Llandaff Festival to show Wales's got talent

It will be talented young musicians stealing the limelight at this year’s Llandaff Festival.

The cathedral has teamed up with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to give some of the best students in the country the chance to perform in the inspiring setting of the historic building.

The week-long programme of concerts from June 6 to 13, will also give festivalgoers the chance to hear the final year students - perhaps, future stars - at the very start of their careers. It will include performances by vocal soloists, brass, piano and strings as well as choral masterpieces. Choral Evensong will also take place every evening.

While all but one of the performances are free of charge, the event hopes to raise money through donations for the cathedral’s £1.5m organ appeal. Punters will also be able to enjoy afternoon teas, light suppers and a licensed bar, with proceeds going to the appeal.

The festival will open with Llandaff Cathedral Choir singing Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. It will end with Brahms’ A German Requiem, performed by Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society – the only ticketed event.

There will also be the chance to see how a professional choir is trained to the highest standards as Llandaff Cathedral Choir holds an open rehearsal.

The Llandaff Festival was revived last year after a 20 year break. It had been an important part of cathedral life for nearly 30 years, between 1958 and 1986. During that time it attracted large orchestral works with fine orchestras, chamber music and piano recitals from renowned international soloists. It had an impressive record of commissions by Welsh composers including Alan Hodinott, William Mathias, Arwel Hughes, Daniel Jones and Grace Williams.

Director of the Festival organiser, the Rev Canon Graham Holcombe, said the Festival provided a valuable platform to promote Welsh talent.

He said the revived festival had been very successful last year, attracting more than 1,000 people.

"The overall vision is dual, one for bright and exceptionally talented musicians to perform in the superb venue of Llandaff Cathedral," he said. "And the second, on long summer afternoons and evenings, for many visitors from near and far to enjoy both the music and the various other events and see that Wales has got talent.

“We encourage people to come and worship and enjoy the splendid repertoire of music that the Cathedral Choir offers, to visit the club for light refreshments and then to stay for the concert at 7.30pm.”

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased on the night for the concert on Saturday, June 13, by the Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society. All the other performances are free.

On the web: www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk