Bryn Terfel and Rebecca Evans - five facts

17 December 2014

On Saturday, December 27th, international opera stars Bryn Terfel and Rebecca Evans will sing the Welsh National Anthem at this year’s Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse.

Performing at the biggest race meeting of the year in Wales, in front of an expected 10,000 attendance, the immensely patriotic duo will make their racing debut at 2:30pm.

Ahead of their performance, we’ve researched Five Bryn and Rebecca facts from football teams to their significant Welsh contribution:

1. Both Bryn and Rebecca attended the same cookery course at the renowned cookery school of Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons - one of them is still a good cook!

2. Both Bryn and Rebecca attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London; and each worked evenings and weekends to help pay for their course fees. Following advice from Bryn, Rebecca left her career as a qualified theatre nurse and won a scholarship onto the course. Previously, she had enjoyed singing in her free time as a soloist with various choirs.

3. Bryn and Rebecca made their American opera debuts in Santa Fe, New Mexico in different years but with the same opera production - Marriage of Figaro. They have since been back to America many times.

4. Both are avid football supporters - one for Manchester United and the other for Liverpool!

5. Both international opera stars are Grammy Award winners. Bryn and Rebecca were also honoured with appointment to the members of the Gorsedd of Bards by the Eisteddfod. Created in 1792, as a celebration of Welsh heritage, Gorsedd inductees are considered to have contributed significantly to Welsh culture.

Two charities chosen by Bryn and Rebecca, the Welsh Air Ambulance and Ty Hapus, will benefit from various fund raising activities on the race day.

The Welsh Air Ambulance operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year covering the 8000 square miles of Welsh towns, cities and countryside. Ty Hapus, based in Barry, offers day time support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Chepstow’s Executive Director Phil Bell said: “It’s all system go for the Coral Welsh Grand National and we are honoured that Bryn and Rebecca will perform the national anthem. The race itself is shaping up into a highly competitive contest and is sure to provide Wales with another historic moment.”