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We have our new work for October’s workshop! David Gaukroger is busy producing the music for his new children’s opera which we expect to become as popular as Romany Wood.

We are privileged to to have the first performance and are proud to know that the last Festival’s Romany Wood workshop – notably the children’s orchestra (a first in itself) – was the inspiration for this new work.

We will have lots of fun (and hard work) with Rebecca’s World which the three primary school orchestras will start work on immediately. The choir contingent will begin towards the end of term.

The Irfon Valley School Orchestra is under way and, unusually, rehearses in school time so it is not competing with lunchtime play. It is already booked for the Festival Holy Saturday concert.

David Gaukroger (composer of Romany Wood) is working on a new composition for children’s orchestra and choir after being inspired by the children’s orchestra brought together for 2014’s Romany Wood at Garth Village Hall.

Holy Saturday (4 April) will be inspired by the Chaos and Creation elements of Haydn’s Creation Oratorio and we will be joined by Irfon Valley School Orchestra.

The Festival is scheduled for 2-4 October (a week earlier than usual) and we will move the children’s workshop (with the new work by David Gaukroger) to Sunday and have the Mervyn Bourdillon Memorial Concert on Saturday Evening.

Gareth Cornelius (head teacher of Irfon Valley Primary School) has given the go ahead for a lunchtime school orchestra, starting after Christmas. Irfon Valley will join Llanelwedd and Builth Primaries in providing an ensemble for all the children learning orchestral instruments. See the projects page for more details.

The festival plans to bring these groups together in future events.

We thank South Powys Youth Music (SPYM) who, in recognition of our work in encouraging primary ensembles and similar projects, is providing financial support.

The performance of Haydn’s Seven Last Words Quartets at Beulah Chapel on Holy Saturday was accompanied by readings, poetry and songs on the theme of Remembering 1914. There was a small exhibition of memorabilia and a thematic image was projected for each word.

All the proceeds, amounting to £105.20 were donated to Help for Heroes.

We are pleased to announce that this celebrated men’s choir will join us in the Mervyn Bourdillon Memorial Concert on 12 October at Eglwys Oen Duw. The programme will include orchestral pieces from the Festival Ensemble and will be finalised as soon as possible.