Benjamin wanted to raise more money for BBC Children in Need than he had managed in 2001 and asked if he could stage a concert at The Norwegian Church Arts Centre, where he had performed at previous concerts. We set a target of £1,000 and were delighted when the event actually raised £1,472.10

Because Benjamin was too young to stage a 'solo' concert he asked a few friends to join in.

Born in Maesteg and initially trained as a singer, Mari Griffith began her broadcasting career as a presenter in music, schools and children's programmes - both radio and television. Based at the time in London, her output included presenting the flagship series Music Time for BBC network television Schools, as well as several educational series for BBC Radio 4. She was a resident singer on the Radio 2 series Music for Your Pleasure for some 18 months and made regular appearances in Friday Night is Music Night and other Radio 2 programmes. On television she was one of the four regular performers in the BBC2 series Poems and Pints and had her own series entitled “ … With a Little Help” on BBC Wales television. Mari has presented prestigious concerts all over the country in venues including the Albert Hall and was the first person to present a broadcast orchestral concert from St. David's Hall in Cardiff, with John Dunn and the BBC Concert Orchestra for Radio 2 in 1982.

A career change brought a move to the BBC Wales Presentation Department and a period of four years as a bi-lingual staff Continuity Announcer, again working in both radio and television. Moving on, Mari then trained as a television director and was invited to set up and run the first-ever programme promotions department within BBC Wales. In 1990 Mari changed direction again and left the BBC to run her own production company and to freelance as a presenter and Voice Over artist. During the last ten years she has been busily employed as a news reader, a presenter and narrator chiefly for BBC Wales.

Benjamin was born in Cardiff in 1996. Inspired by God Mother, Eluned Scourfield, he has always wanted to play the harp. He started to learn the harp in February 2001 under the tuition of Eluned Pierce and soon wanted to play to audiences rather than just watching his Mum & God Mother performing as Mwynion Mai Flute & Harp Duo.

Benjamin attends The Cathedral School, Llandaff where he is in Year Two and when not practicing his harp he likes playing with his Lego, toy cars and anything connected with STAR WARS or Formula 1 Motor Racing.

While still a student, Angharad won the National Eisteddfod three times, twice when playing the triple harp. She has played extensively in solo recitals and worked with many orchestras, playing in venues throughout Britain such as the Purcell Room, the Holywell Room in Oxford and the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. Among her many achievements Angharad has appeared on television on numerous occasions and performed for Her Majesty the Queen.

She enjoys a multifaceted career as harpist, harp historian, teacher, writer, composer, editor and lecturer, a leading figure in the harp world of today. Formerly Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, she still teaches both at Cardiff University and the Welsh College of Music and Drama, and is much in demand for private consultation lessons and international master classes

Ann was co-author of the Harp article in the New Grove Dictionaries of Music. She is responsible for the important new article on Erard in the revised edition of this work, as well as more than 40 shorter articles on composers, harpists, harp makers and harp terminology.

As a performer, Ann Griffiths's main interest is in historical harps, and in playing the music composed for them on contemporaneous instruments.

In 1989 Jane and harpist Eluned Scourfield formed Mwynion Mai Flute & Duo. The duo is in great demand for performances at weddings, functions and conferences. Their own arrangements of Welsh melodies have proved so popular that the duo have not only released then on CD, they have also published the scores.

Jane also performs with the Welsh Flute Trio and is the Musical Director of CAFÉ (Cardiff Amateur Flute Ensemble). Jane teaches the flute at Howells School as well as running her own private teaching practice and is Benjamin’s mother.

Catherine has had a varied career which encompasses orchestral and chamber music. She is principal flute of the Welsh Sinfonia, The Bristol Philharmonic Orchestra and plays with the BBC National orchestral of Wales, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Concert & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.

She has recorded for HTV and ABC Radio in Australia where she was invited to perform a recital broadcast of music by twentieth century British composers including Bax & Goossens. Recent appearances in festivals include Crickieth, St. Asaph, South Glamorgan & Hereford with her flute & harp duo and The Bay Trio.

Catherine lives in the Black Mountains in Wales and combines her musical life with the hobby of photographing birds in the wild which she shares with her husband the conductor Vernon Handley.

Her first public appearances were in 2001 when she played at St. David’s Hall in the Junior Schools Harp Ensemble and then took part in the Under 12’s solo competition at the Gwyl Cerdd Dant in Carmarthen. She played solo at the Welsh National Opera in December 2001 for Telynau Morganwg and attended a day course at the Welsh College of Music & Drama.

This year she has represented her school at the 50 year Celebrations of Welsh Education in the Vale, and competed at the local rounds of Urdd National Eisteddfod. She is currently rehearsing for the Under 12’s Gwyl Cerdd Dant competition in Dogellau in early November. She is very exited at playing in the newly formed harp trio with Benjamin & Tomos. She hopes that they will raise a lot of money for BBC Children in Need.

She won both the Under 12 Solo Harp and Solo Piano competitions at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Islwyn in 1997, repeating this "double" in 2000 at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Conwy, and again at the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh in 2001. She was invited to compete for the Under 16 Blue Riband at the National Eisteddfod in Ynys Mon in 1999 and in Denbigh in 2001 on both harp and piano, finally winning in 2001 for her piano performance. She has won either 1st or 2nd prize in solo piano or harp competitions on no less than 5 other occasions in the Urdd and National Eisteddfodau. In 1999 she also won the Eifionydd Prize for most promising pianist over all age groups at the Urdd Eisteddfod. She has won the Vale of Glamorgan Young Musician of the Year competition twice, receiving a joint award for both harp and piano on both occasions.

Eluned was awarded a foundation scholarship to study with Marisa Robles at the Royal College of Music, London. She received several college awards and it was whilst still a student that she first performed at the Wigmore Hall.

As well as recital work throughout Britain, together with radio and television broadcasts, she has played at many festivals, including Edinburgh and Harrogate and also in Germany, Poland, Japan and Slovenia.

On moving to Scotland she was Principal Harp in turn with the Scottish Ballet, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Scottish National and Scottish Chamber Orchestras. Whilst there she tutored harp at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, and is now associated with its Welsh equivalent and also the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.

Eluned was invited to join the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1994 beginning with the Orchestra’s Centenary tour of the United States. Now established as one of the UK’s leading harpists, working as a soloist and guest of other orchestras, the most recent invitations have come from the Philharmonia Orchestra and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She has recently recorded a CD of flute and harp music - Music of the Northlands.

He now teaches the harp for the William Mathias School Services in Gwynedd & Anglesey.

Being the Residential Harpist of the Portmerion Hotel where he entertains the guests four times a week, he plays at weddings & functions and also appears in concerts. One of his recent tours was to Ireland with the Meibion Prysor Male Voice Choir.

He is an established accompanist in the Urdd National Eisteddfod and the Cerdd Dant Festival. Having played at the Millennium Stadium among a hundred harpists, he enjoys success with his own pupil’s harp ensembles which have won many competitions throughout Wales.

He is playing on a Lyon & Healy Style 23 Gold Harp.

Eluned has pursued a varied career ranging from teaching pupils and students to recitals performances at concerts, weddings and general functions. She has performed to members of the Royal Family and took part in the BBC Songs of Praise Millennium 2000 spectacular held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

In 1989 she formed Mwynion Mai Flute & Harp Duo with flautist Jane Groves. The Duo has released a CD and the musical scores for a selection of Welsh Melodies which the duo arranged themselves.

Eluned is also as one of the resident harpists for the Medieval Banquets at Cardiff Castle.

For the past two years Tomos has played in the Junior Schools Harp Ensemble at St David's Hall, and sung with the Cardiff & Vale Junior Schools Choir. In October 2001 he was invited to play the harp in the BBC Radio 2 Master Class Orchestra at the City Hall. In December he played for Telynau Morganwg at the Welsh National Opera. Earlier this year Tomos won the Under 12 category for both piano and harp, and came second in the voice category at the South Glamorgan Festival for Young Musicians, and was awarded Gold Medals for both piano and harp at the Abertawe Festival for Young Musicians.

Tomos is a fluent Welsh speaker and attended Ysgol Pencae in Llandaff until he was awarded a choral scholarship to The Cathedral School in January this year. Although the schedule for a chorister is pretty gruelling, some 16 hours a week, Tomos loves to sing at the Cathedral and never tires of it. Although no longer in a Welsh medium school, he still competes in the Urdd Eisteddfodau and reached the National Finals in Cardiff this summer with the harp.

When Tomos is not engaged in his music he enjoys gymnastics, athletics and riding his bike, reading, origami and playing on the computer e mailing all his friends. He is delighted that Benjamin asked him to play in his concert and hopes that it will raise lots of money for Children in Need.