A PIANIST who’s accompanied stars like Sir Bryn Terfel and Aled Jones led care home residents in a rousing sing song.
For more than an hour the music room at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd in Caernarfon, rang out to the sounds of popular songs from yesteryear, bringing smiles to the faces of the residents as well as a few tears.
It was the first time Annette Bryn Parri, from Deiniolen near Caernarfon, had visited Bryn Seiont Newydd although she has been to other Pendine Park care homes in the past.
She said: “I was really looking forward to visiting having heard so much about Bryn Seiont Newydd and it was wonderful.
“I was very happy to see the people in the room leaving with smiles on their faces having enjoyed the session. Seeing that is important to me and it was a pleasure to see.”
Music has been a key feature of life for residents at Bryn Seiont Newydd since the award-winning care home, which specialises in dementia care, opened in 2015.
Thanking Annette for bringing the smiles to residents faces musician-in-residence Nia Davies Williams added: “Experts have long been aware of the value of music for people living with dementia.
“Music undoubtedly finds that missing person – that character that has now disappeared. It relieves irritability and fatigue and calms angry feelings.
“For those who live with the condition, music brings the occasional tear as they remember loved ones who are no longer with us, but it also brings back the good days of the past.
“But what is amazing is to find that people can learn new things also with the help of music – all is not lost.
“Indeed the power of music surprises me every day as the people who live here in the home respond to it”
Annette asked the residents for their requests and these included songs by Elvis Presley, Doris Day and Hogia’r Wyddfa from Llanberis, for whom she has been the accompanist for for many years.
One of the most poignant moments came when David Edwards, originally from Dolwyddelen near Betws y Coed, asked Annette to play Myfanwy, the well-known song composed by Joseph Parry 150 years ago and which is possibly one of the greatest love songs ever written.
David, who sang with leading male voice choir Y Brythoniaid from Blaenau Ffestiniog, joined Annette at the piano to sing the song himself.
In a strong tenor voice he sang the song and by the end had tears streaming down his face.
Afterwards David said he really enjoyed singing.
He said: “I really like to sing Myfanwy but haven’t done so for some time but it was wonderful to sing it with Annette.”
David’s performance was praised by other residents.
Eluned Jones, from Llanfaes near Beaumaris said: “I love singing and have known Annette Bryn Parri for many years, she is so talented and it was lovely to hear her play the piano and hear everyone singing and especially David singing Myfanwy.”
Bob Parry, who worked at the Anglesey Aluminium plant at Holyhead for over 30 years, said singing brought back memories of singing with Côr Bara Brith. He also sang at the piano with Annette.
“I couldn’t do it all on my own, I needed a bit of help from Emyr (Gibson, Bryn Seiont Newydd’s creative practitioner) but I love singing, always have,” the 71-year-old said.
Annette learned to play the piano at an early age and became an official accompanist aged just 15 and made her first appearance at the 1983 National Eisteddfod in Llangefni. She won the Grace Williams Medal for composition at the Urdd Gobaith Cymru Eisteddfod at Pwllheli in 1982 and the Blue Riband for instrumentalists at the 1985 National Eisteddfod at Rhyl.
After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester she joined the staff of the Music Department of Bangor University as a piano tutor.
For more than 30 years Annette Bryn Parri has accompanied the choirs of Ysgol Glanaethwy performing arts school in Bangor. She was Musical Director of the Anglesey-based Côr y Traeth for nearly a decade and established Trio, a male vocal trio. Last year she took on the role of Musical director of the newly formed North Wales Police Choir.
