Aberfan: From Darkness to Light

Sixty years have elapsed since the Aberfan disaster, where on the morning of the 21 October 1966, following days of heavy rain, the colliery spoil tip on the mountainside above the village collapsed, sending a wave of coal waste and slurry down the hillside. The landslide engulfed homes and buried Pantglas Junior School, claiming the lives of 144 people, including 116 children. The scale of the loss has deeply affected the community for generations, and while no art form can lessen their grief, music has played an important role in remembrance and healing in the decades since.

In this programme, Roy Noble explores the creation of a newly commissioned requiem called 'Aberfan: From Darkness to Light'. A powerful composition crafted with the Aberfan community at its core. Composed by Paul Mealor, with lyrics by Graham Davies, the piece is woven from themes of grief, reflection, and compassion, honouring those we have lost while providing a collective gesture of hope and renewal.

The world premiere of 'Aberfan: From Darkness to Light' takes place on Saturday, 24 October, at Aberfan Community Centre, and again on Sunday, 25 October, during the sold-out 'Aberfan 60' concert at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff. Each performance brings together the voice of Mark Lewis Jones, Aberfan School Choirs, Ynysowen Male Voice Choir, and the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales.

In the lead-up to these concerts we hear directly from the composer Paul Mealor, librettist Grahame Davies, director of the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales Lisa Tregale, members of the Ynysowen Male Voice Choir, and we eavesdrop on choir rehersals happening at Ynysowen Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Rhyd y Grug.

Presented by Roy Noble.
Written and Produced by Stuart Russell.