A talented young musician has been inspired to write a new song by a love of chocolate and Welsh culture.<\/p>\n
Gethin Juckes-Hughes, 17, will be singing the song at a fund-raising event for the National Eisteddfod that’s coming to his hometown of Denbigh next year.<\/p>\n
The young guitarist will also be performing two songs from the hit film, Chocolat, which is being screened at Theatr Twm o’r Nant on Saturday, November 24.<\/p>\n
As a curtain raiser, there will be a children’s matinee in the afternoon when the 1971 film version of the Roald Dahl classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, will be shown.<\/p>\n
Willy Wonka himself is due to make an appearance at the afternoon show which starts at 2.30pm.<\/p>\n
He will be joined by fellow cast members from a production of the a musical being put on by the theatre school, Stagecoach Denbigh.<\/p>\n
They will be giving a sneak preview of a few numbers from the show ahead of their opening night at Theatr Elwy, in St Asaph, on December 1.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, a poetry and drawing competition is being organised for under 11s and under 16s to win tickets to the film matinee. Two tickets are up for grabs in both categories.<\/p>\n
The chocolate-themed extravaganza is being organised by a partnership of Denbigh Chocolate Shop, care organisation Pendine Park, public relations company Ceidiog Communication and Denbigh Film Club.<\/p>\n
The event is being “proudly supported” by the HSBC bank that has a branch near the Chocolate Shop on Vale Street as well as the Buckley-based printers, EWS.<\/p>\n
The organisers want to help the Denbigh and District National Eisteddfod Appeal Committee to raise \u00a370,000 for the cultural event which last came to the town in 2001.<\/p>\n
Gethin, a sixth former at Ysgol Glan Clwyd, in St Asaph, is studying for A levels in\u00a0 Music, Music Technology and Physics.<\/p>\n
He said: “I love chocolate and it\u2019s important to support the Eisteddfod which is one the highlights of Welsh life, especially because it’s coming to Denbigh next year.<\/p>\n
“I really like composing. A lot of what I come up with is heavy with a lot of blues but I can come up with songs which are a lot lighter.<\/p>\n
“As well as the song I’m writing for the fund-raising event, on the night I intend to play couple of\u00a0 songs from the film, Minor Swing and Caravan, which are in a gypsy jazz style.<\/p>\n
“The song I’m writing will be in the same style and I\u2019m also trying to get a traditional Welsh element into it. It should be interesting.”<\/p>\n
Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft, who lives in Denbigh, believes they’ve hit upon a winning combination.<\/p>\n
“Willy Wonka and Chocolat are both classic films in their own different ways so I am sure it’s going to be a real joy and hopefully we can raise a lot of money for the Eisteddfod in the process.”<\/p>\n
Mark Young, the chocolate-mad proprietor of Denbigh Chocolate Shop, can’t wait.<\/p>\n
He said: “We think it’s fantastic that the Eisteddfod is coming to Denbigh again – we have very fond memories of its last visit which is why we are so keen to contribute to its success next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of our staff are bilingual and I do think the bilingual element with the staff gives the shop another dimension.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just need to make sure now that we can showcase what a great area it is to work rest and play.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a sentiment echoed by Lil Jones, from Denbigh Film Club.<\/p>\n
She said: “Much of the fund-raising so far has been done by a relatively small core of people so we’re hoping to reach out to a whole new audience with the chocolate extravaganza.”<\/p>\n
Ceidiog Hughes, Managing Director of Ceidiog Communication, is a keen film fan and lover of chocolate.<\/p>\n
He added: “It’s a wonderful way to spend an evening while raising money for one our cultural institutions at the same time.”<\/p>\n