Future Classic Women Awards – Christmas Special With Gwawr Edwards

Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today on Future Classic Women Awards, we will be talking to— oh my gosh, I'm so sorry— Gwaur, right? From the— yes, Gwaur from the Athena Trio. Uh, we had the Athena Trio before on the first edition of Future Classic Women Awards, and you're back with, um, a fantastic new song and debut at the Royal Albert Hall with the Athena Trio. How was your— welcome back, War. How are you? Thank you, I'm good, thank you. How are you? Very good. Today is a special episode, it's a special Christmas episode, so we've chosen song that will go with Christmas and will accompany us for the whole holidays. Any plan specifically for the holidays? Um, just spending some time with family. Um, I have two little, little kids, so it's all about them. Absolutely. Did you make a big Christmas tree? Yes, it's beautiful. I was coming back from the cinema with my daughter. We went to see Frozen and we passed by and they were selling the Christmas trees and it was very early. I mean, it was the last week of November, so the Christmas tree is already getting grey and losing all the needles. We couldn't resist and we brought it home and it was too big, of course, for the living room. How it is, but the joy of making the Christmas tree, isn't it? Oh, absolutely. I love decorating the house during Christmas. Absolutely. Now, you just had this fantastic concert at the Royal Albert Hall. That was a Christmas concert, am I right? Yes, that was, with the Salvation Army, it was an evening of Christmas music and readings, um, of all different genres. And it was an absolutely wonderful evening. Um, it was Athena's debut after a little bit. That's fantastic. You've been there before, don't you? I have, as a soloist. Yes, I performed there. Um, but as a trio, as Athena, it was our first night, so that was very special for us. Is it, is it different to perform alone or to perform with a trio? Oh, very different, yes. I've been performing alone for a long time as a soloist, and I love that also, but it's also a nice different dynamic to be with the girls. Absolutely. You know, and it mixes it up, it makes it more, you know, a lot of fun, and it's different, and we make our own arrangements, and it's lovely. It's a lovely dynamic, which So I enjoy both. I think the three of us enjoy, because all the three of us are soloists as well, um, and we have our own concerts and our own performances and we do our own thing. And then it's also lovely to get together and do, you know, things as a group. So it's wonderful to be able to do both because they say that the variety is the spice of life. Totally. Well, the good of it, I mean, as a soloist myself, I know perfectly how it is to travel alone, to be alone before go on stage. So the fact of sharing, uh, you know, that excitement, the preparation as well with someone else, and then, you know, uh, taking— for example, I just came back from Germany and I took the train. We, we traveled by train with, um, Elena Matson. We were doing a double bill, so I was playing alone, but still it was, uh, a double act, if you like. And so sharing, you know, the trip together and the social media together, taking the pictures. So much more fun, isn't it? Yes, exactly. Exactly. And company, like you said. And yeah, yes, it takes— yeah. And that, you know, having a family as well. So you have two little kids and I have one. I do. But, you know, the— sometimes going away and having that moment with your girlfriends, because they become girlfriends, your I'm sure they are there. Absolutely. Yeah. So, it's a special moment where you can be, I don't know, I don't know what you talk about when you are alone. Well, exactly. You know, because two of us have children. So, I have two children and Sioned, our other member, has one little, well, she's not so little anymore. But so, her daughter is called Nell and so is my daughter called Nell. We've got little girls with the same name. Really? Yeah. That's interesting. And yeah, so, you know, we can share motherhood and mother stories, you know, and tips, and I can ask her for tips because she's been a mother a bit longer than I have. So, you know, it's nice to have that support as well. Exactly. Because obviously, as you know, it's hard, isn't it, to leave your children when you go off with work? It's really hard. Yeah, that's exactly where I wanted to go. I mean, I had a message from my daughter just before going to bed at the night before, where she, you know, she sends you a kiss through WhatsApp. And this— how old is she? She's 5. She's 5. Well, my daughter is 4 and a half. Ah, there you go. And she has started, you know, she either wants— she wants to come with us mainly. She loves performing and she loves being on stage and seeing all the sparkly dresses. Oh yeah. And yes, she wants to come with mom and Ellen and Sianedd. So she doesn't want to be left home. I know, I know. That is so hard, isn't it? You cannot bring them everywhere. And sometimes you have more, you know, longer performances. You know, I was away just for a few days, but sometimes it takes a week, for example, or 10 days. Yes. And there's school, obviously. So how important it is to have a supportive husband? Very important, I'd say. I have a very supportive husband and it helps a lot because being, you know, not everybody understands this industry. My husband does understand fully how it works, and, you know, I think that's very important because it can be very hard and it can be frustrating if you're trying to explain to somebody who doesn't understand, you know, and how difficult it is, how tiring it can be to be a mother. And because I also have a 1-year-old, he's 1 today. Happy birthday! It's a very— yes, indeed. So it's a very busy time, and to have that time to even, you know, practice and to learn your songs and all the admin work that comes, you know, doing the performance is a very small fraction of the work that goes into being a performer. Yeah. And to do that whilst having two small children is very hard, so it's important to have a husband and a supporting network, you know, a family who understands the whole situation, how it works. Absolutely, and that can help you, and you know when you leave that the kids are in secure hands as well. Exactly, exactly, because last week I was in London for 3 days with work, and my mother, thankfully, because obviously my husband works, so my mother was able to come down and to help watch the kids, and I know that I feel happy that they're with my mother and they love my mother, so it helps a lot. Absolutely. All right, now the next song we're going to listen to is dedicated to Christmas. We couldn't be more Christmassy than that. That is "O Holy Night." Would you like to tell us something about this specific recording? Well, we recorded this song on our first album last year. And we did our own little arrangement for it, which we love doing because we know our voices better than anybody. We know the range that we're able to sing and what suits us, and we're able to change it, you know. Say that we come up with a certain arrangement and then we sing it and we think, oh, actually that doesn't work, or maybe this would work better. So we have a lot of fun doing that. So we arranged this uh, for the album. And we, um, recorded a little video of it, a Christmas video last year as well, to come out for Christmas. But it was the song that we sang in the Royal Albert Hall last week. Um, so it's very special to us. And obviously, who doesn't like O Holy Night? It's one of the most beautiful Christmas songs ever written, in my opinion. I love it. Absolutely. Let's listen. Obviously been singing it for years as a soloist. Now it's lovely to have the dynamic of Athena, the trio. I think it's sometimes, you know, 3 voices more powerful than one, isn't it? Absolutely, because you get all the harmonies, you know, and the heart together, the energy of 3 people. That's fantastic. Let's listen then. Oh Holy Night from the Athena Trio. O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world Between sin and error pining till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices for your coming. Dawn breaks, a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, oyé the angel voices, oyé the angel voices. O night divine, O night when Christ was born, O night divine, O night divine. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan, and welcome to Love Lessons Live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards. With me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie May Is Listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy, and we're at Women's Radio Station supporting women's well-being, and we're talking all things autism. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of 3, and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show, From Tummy to Mummy, here on Women's Radio Station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything fertility, pregnancy, birth, and baby related, right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. My name is Ingrid Marsh and I host the Radical Wellbeing Show, supporting women's wellbeing. On my show, I bring you ordinary women like me and you who are sharing their unique stories. Women who have refused to be defined by their pains, to be silenced by stigma or crushed by stereotypes, and who are taking back their power. And together, our mission is a simple one, and that's to inspire you to kick away the roadblocks too, to don your wings and be the person that you were born to be. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover, and mental health advocate, and you can listen to my show, Get Booked here at Women's Radio Station daily at 5 AM and 5 PM. Throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chat to authors, publishers, and book enthusiasts, all with the theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well-being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch at presenters@womensradiostation.com. Join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring, and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role, and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women, and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter at Women's Radio Station, that's Women's Radio STN, or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programs. Welcome back to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today, for our special episode, Christmas, um, episode of Future Classic Women Awards, we're talking to Gwawr, Gwawr from the Athena Trio. Um, um, Gower, so your name is Welsh, and, um, um, are you all of you Welsh, or— Yes, the three of us are Welsh and Welsh-speaking, so