selection of songs from his album of that name packed with the kind of lilting shanties that defined the era when mighty sailing ships plied the world’s oceans a century or two ago.
Cornwall’s own Fisherman’s Friends had signed on to sail with him and added to the brine-filled atmosphere with the kind of haunting numbers which made them first recording stars and then the subject of two hit movies.
The seven-strong outfit embarked with a programme which included the breezy likes of Nelson’s Blood, Deep Blue Swell, Cornwall My Home, God Moves on the Water and the rousing South Australia.
Just before it was Bryn’s turn to take the helm he crept up on the evening’s presenter Siân Thomas to encourage the audience to join him in singing Happy Birthday to her.
That done, his opening number just had to be the timeless Drunken Sailor which he followed with haunting Shetland-lyriced aire the Unst Boat Song and the flippant Fflat Huw Puw from his Welsh homeland.
Joining him for the intricate Breton shanty Me zo Ganet was rising Welsh singer Eve Goodman whose voice perfectly spliced with that of her famous countryman.
She dueted again with the vocal powerhouse on Ar Lan y Mor and he continued alone with the lovely Welsh piece Deryn y Bwn.
Fisherman’s Friends came back aboard the good ship Bryn for a couple more roistering pieces – Sloop John B and Bold Riley – which brought a hurricane of sound to the stage.
Before he sailed away into the night we just had to have a reprise of Drunken Sailor before he finished up with the roistering Whiskey Johnny and he obliged.
All this made for an extremely enjoyable trip on the ocean waves which came as the perfect finale to a week-long extravaganza of outstanding Pavilion concerts.
