Entertainment

St Davids Cathedral Music Festival promises a spectacular line-up

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2024

AFTER a pause last year, the beloved St Davids Cathedral Music Festival is set to make a grand return this May, bringing a vibrant mix of international talent to Pembrokeshire. The festival, a staple in the cultural calendar, will coincide with the May half-term week, offering six days of musical excellence.

The 2024 festival will open with a dazzling performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on May 25. The orchestra will treat audiences to Mathias’s Festival Overture and Brahms’ Second Symphony. Adding to the splendour, award-winning violinist Inmo Yang will grace the stage with his rendition of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.

This year’s festival will also introduce several new performers. The Choir of Royal Holloway is set to debut on May 27, enchanting attendees with choral arrangements of orchestral classics. Local talent is also in the spotlight, with Pembrokeshire-born horn player Simon Lewis performing alongside Trio Preseli on May 26, showcasing works by Welsh composer Anthony Randall.

Adding a touch of environmental consciousness to the festival, clarinet virtuoso Emma Johnson returns on May 28 with her Orchestra for the Environment. Their repertoire will include pieces by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Johnson’s own composition, ‘The Tree of Life’.

The festival will kick off with the 150-strong Children’s Festival Chorus on May 24, captivating audiences with their youthful energy and a live band. Throughout the week, the cathedral musicians will feature prominently in several concerts, with the highlight being the full Cathedral choir performing Choral Evensong live on BBC Radio 3.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online, over the phone, or at the box office. Entry for under-18s is free with an accompanying adult, with other tickets starting at £8. Early booking is encouraged to secure seats, although last-minute tickets may be available at the door.

Simon Pearce, the artistic director, expressed his enthusiasm for the festival’s return, hoping that it will draw a large crowd to celebrate the rich musical heritage and the serene setting of the cathedral. All cathedral services, including festival ceremonies, will be open to the public free of charge, making it a perfect family-friendly event.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

Friday 24^th May

6.00pm: Festival Launch Concert with Children’s Chorus

The 2024 Festival kicks off with a performance by the Festival Children’s Chorus, led by Mathew Wright MBE, Artistic Director of the Barnsley Youth Choir. Matthew is a member of the international jury representing the World Choir Games and in 2023 was appointed as a representative for Great Britain on the World Choir Council.

8.30pm: Vox Angelica and Vicars Choral by Candlelight

Join Vox Angelica and the Vicars Choral of St Davids Cathedral Choir for their annual late-night concert. Expect light-hearted songs and anthems, perfect for a late spring evening.

Saturday 25^th May

11.00am: Coffee Concert – Choristers Unplugged!

The Cathedral Choristers ditch the cassocks and present a programme of their favourite popular and musical theatre songs. One not to be missed!

7.00pm: BBC National Orchestra of Wales

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales return for their annual performance at the Festival. Conductor Dinis Sousa leads the orchestra in William Mathias’ ‘Festival Overture’, in the composer’s 90^th anniversary year. Violinist Inmo Yang joins the orchestra for Sibelius’ popular Violin Concerto in D minor. The programme concludes with a staple of the classical repertoire, Brahms’ 2^nd Symphony in D Major. This annual performance is one of the highlights of every Festival programme, and this year’s promises to be no different.

Sunday 26^th May

Choral Services: 11am Choral Eucharist, 4pm Choral Evensong

St Davids Cathedral Choir sing the services for Trinity Sunday.

7.00pm: Preseli Trio

The dynamic Preseli Trio join us from Santiago de Compostela in Spain, with strong links to Pembrokeshire. The trio, consisting of Soprano, Horn and Piano, are champions of contemporary composers and the work of Welsh composer Anthony Randall. Simon Lewis, the horn player, hails from Pembrokeshire, and named the trio after the rolling hills of our beautiful county. Join them for their debut UK performance, including the UK premiere of a new work by Galician composer Fernando Buide.

Monday 27^th May

11.00am: Coffee Concert – St Davids Cathedral Choral Scholars

Join our fabulous choral scholars, Lucy Dunn, Alto, George Webb, Bass and Nathanael Laidlaw, Bass, in a recital of arias, art songs and lieder.

