TWO life-long friends aged 92 burst into song when a renowned harpist performed at the day centre they attend.

Morfydd Bartlett and Gwen Pritchard have been close ever since they met at the age of five at the primary school in Carmel, near Caernarfon, more than eight decades ago. They even lived next door to each other for more than 50 years.

The dynamic duo known affectionately as 'the terrible twins', attend Bontnewydd Age Cymru Day Centre where they were recently treated to a concert by professional harpist Elfair Grug.

Morfydd, a retired nurse who has four children and 17 grand or great-grandchildren, says she and Gwen were both members of Côr Mynydd y Cilgwyn in the past. She said: "I really enjoyed listening to her play. It really brought back some memories, some really happy ones and some quite sad ones too. I enjoy folk songs and she played some great music. We just had to join in!

“Gwen and I have been friends all our lives. Until recently we lived next door to each other but I now live at Groeslon, Caernarfon while Gwen is at Carmel.

"We have always liked singing and I really enjoyed singing Sosban Fach and Tros y Garreg with Gwen."

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Former school caretaker Gwen Pritchard, a mum of three, grandmother of four and great grandmother of five, said: "Today has been brilliant I’ve really enjoyed it. We’ve always liked singing even when we were in school.

"It’s amazing that we were at school together when we were just infants and now, although we are both in our 90s, we are still close. We always behaved in school, well nearly always anyway!

Elfair, who hails from Mynytho, in Gwynedd, is a former pupil of the renowned harpist, Elinor Bennett, at the William Mathias Music Centre at Galeri, Caernarfon, and went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for a number of years playing in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.

In 2008, she was one of 60 harpists who played at the Royal Opera House when Prince Charles celebrated his 60th birthday.

Elfair went on to spend two years living in Bangkok in Thailand where she worked as a harp teacher and harpist in residence at the Tamnak Prathom Harp Centre which is supported by the Thai Royal Family and is twinned with the William Mathias Music Centre in Caernarfon.

She said: "I’ve thoroughly enjoyed today’s concert. It was lovely to see Morfydd and Gwen singing along and clearly having a great time.

“It’s clear the music they wanted was traditional Welsh songs and folk music although we also did some Andrew Lloyd Webber music such as songs from Phantom of the Opera and also Jesus Christ Superstar.

"I always enjoy performing in care homes day centres; it’s intimate and so rewarding. I work freelance as a harpist and perform with full orchestra’s or chamber groups but the reaction you get as musician from many older people is just priceless."

Elfair's visit came about thanks to a partnership between the Pendine Park Arts and Community Trust Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias in Caernarfon which was made possible by funding from Arts & Business Cymru via their CultureStep programme.

The project will culminate with a concert by former Royal Harpist Catrin Finch at Bryn Seiont Newydd on April 18.