Enough really is enough. Indian footballers have finally reached their breaking point — and their message is damning. With the AIFF paralysed by incompetence and inertia, the players have taken the extraordinary step of appealing directly to FIFA to rescue a sport that has been left
India's IT Ministry issued a 72-hour ultimatum to X. Platform must remove Grok AI-generated "obscene" content or lose safe harbour protection under Section 79. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a warning to the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly
Abhishek Banerjee, who launched the party's outreach campaign, 'Abaar Jitbe Bangla', in South 24 Parganas district's Baruipur, said Trinamool's vote share and seats will increase this time. KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday alleged that many voters
The Premier League kicked off the New Year with an unexpected twist, featuring three matches that ended without a goal. In a frustrating outing, Manchester City drew with Sunderland, further distancing themselves from Arsenal's lead. Liverpool and Tottenham also struggled to find the back of the
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra's son, Raihan Vadra, has got engaged to his long-time girlfriend Aviva Baig. The engagement took place on Monday and was made public through a social media post by Raihan. (Also read: Priyanka Gandhi's son Raihan Vadra gets engaged to
Pavarotti given new voice in release of 1995 concert
Pavarotti given new voice in release of 1995 concert
In 1955, a 19-year-old trainee teacher from Italy arrived in Wales with his dad and a small choir to compete in the annual Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod.
The choir consists of amateurs and has little expectation of success but the group from Modena take first place and change the course of singing history.
For that 19-year-old was Luciano Pavarotti, who would go on to become the most famous tenor in the world and, arguably, of all time.
For him, that win against the odds showed him that a future in singing might just be possible.
Fast forward 40 years and the world-renowned Pavarotti returned to the Denbighshire town where it all began for him, hosting a concert to commemorate that momentous festival.
Now, recordings of the 1995 concert have been released by the Decca record label to mark what would have been Pavarotti's 90th year and the 70th anniversary of the original event.
The trip to the eisteddfod saw Pavarotti travel with his father Fernando, also a tenor, whose love of music and opera meant the young Luciano was bathed in music from birth.
He was inspired to join Fernando in the Corale Rossini, the choir made up of amateurs in his home town of Modena.
Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti's widow, said the close relationship between the two Pavarottis was an additional reason for Llangollen's importance to him.
"Since he was a kid he was singing La Donna e Mobile [from Verdi's opera Rigoletto] because he said 'my father is a tenor and I am a little tenor'.
It was in his mind this love for opera. Opera was always played at home and even in the street, so like our pop music now in a way.
The "famous win" from 1955 stayed with Pavarotti and after he met Nicoletta - his second wife - Llangollen was a name she would come to know well.
"He was speaking about it a lot because for him it was really meaningful," she said.
"He was a very young boy, he was turning 20. It was his first trip abroad, so something very exciting.
He received such a welcome because they were hosted by local families with the flavour of family, not just professional. It was really a great experience from a human point of view.
Pavarotti really enjoyed getting to know another culture through the visit, but the highlight was, naturally, his first triumph in singing.
"The win – he always described to me that moment I think 1,000 times because he said 'we were there waiting and they didn't call us as fifth, and then not as fourth, and then not as third. Then we start to say, impossible, impossible'. And then they won," Nicoletta said.
"So for him that win stays in his heart for a long time because he was not in his career at that time so everything lasted longer.
But more than everything he thought if we were able to win as a small choir from a small town in Italy, maybe I can have a chance to have my own career. So that was really a turning point for him.
And so it was to prove.
After Llangollen, Pavarotti focused on his musical training with a new belief.
He made his professional debut in 1961 at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia near Modena and within a few years had appeared at Glyndebourne and Covent Garden opera houses.
By 1968, he had performed in New York's Metropolitan Opera House and went on to establish himself as one of the giants of the operatic world.
For non-aficionados it was his rousing performance of Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot, alongside fellow tenors Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras at the Italia '90 football World Cup, that cemented him in popular culture.
The BBC used a recording of him singing the aria for their coverage of the tournament, making the song and his voice forever associated with the sport.
The return to Llangollen in 1995 was at Pavarotti's own request, although it took several years of negotiations between the eisteddfod and his representatives to achieve it.
Nicoletta said: "I knew why he wanted to go back. It was really a very important anniversary. It was so meaningful for him."
Pavarotti was asked to be president of the eisteddfod for one day of the festival and he said he would do it, but only if he could be joint president alongside his dad.
Speaking at the time, he told the vast crowds: "When they ask me what is a day more memorable in my life and I always say that it is when I won this competition because it was with all my friends.
With me at that time there was a person that I would like to have the privilege to introduce - my father.
The concert that followed saw Pavarotti perform alongside the Corale Rossini once again.
As well as the 4,500 audience members, a further 3,000 watched via a screen in Llangollen, and tens of thousands attended an outdoor broadcast of the concert in Swansea.
In addition to the 1995 concert, the new release, entitled The Lost Concert (Live at Llangollen, 1995) includes two recordings from the original 1955 performance by Corale Rossini.
Nicoletta said: "I'm glad Decca decided to include the first participation in 1955 in this wonderful new recording because that was performed by a very young Luciano.
So if we have to imagine the first time we hear Luciano it is there, even if he's among the choir, but his first performance was this one.
Pavarotti never learned any songs in Welsh but did attempt to show Nicoletta how to pronounce Llangollen correctly - something he had mastered.
She said with a laugh: "He did it right but we had so much fun together trying to teach me. Put the tongue in this way, try to do like 'thl' - I couldn't."
The pronunciation may have eluded her but she renewed the connection between the Pavarotti family and Llangollen this summer when she visited the eisteddfod for the first time.
She presented the Pavarotti Trophy to the winners of the Choir of the World competition, as well as the Pendine Trophy in the International Voice of the Future contest for soloists.
"It was really special for me because through the memories of Luciano, I found exactly what he told me about the people, about the places. It was like a discovery of the memory.
I could see the people there were so full of spirit and joy like he described.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Leaks Reveal New Camera Island Design And Upgrades Here's How To Clean Your Wooden Kitchen Equipments To Begin The New Year Anew New Year, New Me The Paradise New Poster OUT Ukraine's Zelenskyy names spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as new top aide Border 2 Release Date ISIS-Inspired New Year's Eve Terror Plot Foiled In North Carolina US says it thwarted potential ISIS-inspired New Year's Eve attack in North Carolina Amitabh Bachchan asks a question on new NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani on KBC Premier League rings in New Year with goal drought as Man City lose ground in title race
On October 13, special judge Vishal Gogne framed charges against Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others for their alleged involvement in the IRCTC hotels scandal. The court framed charges of corruption (under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act)
Just now
A Karnataka government survey shows most voters trust Electronic Voting Machines. This finding challenges the Congress party's campaign against EVMs. The survey indicates high trust in EVMs across various regions. The BJP highlighted these results, criticizing the Congress's stance
Just now
In 1955, a 19-year-old trainee teacher from Italy arrived in Wales with his dad and a small choir to compete in the annual Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod. The choir consists of amateurs and has little expectation of success but the group from Modena take first place and change the course
Just now
Zohran Mamdani's swearing-in ceremony took a heartwarming turn as filmmaker Mira Nair went viral for recording her son while he thanked her during his speech. New Delhi: Zohran Mamdani grabbed headlines once again as he took oath as New York City's 112th mayor on Thursday
Just now
Apart from making history as the new New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani has another reason to celebrate. He made his Kaun Banega Crorepati debut this week, albeit not as a contestant but a the topic for a question on the show. During the 26 December episode of the show
Just now
Aries: On this particular day, don't push yourself to be witty or rely on pickup lines. For those flying solo today, just be yourself; someone may fancy your true nature more than a flashy persona. For those in a relationship, enjoy some regular time with your partner without trying too hard
Just now
The gut-brain link is a two-way connection in which the gut and the brain influence each other. It shows that the gut is responsible for much more than just digestion. This highlights the need for a more well-rounded approach to nutrition, one that supports vital two-way connections such as the
Just now
The Union government on Friday wrote to social media platform X, directing it to identify and remove sexually explicit content generated by its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, ANI reported. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology told X to “undertake a comprehensive
Just now
India's ODI squad for NZ series at home will be announced today, While India have already named their squads for the five match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup that follows. India's ODI squad for NZ series at home will be announced today
Just now
In a major casting development Rani Mukerji has reportedly joined the cast of Oh My God 3 (OMG 3). This marks the first time Mukerji and Akshay Kumar will share screen space in a feature film. New Delhi: Actress Rani Mukerji is reportedly all set to join the cast of Akshay Kumar's Oh My God 3
Just now
Upcoming SME IPO: Silverstorm Parks and Resorts, an integrated amusement destination, has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with BSE SME in preparation for its upcoming IPO. The issue will comprise up to 62,00,000 equity shares with a face value of ₹10 each
Just now
Elon Musk has reacted sharply after a Somali TikToker said during a livestream that he was “about to die,” a comment widely interpreted as a threat to the billionaire's life. The remark was made during a livestream by a creator identified online as “Dowza.z”
Just now
If this new year's resolution is to cut down on soda and go the healthy way, you need to make Tepache. This is a lightly fermented Mexican drink that uses pineapple scraps and water to turn into something golden, fizzy, healthy and wonderfully refreshing
Just now
The government on Friday approved Rs 41,863 crore of investments by 22 companies under the Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) and called on the electronics industry to reduce import dependence by deepening domestic sourcing across value chains
Just now
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch a nationwide outreach campaign in support of the G-RAM-G scheme, aiming to counter the Congress's proposed “Save MGNREGA" movement scheduled to begin on January 5. As part of the strategy
Just now
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the unravelling of a $2.9 million computer chips deal that he concluded threatened US security interests if the current owner, HieFo Corp, remained in control of the technology.The executive order cast a spotlight on a business deal that drew scant attention
Just now
The US Embassy in India has issued a stern warning to visa applicants, particularly those seeking H-1B and H-4 work visas, stating that violations of US immigration laws could lead to significant criminal penalties. This comes amid the ongoing H-1B visa policy overhaul
Just now
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that an Election Commission survey is being misused to create a misleading narrative against allegations of electoral malpractice raised by Rahul Gandhi. In a post on X, he argued that the survey, now being cited by sections of the media
Just now
Less than 24 hours after throngs of ecstatic supporters poured into Manhattan for his history-making inauguration, Zohran Mamdani began his first full day of work with a routine familiar to many New Yorkers: trudging to the subway from a cramped apartment
Just now
The Commission for Air Quality Management on Friday revoked Stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi and the National Capital Region after the air quality improved. The commission said that the Air Quality Index in Delhi had “significantly improved” to 236 on
Just now
IMD has issued a red alert for parts of North India amid severe cold wave conditions, with dense fog warnings across multiple states, while Delhi remains cold and foggy on January 3–4. As North India witnesses cold wave–like conditions
Just now
The U.S. Justice Department said it foiled a New Year's Eve ISIS-inspired attack by 18-year-old Christan Sturdivant from North Carolina. He was charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist group. FBI agents found a handwritten plan titled “New Years Attack 2026”
Just now
Luke Littler surged into his third successive PDC World Championship final and will face European champion Gian van Veen in what promises to be a blockbuster conclusion to the tournament. World champion Littler came from a set down to beat 20th seed Ryan Searle in impressive style, averaging 105
Just now
Realme 16 Pro: The lineup includes the Realme 16 Pro 5G and the Realme 16 Pro+ 5G, along with the upcoming Realme Pad 3 5G. While Realme has confirmed the launch date, pricing details are yet to be officially announced. Realme 16 Pro: The Realme 16 Pro series is set to launch in India in the first
Just now
Claims that democracy is in crisis are certainly not new, but recent history has given the claim a new urgency. Over the past decade or so, there has been no shortage of people expressing concern that democratic institutions are under strain
Just now
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified the Sangh's role in uniting society and instilling virtues. He emphasized it is not a paramilitary group and cautioned against understanding it through the BJP or Vidya Bharti. Bhagwat highlighted the Sangh's unique nature and its mission to prevent foreign
Just now
Anthony Joshua's driver has been charged after a crash in Nigeria injured the boxer and killed two of his team members, police have said. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was charged at the Sagamu Magistrates' Court on Friday. Police sources told the BBC the charges included causing death by dangerous
Just now