we speak Welsh with each other and, um, work through the medium of Welsh. So yes. So how did you meet? Um, Well, we've known of each other for obviously a long time, and we happened to do a concert together and sang a couple of songs in this concert together, you know, and it went down very well, and it worked well, and a few people suggested at the end, "Oh goodness," because there's not a lot of female trios out there, and there are a few of male trios in Wales, like the Three Tenors, And so we thought, "Oh, yes, why not? This would be a lovely idea." And like I mentioned at the beginning of the program, something different for the three of us to do as well, something, you know, another dynamic into another string to our bow, as it were. So that's how we got together and been very busy since we started. When did you start? We started 2 years ago, just the autumn of 2 years ago, so we've just, yeah, just over 2 years we've been together. What was the most exciting place we've performed? Well, I'll have to say the Royal Albert Hall, I guess, because it's the most prestigious venue we've sung together, but also the Welsh Millennium Millennium Centre in Cardiff. We sang there back in May for the opening concert of the national Eisteddfod, which is the biggest youth festival in Europe, which is held in Wales every year. So that was an honour as well, to open that, being that we're all three Welsh girls. So, of course, that was our first honorable engagement, and then to sing at the Royal Albert Hall was then very exciting last week. Absolutely. Now, that was a Christmas concert. How important is Christmas for a classical performer, particularly an opera singer? Well, Christmas obviously is a very busy period in the singer's calendar because there's a lot of performances and very varied performances as well, you know, because, for example, last week, Wednesday night, the Athena Trio were at the Royal Albert Hall, and then the following evening I, as a soloist, had a private gig which was completely different to Wednesday night, and different repertoire then as well, you know, a bit more laid back, a few classical, of course, songs, and a few then more fun kind of Christmas songs like "Santa Baby" and— How wonderful! So, you know, you have to be quite versatile as well. Especially around this time of year because everybody wants to hear the well-known Christmas songs such as White Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Santa Baby, you know, all of those kind of songs. So you've got a very varied repertoire and then very different types of venue that you perform at, so it's a very, very busy busy time of the year. Yeah. And there is also the Christmas Mass. There is, um, do you sing a New Year's concert, for example? Because that's something that happened as well. Yes, it is. Um, no, I, we haven't done anything in the new, like a New Year's Day concert or anything. It's not, it's not so much, um, as popular in, in Wales as it is, for example, out in Europe, you know. Yeah. Um, the main concerts are all around Christmas, so from November up until Christmas. Now, would you say this is a downside of being, uh, a classical performer? For example, the fact of having to work during the main holidays, for example, not being able to go away skiing? Yes. What? No, I wouldn't say that. Um, usually up until I've, I've I'm a mother, you know. So up until the point where I had children, I loved it because I absolutely adore Christmas songs and Christmas music, and it doesn't— I don't mind at all. Um, I love it. Um, but since being— having children, I've had to be a bit more selective with what I take on with the work and how much I take on. Because as a mother— well, as a singer, to start with, your voice is your instrument. So How you feel affects how the voice comes out a lot. So if you're tired and if you over-push yourself, because for example, I don't know, you can probably hear my speaking voice today is quite husky because I've had a very busy time recently and it's very exhausting. And especially having two young children who get very excited about Christmas, you can over— you can burn out. So, and that's pointless, isn't it? You know, there's no point in you taking everything on and doing so many performances and not doing your best. So I have to be more selective, and you have to learn to say no to a lot of things. So, um, yeah, it's just being wise and being, um, intelligent with your, with your calendar, I'd say. Yes, the schedule. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I, I understand perfectly. So I had to go away and I missed, I don't know, a school trip with my daughter, the special We— and then as soon as I came back, we had, you know, to make the Christmas tree and all these things and cupcakes for school. And yeah, that takes time and energy and you want to have as much energy with your family as much as you have on stage. Yeah, exactly. Because your children don't really care, do they, about your work? They just want your time as their parent. They want their full attention. Yes, exactly. Absolutely. Now, now, the next song we're going to listen Is the carol a— pardon, carol— no, you have to— you can say it better. Carol a Ganois, which is a translation of John Rutter's Candlelight Carol. So this was another one that we recorded on our album last year. My husband actually arranged the vocals for this for us. All right. So he's a musician. Yes, he is. So we were lucky to have him arrange it, and I think the arrangement he's done is very beautiful and suits us well. And I love this song, and it's also lovely to sing together in Welsh as well because it's our first language. And yeah, it's very special. Now a question about singing in Welsh. Is it, you know, there is opera singer, they have to sing in Italian, They have to sing in French, they have to sing in Germany, Russia, in, of course, in English, in Welsh. Um, on the international platform, is Welsh something that is performed, um, as much as— of course, it could sound like a rhetorical question, but, you know, it's something that we need for the audience and everybody. So how special it is to sing in your own language? How different it is? Well, it's obviously very different to English especially. Welsh is more similar, I'd say, to Italian than English. And it's for us, maybe as, you know, native Welsh speakers and first language, it's my preferred language to sing in. Because even though I obviously speak English and I have spoken English since I was a child, it's still not the same and it's not in your soul the same as your first language to sing. I mean, I'm sure any, any person could relate to that, you know, whatever your nationality. Yeah. So it's not, it's not an international language to sing in at all, except from the fact that if you're Welsh, such as Bryn Terfel and Rebecca Evans and whoever is Welsh, they I'm sure when you go, and we do the same, you know, when we go abroad, and we do sing in Welsh because people love to hear our native language, you know. Beautiful. And yeah, I think you can give a little bit, well, I do personally, maybe not everybody feels the same, but I give a little bit extra soul, I'd say, into it because it's just from within. From your heart. Yes. Let's listen then. Carol, o gamo— oh my gosh. Sorry, with the Athena Trio. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. Women's Radio Station is all about diversity, from opinions, career, ethnicity, education, and most importantly, women's well-being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money, or are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash but just don't know where to start. At empowerandenrich.org, you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me at empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring, and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK, which are facilitated by by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role, and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. Hi, Carolyn Van Beers here from Mother's Hour. Please do check out my latest show, The Menopause with Meg Matthews. We talk about perimenopause, the symptoms, and most importantly, what treatments are out there to help you physically and mentally get through this very challenging time in your life. Just click on my Mother's Hour page on the website to download the podcast now. It's an amazing, informative, and empowering show to help you get the menopause sorted. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, Illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turn2us.org.uk. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. Women's Radio Station can give voice to your brand with a wide range of sponsorship opportunities, including individual programs. We can tailor your experience for you. For more information on how you can sponsor a show, go to womensradiostation.com. Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. Welcome back Welcome to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station. Today we're talking to the Athena Trio, particularly to Gwawr from the Athena Trio, in our Christmas special episode. So, what would you say was your earliest memory of Christmas? Hello? Oh, we lost Gwawr. Gwawr? No, I cannot hear her. Hello? There we go. Are we here? Hello? Hello? Ah, here we go. Sorry, we are live. That's the beauty of being live. Somehow the phone went off. Okay, so did you manage to hear my question? No, I had nothing. It was on mute, I think. All right. So, we were— I was asking you, what was your first, your earliest memory of Christmas? I think just my earliest memory was being a little girl. I come from a farm in West Wales. So, it's, you know, very country. I mean, a farm with animals? Yes, yes, an animal farm. And every morning, being— whether it was Christmas Day or not, we'd go out first, first of all, on the farm to feed the animals. Oh, beautiful. And then we'd come in and have breakfast, and then I was allowed to go over to the tree and to open the presents. No, after! In front. Yes, after. We have to do some work first. Wow. And a big open fire, and it's a very country, you know, house, and it's lovely. So that's my earliest memory, I think, of Christmas and just being with family, and it's lovely. Oh, that's absolutely fantastic. I mean, I think it keeps you grounded as a child to have to help out when you're on a farm or whatever. Oh yeah, animals, they don't have Christmas. Yeah. They don't understand. Well, exactly. They need to be fed, don't they? So. Mm-hmm. And, but now you live in the city or you live in the countryside? I do live in the city at the moment. I'm hoping to go back to the country one day, especially now that I have children. I like to go back to the farm quite