| Biography | Phillip Watkins was a farmer's son who lived at Trecastell, Breconshire. Yet this lovely voice has travelled far afield from this beautiful corner of Wales. When a listener from Washington D.C. to an overseas programme from the BBC Cardiff heard his rendering of 'Oh for the wings of a Dove' (Mendelssohn) he hastened to write'In all my life I have never heard a finer voiceit has moved me more than I can tell in words'.
Phillip started his career at the age of three, when he sang at the local Independent Chapel, Saron, where his mother was the organist. He and his elder brother Elved won many prizes in local Eisteddfodau as duettists. Eventually Phillip emerged as a boy treble, and began his serious competitive career at the age of eight. Today one can count a hundred and twenty eight cups glittering in the glass cupboard at Castell Du Farm, his home, not to mention his medals and shields. He won twice at the Urdd Eisteddfod, but perhaps his most prized possession is the trophy which he won at the Royal National Eisteddfod, Flint, in 1969, when he sang Benjamin Britten's The Plough Boy'. When one adds all this to his concert work, his recordings and his Radio and T.V. performances one cannot but marvel at this achievement from a boy of fifteen.
His first major concert was at Tabernacle, Morriston, in the company of operatic stars John Lawrenson, Victoria Elliot and the Morriston Tabernacle Choir conducted by Alun John. This was quickly followed by his appearance as a soloist, with combined choirs of 500 voices, at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. Subsequently, he enthralled 7,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall in a St. David's Day concert staged by the London Welsh Association. The Royal Opera House, Covcnt Garden, invited Phillip to sing seven performances as the shepherd boy in the opera Tosca'. Unfortunately, Phillip had to decline this invitation due to school examinations.
He has appeared on Yorkshire T.V. with Harry Secombe in 'Stars on Sunday' and has featured in numerous BBC Wales programmes such as 'Telewele', Disc a Dawn, New o'r Ncwvdd, and Wales Today for World Service Radio.
Phillip's first long playing disc was made at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1969, with the Royal Choral Society in a selection of Christmas Carols and conducted by Wyn Morris.
The mature quality of his voice and his 'extreme professionalism', to quote one noble critic, united to make him one of the greatest boy soloists. |