Neil was born in Bristol and his family moved back to Wales when Neil was 7 years old, to Tregarth, to be near his father's new job at the BBC in Bangor.
Music has played an important part in Neil’s life from a very young age. He knew the songs from ‘Sound of Music’ and ‘West Side Story’ at the age of 3, and was often chosen to sing solos in school and in the Tabernacle chapel in Bethesda, where his grandmother played the organ. Neil had a boy soprano voice which was clear and high, or so he’s heard, but he finds this hard to believe “because it is more like a foghorn by now!”
Neil can remember the fun and excitement of singing in a choir, especially in the Christmas concerts at Ysgol Gynradd Bodfeurig, where the choir would blast out Christmas carols at the top of their voices. Later, in Dyffryn Ogwen School, he sang in boys' choirs and mixed choirs, competing in local and national eisteddfodau. His choir days are now numbered, but Neil has always regretted not having had the time to join a male voice choir (Côr Penrhyn, of course!)
"And out of the blue the opportunity came to take on the challenge of learning how to conduct the Dyffryn Ogwen Choir for Codi Canu!"
"It’s an honour and a privilege to have been given this once-in-a lifetime chance of learning and experiencing music in a totally different way to what I know, out of my comfort zone and in at the deep end! I can’t wait!"
© 2010 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales