Themed on “Eire”, this year’s festival celebrates Ireland and its connections with Wales and includes a star-studded line up of Irish musicians and speakers who will travel to locations throughout Mid Wales, including the historic Gregynog Hall near Newtown, for events between June 16 and 26.
This year’s line-up has a strong focus on folk as well as classical music and sees Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI with Martin Hayes, Mahan Esfahani, The Irish Consort, Ailish Tynan and Iain Burnside, The Fidelio Trio, Chamber Choir Ireland, Daniel Grimwood, Ensemble Nevermind, Finghin Collins, The Goodman Trio and Aoife Ní Bhríain all strolling down Gregynog’s green carpet.
This year’s festival is also a special occasion for artistic director, Dr Rhian Davies, who celebrates 10 years at the helm
“This is a very special year for me as it marks a decade since I took over the mantle of the Gregynog Festival, a festival that has always been close to my heart as someone who was born and brought up in Newtown and attended the concerts as a child,” said Dr Davies.
“The past decade has seen us continue to develop and grow the festival, inviting the finest international musicians of our time to make Wales and UK debuts so that we can all enjoy music-making of the highest quality right here in Mid Wales’ most beautiful locations.”
The Gregynog Festival, launched in 1933 by philanthropists Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, granddaughters of Victorian mining and railway entrepreneur David Davies, will feature concerts, drama, poetry, film, talks and exhibitions on the theme of Eire between 16 and 26 June at venues throughout Mid Wales.
It comes as the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising will be marked in Wales this summer, recalling how 1,800 Irish people who took part, including Michael Collins, were kept at the Fron-goch prison camp near Bala.
Music, drama and talks inspired by the Rising and Fron-goch feature during the festival programme as well as forming part of the Welsh Government’s project Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918.
Repertoire ranges from medieval times to the 21st century and the Golden Age, when major European composers such as Handel and Geminiani lived and worked in Dublin during the 18th century, is also remembered.
Other highlights include talks by Dr Edel Bhreathnach about the Celtic Library at Gregynog, and Professor Prys Morgan on the tercentenary of the birth of Arthur Blayney, Gregynog’s last Blayney Squire.
There's a talk to mark 125 years since the founding of the National Museum of Ireland by the director Raghnall O Floinn and two experts Dr Karen Loomis and harpist Siobhan Armstrong unravel the mystery of the Irish harp pins which were found at Montgomery Castle and are now displayed in the Old Bell Museum.
An evening of drama, Rebel Rebel, sees Aisling O’Mara and Robbie O’Connor re-create the true story of two actors who left the Abbey Theatre stage to join the Easter Rising. Lyn Ebenezer, the well-known journalist and broadcaster, presents his latest research about Fron- goch Camp, near Bala, where rebels including Michael Collins were detained.
Events take place in Pennant Melangell, Aberystwyth, Montgomery and Llandinam as well as the Music Room at Gregynog Hall itself.
The box office for the Gregynog Festival has just opened with tickets available through www.gregynogfestival.org and 01686 207100.
-END-
Notes to the Editor
The Gregynog Festival is a lottery funded project for the Arts Council of Wales, a signature event of the Major Events Unit, Welsh Government (Visit Wales), and the only Welsh member of REMA, the European Early Music Network based at Versailles. It has also received funding for the 2016 season from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Cymru’n Cofio | Wales Remembers 1914-1918.
Launched by sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies at Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, near Newtown in 1933, the Gregynog Festival is Wales’ oldest classical music festival. The granddaughters of industrialist, entrepreneur and politician, David Davies, who came from Llandinam, they became philanthropists travelling throughout Europe, passionate about art and music, and bequeathing over 260 works from their collection to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, where many are now displayed.
The Gregynog Festival attracts visitors from all over the world into Wales as well as having a social and economic impact on the local community through its investment in concerts, workshops, talks and community outreach projects.
For more media information, please contact:
Owain Betts, t: 01686 639028, e: Owain.Betts@ombpr.com
Or Kate Gedge, t: 01874 730300 or 07754 149577, e: kr.pr@btinternet.com
No comments:
Post a Comment