A pensioner whose dad cheated death in the Gresford colliery disaster says it’s “absolutely wonderful” the story is being taken to a wider audience.
Gillian Davies, 72, who hails from Wrexham and now lives in Llandudno, is taking part in a new production of an emotionally powerful opera commemorating the tragedy that’s set to tour former mining communities across Wales.
Gresford – Up From Underground tells the story of how 266 men and boys were killed when a massive underground explosion and fire ripped through the pit on September 22, 1934.
The audience was moved to tears when the opera was premiered at the North Wales International Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral to mark the 90th anniversary of the tragedy.
Last year it was shortlisted for a prestigious Ivor Novello Award and now performances will take place in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham, Blackwood in Gwent, Ystradgynlais and Caernarfon.
The opera will be performed by NEW Sinfonia orchestra, along with six professional singers and a cast of emerging professional singers.
Members of the NEW Voices chorus, including Gillian, will take part in the Rhos and Caernarfon performances.
Gillian’s father Ivor Owen Bellis had injured his hand the night before the mining tragedy.
His mother had refused to let the 18-year-old go to work on the fateful shift because of the hand injury.
According to Gillian, the tour would allow more people to learn about the tragedy, helping to ensure the disaster would not be forgotten.
She said: “I’m very excited to take part in the tour because I am a Wrexham girl, born and bred.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful that we can go round Wales with the tour to actually remember what happened, because it’s over 90 years since the disaster.
“I couldn’t wait to sing it at the very beginning when we went to St Asaph Cathedral, I have always been singing since I can remember.
“I remember quite a lot of people were crying on the night we performed the opera at St Asaph Cathedral, you could see their hankies coming out, because something like that is a big thing for a community.”
Gillian said the disaster had a deep impact on hundreds of families.
She said: “The miners never had much money and those lads took their wage packets and put them in their pockets and went down there.
“They never came back and the families never got paid for the shift that they did, and I think that was dreadful.
“My father was living in Coedpoeth at the time and used to travel by a bus to Gresford.
“His best friend would be on the same bus every shift they went on, and he lost his best friend in the disaster – it was so sad.”
The project is being masterminded by Wrexham brothers Jonathan and Robert Guy, the founders of NEW Sinfonia orchestra.
The music for the opera has been written by musician and composer Jonathan and the orchestra will be conducted by Robert, while the words are by poet Grahame Davies, who hails from Coedpoeth.
The production is directed by Ruth Evans who said: “This is very much a story about Gresford but it is a universal story about adversity in mining communities where there was oppression with people being taken for granted.
“Connecting around Wales at those venues is about us bringing this story to other mining communities because the themes run through all of them.
“The text and the music that Jon and Grahame created is beautiful and I brought it to life through the dramatic movement and the ideas for the costume.
“All of the colour schemes for the costumes start all grey, and as we go through the opera, more of that bright, vibrant Wrexham red starts to get introduced into the visual of the piece, embodying the resurgence of Wrexham.
“It demonstrates the resurgence of a community that has been absolutely decimated by grief.”
Conductor Robert Guy said it was important that communities throughout Wales were able to learn the story of the tragedy.
He said: “Jon and I are Wrexham lads and you grow up hearing about the disaster and the injustice that it has had and that many felt in the area.
“People can be forgotten sometimes and it’s really important to keep the memory of the miners alive.”
Composer Jonathan Guy added: “I feel very proud that we are doing the tour, but also a strong sense of responsibility because we’ve got to do a good job of it because there’s a lot of people that this means so much to.
“There are a lot of people who are very emotionally connected to the story for obvious reasons such as living relatives of the miners – we want to do it justice.”
The 2024 premiere was made possible thanks to backing from the arts loving care organisation, Pendine Park via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which supports arts and community activities.
The project holds special significance for Pendine who once cared for Albert Rowlands, the last survivor of the disaster, before his death in 2020 at the age of 100.
Pendine founder Mario Kreft MBE said: “Events like the Gresford mining disaster should never be forgotten.
“They shape our history so it’s important communities near and far are aware of what happened and the devastating impact.”
The Rhosllannerchrugog performances will take place at The Stiwt on Saturday, February 21, at 7.30pm and on Sunday, February 22, at 4pm.
The Blackwood performance will take place at Blackwood Miners’ Institute at 7.30pm on Thursday, February 26.
The opera will be performed at Galeri Caernarfon on Friday, February 27, at 7.30pm.
The opera will take to the stage at The Welfare, Ystradgynlais, at 7.30pm on Friday, March 6.
