St Davids Cathedral hosts major concerts as part of the Fishguard and West Wales International Music Festival

St Davids Cathedral is hosting two major classical music concerts next week, including a world premiere, as part the Fishguard and West Wales International Music Festival.

The festival has also commissioned composer Geraint Lewis to write a short work for the Marian Consort, a vocal ensemble that performs music from the fifteenth century to the present day as part of the concert programme on Tuesday 30 August.

Cardiff born Lewis has composed around 150 works in nearly all genres including a community opera and a choral symphony.

National Assembly

He was also commissioned to write ‘Afallon’ for the Welsh National Opera Chorus to sing at the opening of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999.

“I am delighted to have been asked to compose for the voices of the Marian Consort in the atmospheric and historic surroundings of St Davids,” he said.

“I have decided to write a setting of ‘Ave Regina Caelorum’ for this Festival concert. It is a prayer usually sung in the Liturgy of the Hours at the close of compline.

“At a point in the composing, I suddenly thought that it was a bit odd for a Welshman to be writing only in Latin for a concert of this kind held in our own ‘Sistine Chapel’ – and then remembered the poetic translation of the text by Saunders Lewis which he made in 1938.

“So, at the appropriate mid-point these words take over. It is also a modest homage to Ralph Vaughan Williams in the year of his 150th anniversary and in remembering his strong West Wales ancestry.”

Renowned Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams returns to the festival on Thursday 1 September at 7.30pm with a recital of music by Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninov and Liszt.

Fresh from his Madrid recital debut and an appearance at the Capital Region Classical series in Montreal earlier in the year.

Acclaimed for the expressive and communicative nature of his interpretations, he regularly appears at prestigious venues and festivals, and has performed with all the major UK orchestras.

Tickets for both concerts are priced £12 to £20 with concessions of £5 for under 18s and £1 for under 12s. A Festival bus will operate from Cardigan with pick up points at Newport, Dinas, Fishguard and Goodwick.

The Marian Consort will also provide the music for the sold-out ‘Saints and Stones’ tour the following day, a project which involves a bus tour around churches in the area under the guidance of the Reverend Richard Davies who gives attendees an insight into the history of each one.

Tickets available for all events at www.fishguardmusicfestival.com.