New festival celebrating Welsh music launches early next year

A new festival celebrating Welsh music will take place in central London early next year.

Organised by the London Welsh Chorale, the inaugural Festival of Welsh Music will take place on the 16-17 February.

Highlights of the two-day event include a concert in which individual guest choirs will show off their repertoires, the final of the London Welsh Young Singer of the Year competition and a closing gala concert featuring works by four contemporary Welsh composers, including a premiere performance of a piece especially composed for the festival.

The festival opens with a concert at the Welsh Church of Central London, which includes the final of the London Welsh Young Singer of the Year competition as well as performances from invited guest choirs.

On Saturday 17 February, five combined choirs, accompanied by an orchestra, will perform at a Gala Concert at Regent Hall, Oxford Street.

The concert will feature Paul Mealor’s Shadows of War conducted by the composer himself, along with the much-loved Welsh piece, Gweddi by Arwel Hughes conducted by his son, Owain Arwel Hughes.

The third piece, What Sustains the World? (Py a Gynheil y Byt’), is a new work composed for this Festival by its Musical Director Edward-Rhys Harry and the final piece is Karl Jenkins’ Symphonic Adiemus, will be performed in the presence of the composer on what will be his 80th birthday.