often because it's lovely for them to run around and have that fresh air and freedom as opposed to being stuck in a house in the city, you know? Yeah. So, yeah, I much prefer the country life and country way of living. But, you know, because of work and my husband's work, at the moment we have to be— I mean, I love Cardiff as well, it's lovely. And it's not too far, the farm is 2 hours away from Cardiff, so it's not too bad. Okay. How did you decide to become a classical musician, an opera singer? Well, my father was also a singer, so there was music in the house all the time. And my sister is a pianist, so we used to— I started off going to concerts with him and started off singing duets with him in concerts and playing duets with my sister on the piano. I also played the harp, so we did trio concerts. And so again, another memory actually of Christmas is having a singsong around the piano, around the tree, and being very music— musical day. As well, you know. So music is in the blood, and I've been brought up, brought up like that. And especially in Wales, we have— we're encouraged— we're very fortunate to have the Eisteddfod as a platform, um, to go to compete. You know, you compete in the competitions. I used to go to little Eisteddfods nearly every weekend. Um, so it was an amazing platform and an amazing learning experience and a way learning to perform, as you know, as well as learning harmony and singing choir as well as a soloist and reciting. So it, it just gives you that extra boost as a performer and being on stage, I think, and that extra confidence when you reach— when you start then going to college. Yeah, you've got that years of experience of performing. Well, I'm sure you notice with your daughter. I can see with mine. I mean, last year we were given the, um, the homework from school to learn the Christmas The Christmas Carol, so we would go, I would go to the piano and I would make her to play while I was accompanying her. So I think children through The Christmas Carol, independently from the religion they are from, but being the school tradition, is kind of putting them already on the path of singing and making and creating harmony together. Absolutely, and I think it's really important for children to have music, and to— because my daughter has her Christmas concert tomorrow, and she's been learning the songs, and it's just, it's an important, and it's really good for them to have to learn songs, and it encourages their memory and helps their developmental skills and performing skills, and yes, I teach her some songs, you know, and she learns songs and she loves performing. Not that I would necessarily push her in any, any direction. She can do whatever she wants to do, but it's nice for her to learn songs and also learn poems and reciting, you know, as well. And it helps develop the language as well. Yeah, it's absolutely a combination of things. So it's a combination with literature, poetry, and, and the music and harmony, and the, the voice is the first instrument. Is the best instrument. Uh, Chopin was always thinking, you know, about the singing voice when he was composing for piano. And oh, there are other— flute is another one that is very much trying to imitate, um, yes, the voice. And the voice is the— so it's the most complex instrument, and you really have your entire body resonating with this vibration. I mean, playing the harp or playing or singing, it's a different way of doing music. What do you think? Yes, yes, absolutely different. Because like I said, I played the piano and the harp, and I enjoyed especially the harp. I enjoyed playing the harp a lot, you know, but it was a very different way of communicating than when you performed as a singer. Yes, you have, because you have to use your, you do use your body to play an instrument, but in a different way. I mean, using your body, like I mentioned previously, Obviously, if you're feeling under the weather or exhausted, there's nothing you can do as a singer to get that voice out working properly. You can't mask it, you can't fake it. It's raw, it's just there and vulnerable. So yeah. Now the next song we're gonna listen to is the Ave Maria. Would you like to tell us something about your version of this Ave Maria? Well, when— so this is, um, Caccini's version of Ave Maria, and when we we were deciding— when we decided to record the CD, our first album last year, we were obviously trying to think of a repertoire. And to have a varied repertoire was something that was important for the record company and for us, to sell the album and to make it marketable. So we obviously have some Welsh songs on it, some classical songs, some more upbeat or some more crossover songs. Um, and this was, um, a song that I, I sang as a soloist on. I recorded it as a soloist years ago, and I first fell in love with it when I was at college and, um, fiddling on YouTube and listening to different artists. And I fell in love with the soprano, the Korean soprano Sumi Jo. Oh. Um, when I first heard her sing this particular song. So I decided to learn it and record it. And then, so I thought when we were deciding on our repertoire last year that this would be beautiful to arrange as for the three of us. So I then went to the piano and I arranged a little— I did a little version that I thought would suit us three and that would work well. That's the reason behind, behind Ave Maria. Fantastic. Then let's listen to Ave Maria with the Athena Trio. Oh, Marie! Oh, Marie! Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons Live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie May Is Listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at Women's Radio Station supporting women's well-being and we're talking all things autism. Women The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of 3, and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show, From Tummy to Mummy, here on Women's Radio Station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive reproductive health. Everything fertility, pregnancy, birth, and baby related, right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. My name is Ingrid Marsh, and I host the Radical Wellbeing Show, supporting women's wellbeing. On my show, I bring you ordinary women like me and you who are sharing their unique stories. Women who have refused to be defined by their pains, to be silenced by stigma, or crushed by stereotypes and who are taking back their power. And together, our mission is a simple one, and that's to inspire you to kick away the roadblocks too, to don your wings and be the person that you were born to be. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover, and mental health advocate, and you can listen to my show Get Booked here at Women's Radio Station daily at 5 AM and 5 PM. 5 PM. Throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chat to authors, publishers, and book enthusiasts, all with a theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well-being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch at presenters@womensradiostation.com. Join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring, and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK, which are facilitated by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role, and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women, and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter @WomensRadioStation, that's Women's Radio Station, or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programs. Welcome back to Future Classic Women Awards on the Women's Radio Station. Our guest today is Wawar with the Athena Trio. And Wawar, what is your Um, most exciting— no, funniest moment you might have referring to the Christmas period, for example? Um, well, I think that's funny. Happened at Christmas? Yeah, well, I'm not sure if it was funny, but one memory I have is we got a bit stuck because of the snow. Yeah, um, I had a concert in Truro down in Cornwall, and it was in Truro Cathedral, which is a beautiful place to sing, and I was really excited to go, but the weather was so bad that I wasn't, you know, I wasn't able to go to start with, but then my father, being that because he's, you know, got a farm, he's got a big 4x4, and he was determined that I wasn't going to miss this concert, so he drove all the way down from West Wales to pick me up in Cardiff to take me down. And he's also not scared of anything. He's, you know, some people would be too afraid to go out in the snow and they'd be wise and err on the side of caution. My father is ruthless and he's like, "No, you're not pulling out of the concert, you're going." So we did go, but I think we were stuck down there for a couple of days, so we had to stay a few days extra because of the snow. Well, that's fantastic. Well, at least you made it. I mean, how— I mean, how was it if you arrived there and no one made it because of the snow? No, they did, they did. They did down there. I mean, I think the snow was a bit worse around here than what it was down there. Ah, okay. It was a wonderful concert, but this is years ago. I mean, I remember, you know, braving it through the snow for a few concerts in Wales, but that was the furthest I've had to travel in the snow. Oh, fantastic. Well, I had once a concert in Finland and we had a snowstorm. So when I came out, I mean, we couldn't come out. We were all stuck inside. And, and so, yeah, luckily the hotel wasn't far from the concert hall and we just all, all of us had to walk in the snow because there was no road, you know, it was just completely covered by snow. It was impressive. And the light went off. I hope you had snow boots. Oh, yes, I had. Well, I had leather boots, but they were long, so they were long enough so that I didn't have the snow coming in. And what was impressive, is that, um, there was no light, uh, no street light, but the moon was shining and was shining over the snow. So everything was bright anyway. So it was quite magical, I have to say. And, um, I do love a white Christmas. I think it is lovely. It is really nice. It's not so much fun on the farm though. We need to go out and extra feed the animals. They can't have the grass. It's quite hard. And especially if the water freezes and they don't have any water and it's a lot of extra work. Oh la la. Absolutely. Yeah. People don't think about that. Well, it's nice when you're inside cozy in front of the fireplace and you have enough food for— Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Now, um, sledging is a lot of fun in the snow. Oh yeah. That's it. Or making the snowmen. Yes, indeed. Yes. I like skating. