October 22, 2025 - 270 views
An opera marking the 90th anniversary of Gresford Colliery disaster has been shortlisted for one of the most prestigious prizes in British music – an Ivor Novello award.
The moving one-act work, Gresford – Up from Underground, tells the story of the 1934 mining tragedy that claimed 266 lives and left an indelible mark on the Wrexham community.
Created by Wrexham-born composer, Jonathan Guy, and Grahame Davies, a librettist raised in nearby Coedpoeth, the pair say they are thrilled after learning their opera has been recognised among the best compositions in the UK.
Jon, who wrote the score, and Grahame, who penned the words, said they both had “shivers down their spines” when they heard they had made the final shortlist for the 2025 Ivors Classical Awards – the Oscars of the composing world.
The world premiere of the opera took place last year at the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph, thanks to backing from the arts loving care organisation, Pendine Park via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which supports arts and community activities.
The project held special significance for Pendine who once cared for Albert Rowlands, the last survivor of the disaster, before his death in 2020 at the age of 100.
Pendine founder Mario Kreft MBE said he was “absolutely delighted” to see the opera receive national recognition, calling it a “powerful reminder of sacrifice and community spirit”.
He said: “This isn’t just an opera – it’s part of our shared history. It ensures that what happened at Gresford and the families who suffered, will never be forgotten.
“To see it reach the Ivors shortlist is truly remarkable and richly deserved and a fitting tribute to all those affected by the tragedy, including our very own Albert Rowlands, who was an extraordinary man.”
Gresford – Up from Underground was co-commissioned by the North Wales International Music Festival and North Wales’s flagship orchestra, NEW Sinfonia, which Jon founded along with his acclaimed conductor brother Robert Guy.
Both organisations agreed on the need to mark the 90th anniversary of the tragedy via a major new work paying tribute to the families whose lives were devastated.
More than 500 men were working underground when an explosion ripped through the pit in the early hours of the morning on September 22, 1934.
The number of workers on site was much larger than usual as many had doubled their shifts so they could watch a Wrexham football match later that day.
Only six of the colliers from the affected part of the mine climbed out through the choking smoke and dust, away from the raging underground fires that consumed their workmates.
Albert Rowlands was a 15 year old lamp boy at the colliery at the time and his father, John, was among those who perished on that terrible day.
Following the premiere, there have been a number of other performances of the opera, including a Welsh language version at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham this year.
According to Jon Guy, making the awards shortlist in the category for Best Community and Participation Composition was one of the proudest moments of his life.
He said: “Even though the pits have now closed, the memories live on. They have been passed down through the generations and the community bonds formed in those mining villages and towns remain strong today.
“We felt it important to honour them and to do justice to their story through the opera.
“It is one of the most poignant and also personal pieces I have written but at the same time it is very much community orientated. We were re-telling a story which belonged as much to our fathers, uncles, mothers, grandparents – to all our ancestors – as to ourselves and it was critical for us to get that right.
“Now to find ourselves on the shortlist for such a prestigious award is an affirmation that we achieved what we wanted but it is also extremely humbling.
“It’s recognition for the entire community which must also share in the credit as so many of them have contributed to the success of this project.”
He added: and his “I cannot express our gratitude enough to Mario and his wife, Gill, along with all our other sponsors over the years for helping make projects like this happen.
“Even from our early beginnings when we first launched NEW Sinfonia orchestra Mario and Gill have been right behind us, showing a real faith in our ability to achieve the goals we set out for ourselves. They have been an amazing inspiration to us personally as well as offering valuable financial support.”
Grahame added: “The support of the funders and sponsors has been absolutely crucial. A performance as ambitious as this simply would not be possible without them and we’re immensely grateful to them for their generosity.”
“One of the most moving things about this whole project has been seeing how much it means to people locally. At all the performances there has been a very warm reception, with many in tears, saying how important it is that this story is told.
“Both my grandfathers worked in the coal industry in Wrexham area, and my great grandfather was a miners’ leader in North East Wales at the time of the disaster.
“But it’s striking how little people know about it, even in Wales. When you consider that it happened only 90 years ago in one of Wales’s biggest towns it’s surprising how few people know about it.
“I can imagine that the attention of the judges would have been caught by the fact that this is in many ways an untold story and that it clearly means an immense amount to the community.
“Since the opera was performed there’s already been a lot more recognition of this hugely important part of our history. I now hope very much that this opera will help secure this historic tragedy in our collective memory.”
Royal composer Paul Mealor, the Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival, said:“It is wonderful to see this outstanding work receive national recognition. Jonathan’s music and Grahame’s libretto are of the highest artistic standard.
“Gresford – Up From Underground is not only a masterful work of contemporary opera but also an enduring act of remembrance. It gives voice to those who perished and comfort to the families and the community who have carried that loss for 90 years.
“At the North Wales International Music Festival, we felt it was important to commission an opera that would both commemorate and educate – and this nomination is a fitting tribute to everyone involved.”
The winners of the Ivor Novello Classical Awards will be announced at a presentation night to be held at BFI Southbank, London, on November 11. Hosted by Tom McKinney and Kate Molleson, the ceremony will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
