Mealor’s Aberfan requiem balances remembrance with hope for the valley
Paul Mealor’s new choral work, *Aberfan: From Darkness to Light*, was the centrepiece of a Cardiff concert marking 60 years since the Aberfan disaster. The review describes a moving performance that acknowledged the tragedy while reflecting the wishes of Aberfan residents to make hope, renewal and the life of the valley part of its story.
The 40-minute work sets words by Grahame Davies and was conducted by Timothy Redmond, with Mark Lewis Jones narrating. Children from two local junior schools joined the Ynysowen Male Voice Choir, the BBC National Chorus of Wales and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; their clear, bright singing brought particular emotional force. The disaster killed 116 children and 28 adults, and the piece also remembers rescuers’ bravery and those who might have prevented it.
In short
- Mealor’s requiem marks 60 years since the Aberfan disaster.
- Local children’s voices bring the work’s message of hope to life.
- The concert balances remembrance with reflection on renewal.
Explained simply
On 21 October 1966, a coal waste tip collapsed above the village of Aberfan in south Wales, sending a mass of slurry into Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes. The disaster killed 144 people, including 116 children. Rescuers and local residents worked to search for survivors.
The tragedy raised questions about the safety of coal waste tips and the responsibility of those who oversaw them. Aberfan is also a living community, and residents have sought to remember those who died while recognising the valley’s continuing life and hopes for the future.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Aberfan: From Darkness to Light review – Mealor’s requiem offers hope amid the tears”.