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Well, you know, I've been, my husband is from Colorado, so we go every Christmas in Colorado and there is always a lot of snow there. Go -14 very easily, and so it's freezing. Oh yeah. And I've been skating on the lake, and it's basically impossible because it's a lake. You don't have the smooth pavement like when you are skating here in London at Tower Bridge or the Tower of London. Oh wow. Yeah, but I mean, cold, it's quite a big enemy for singer, isn't it? It. It is, yes, because, yeah, you have to keep yourself around the throat warm and not to let it go too cold, because also your muscles close up and you get tense and it's not free and open. Yeah. Well, what's going to be the next project for the Athena Trio? Next concert, or— well, we have a lot of concerts coming up in the new year. But the most exciting thing we have coming up is we're going on a cruise. We've been invited to do a cruise in a few months and we go to South Africa and Mauritius. So as you can imagine, the three of us are so excited. We're going to have so much fun. How long is it going to be? I think— How long is it going to be? 10 days. 10 days. 10 days, which is lovely. It's not too long for me to be away from the children. Okay. Just long enough. It'll be nice. Absolutely. It's going to be amazing. Yeah. And warm. And, um, what's the most exotic place you performed? Oh, um, exotic. I'm not sure about exotic, but, um, I've been to, you know, a lot of, I've been to China, America, South America, Europe, you know, we've been all over really. Um, Yeah, I don't know. That's a hard question because I love going to America to sing. The audience are very warm and very receptive, especially of the Welsh music and Welsh singing. And also in South America, in Patagonia, because there's a Welsh colony in Patagonia. Really? They speak Welsh. They only speak Welsh and Spanish. They don't speak English. Oh, wow. So, yeah, that's a lovely place to go as well, historically, you know. Um, yeah, so, okay, so the next song we're gonna listen is, um, Bridge Over the Troubled Water. So that's not A Christmas Carol. No, it's not. Um, it's Simon and Garfunkel, so it's a classical crossover song. And, um, so yes, we decided to sing this one with an added baritone into the mix, um, who is called Stefan Lloyd Owen, and he is an amazing singer. He's about to graduate, I believe, at the moment, and he's just fantastic. And it adds that extra something into the song for us. And it's quite— we love, the three of us love this song, and it always goes down very well in concerts. You know, we get standing ovations, and it's a very well-received song. So I thought it'd be a good one to finish this program this morning. So that's why I chose this. Absolutely. Then let's listen to the bridge. Over troubled water. When you're weary, feeling small, When tears are in your eyes, I'll dry them all. I'm on your side when times get rough. That friends must not be far. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. When you're down and out, I know, I know. When you're on the street, when you're on the street, when evening falls, Oh, so often I will comfort you. I'll take your part. I'll take your part. But when time is past, past, past, and pain is all I will lay me down like a bridge over troubled water. I will lay me down On them is— See how they shine. If you need a friend— Need a friend, I'm sailing right behind. My coverage And this was Bridge Over Troubled Water with the Athena Trio. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our future Classic Women Awards, please email presenters@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioSTN. A big thank to Gower for the great chat and the beautiful music play today with the Athena Trio. Gower, hello! Yes, it was fantastic listening to your music and chatting with you. So I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful— you too, and to the audience listening to us. Absolutely, absolutely. Yes, lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year, and a Happy New Year. Looking Looking forward to, to hear to your new songs coming up next year. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. Thank you for listening and happy Christmas. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. Women's Radio Station is all about diversity, from opinions, career, ethnicity, equality, education, and most importantly, women's well-being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money, or are Are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash but just don't know where to start. At empowerandenrich.org, you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me at empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring, and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role, and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. Hi, Carolyn Van Beers here from Mother's Hour. Please do check out my latest show The Menopause with Meg Matthews. We talk about perimenopause, the symptoms, and most importantly, what treatments are out there to help you physically and mentally get through this very challenging time in your life. Just click on my Mother's Hour page on the website to download the podcast now. It's an amazing, informative, and empowering show to help you get the menopause sorted. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness, or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntous.org.uk. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station