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Neville John - Welsh Musician

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    • Tragic Overture, Aberfan
    • The Triumph of Aberfan
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Aberfan

Neville John was a violin teacher in the Merthyr Tydfil area and had three pupils, Lynn Harding, Necia James and Victoria Symonds, in Pantglas Junior School at the time of the Aberfan Disaster. Shortly before 9.15am on October 21st 1966 the colliery spoil tip high above the village collapsed, engulfing the school and killing 144 people, 116 of them children with those three pupils among the dead. ‘The tragedy affected me deeply’, he said, ‘and I felt compelled to write a piece of music in memory of the disaster’.

His first piece, Tragic Overture Aberfan was completed in 1969, but soon afterwards the director of education, John Beale, asked him to compose a second, The Triumph of Aberfan, celebrating the courage of the people, their rehabilitation and their eventual triumph in the fight for better safety measures.

This video documentary was made by Chris Beynon for Swansea Bay TV. It tells the story of the Aberfan disaster through the eyes of Neville John and Jeff Edwards MBE, who was the last child saved from Pantglas primary school on that day.

To view full screen, first click on the Facebook icon at the bottom left corner, then when viewing in Facebook click the double-headed arrow to enlarge, and once again to go to full screen.

Aberfan Triumph and Tragedy

If you missed our Aberfan – Triumph and Tragedy documentary that aired tonight you can watch it below. The documentary features Neville John a peripatetic music teacher who taught at Pantglas primary school in Aberfan where 3 of his pupils lost their lives. He was compelled by the events of 21st of October 1966 to write to pieces of music called the Tragedy of Aberfan and the Triumph of Aberfan. Also featured is Jeff Edwards MBE who was the last child saved from Pantglas primary school on that day. He also recounts the events of that day and how the disaster changed his life.

Posted by That's TV South Wales on Friday, 21 October 2016

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