Daughter of man ‘lucky to be alive' performs in opera to mark anniversary of Gresford disaster
ITV Wales' Joanne Gallacher reports live from St Asaph.
A pensioner whose father narrowly missed being caught up in the Gresford colliery disaster is to sing in a new opera commemorating the 90th anniversary of the tragedy.
Ivor Owen Bellis had injured his hand while down the pit the night before an explosion and fire killed 266 men and boys in of one of Britain’s worst coal mining disasters, on September 22, 1934.
When the small cut turned into a large and painful blister, the 18-year-old's mother refused to let him go to work after seeing his hand.
Now, 90 years later, his daughter, Gillian Davies was determined to be part of the new community opera, 'Gresford – Up From Underground.'
She says she might never have been born had it not been for that “strange twist of fate”.
The 70-year-old will be a member of the New Voices choir that will be performing the opera with the NEW Sinfonia orchestra at Remembering Gresford, a series of events in Wrexham to mark the milestone anniversary of the disaster.
“If it wasn’t for my grandmother insisting he stay at home, dad might have been among those killed," Gillian said.
“His mother woke him up in the morning to give him the dreadful news after she heard it on the radio. So many of his lifelong friends and workmates were killed, it’s impossible to imagine how devastated he felt.
“Our father often told us the story of the disaster as my sister Lynne and I grew up. He told us he was the luckiest man to be alive.”
Gillian, a keen amateur soprano who belongs to four choirs, felt compelled to join the NEW Voices choir which includes 120 singers from across North Wales.
Some rehearsal sessions have taken place at All Saints Church in Gresford, where a memorial is situated in St Catherine’s Chapel. It includes a mural painted in 1994 by artist Denise Bates, a book of remembrance detailing the names of all those who died, and a miner’s lantern.
Gillian said: “I love singing and I have joined in previous NEW Voices concerts but when I heard about the subject of this latest work I knew I had to be a part of it.
“The story of the disaster has played such a major part in mine and my sister’s life that I signed up immediately. After all if it had not been for that miracle of fate our father might have been among the tragic victims and neither of us would be here today.
“Jon and Rob are such wonderful musicians and have done a brilliant job making sure this performance will reflect the true spirit of the Gresford community, and all the surrounding towns and villages which had their hearts ripped open by this disaster."
Wrexham brothers Jonathan and Robert Guy, the founders of the New Sinfonia orchestra, have worked with the Wrexham Miners’ Project to organise the local commemorations, with support from the Arts Council of Wales.
Jonathan has written the music for the opera while Robert will conduct the orchestra. Poet Grahame Davies, who hails from Coedpoeth, has written the words.
The commemorations culminate with three performances of the new opera. The first of them will be at St Giles Church in Wrexham will be for schools only, on the afternoon of Friday, 20 September.
On 21 and 22 September there are evening performances at St Giles’ Church at 8pm.
Robert and Jon’s grandfather, Jack Monslow, was a fitter at the Llay Main and Bersham collieries.
Jon said: “We have grown up hearing stories about the pits all our lives, so many of us have family members who were miners or worked for mining companies. It is part of our heritage.”
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