Choral Service: 5pm Choral Evensong sung by the Cathedral Singers

7.00pm: Orchestral Classics for Choir with The Choir of Royal Holloway

The Choir of Royal Holloway is now well-established as one of the leading collegiate choirs in the UK. This crack team of 24 choral scholars and director, Rupert Gough are known internationally for their highly engaging performances and vast catalogue of stunning recordings, particularly in collaboration with Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. In their Festival debut, they present a programme of popular orchestral music arranged for chorus, including Vaughan Williams’ ‘Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis’, Ravel’s ‘Pavane une infante defunte’, and a new mass setting based on Peter Warlock’s ‘Capriol Suite’ by George Arthur. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear this wonderful choir in Britain’s smallest city!

Tuesday 28^th May

11.00am: Coffee Concert – Young Musician of Dyfed

We’re delighted to announce that pianist Raphael James, winner of the 2024 Young Musician of Dyfed, will be performing in this morning recital. Full programme details to be announced soon, including music by Rachmaninov, Schubert and Chopin. The Recital will also include the first public performance of ‘Barbarica’ for harp by promising young composer Gerard Coutain – performed by the young professional harpist Nia Evans.

7.00pm: Emma Johnson with the Orchestra for the Environment

Join clarinettist Emma Johnson, winner of the 1984 BBC Young Musician of the Year, and her orchestra in a programme of music celebrating the beauty of our natural world. Expect classics in the repertoire such as Mozart’s Ein Kleine Nachtmusik, and Paul Reade’s ‘Suite from the Victorian Kitchen Garden’ complimented by Emma’s own composition ‘Tree of Life’, inspired by a wish to say something about the climate emergency.

Wednesday 29^th May

4.00pm: Choral Evensong live on BBC Radio 3

St Davids Cathedral Choir sing the office of Choral Evensong live on BBC Radio 3, on the eve of Corpus Christi. Please be seated by 3.45pm.

8.00pm: Alaw

To round off the 2024 Festival in style, dynamic folk trio Alaw treat us to a concert full of soulful folk songs and toe-tapping melodies and dances. A joyful concert not to be missed!

Entertainment

Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir to perform at Royal Welsh Show

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE HAWKSTONE FARMERS’ CHOIR, winners of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, will perform at the 2026 Royal Welsh Show.

The choir will sing in the main ring on the afternoon of Monday, July 20, the opening day of the show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

Formed by Jeremy Clarkson as part of an advertising campaign for his Cotswolds-based brewing business, the choir has since grown into a national success story, using its platform to raise awareness of mental health within the farming community.

Aled Rhys Jones, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir to the Royal Welsh Show.

“Their performance on the Monday in the main ring, in front of thousands of visitors, will be a truly special occasion.”

He added that it would be the choir’s first official performance in Wales since winning Britain’s Got Talent, and said many choir members had strong links with the Royal Welsh.

Lead soloist Rosie Jones, a beef and sheep farmer from Mid Wales, said: “What an honour to be invited to sing at the Royal Welsh Show 2026.

“This fairytale journey just keeps growing, but the greatest thing to come from it is the community we’ve built within the choir and beyond.”

The Royal Welsh Show is one of Europe’s leading agricultural events, celebrating Welsh farming, food and rural life.

Picture caption:

The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir (Pic: Britain’s Got Talent / ITV).

Entertainment

Safe Online Gambling: Tips for Staying in Control

Published

2 days ago

June 16, 2026

Staff Writer

In many cases, online gambling is a harmless hobby. However, for others, gambling can become problematic without the right considerations. Thankfully, there are many ways to keep gambling habits restrained to prevent addiction. With that in mind, here are some safe online gambling tips to help you stay in control and keep gambling fun.

Set Financial Limits

Licensed operators must offer tools that allow people to set personal budgets. And from 30 June, they must also provide customers with an opportunity to set deposit limits, which refers to the amount a customer pays into their account over a set duration. These kinds of tools can be invaluable for people who struggle knowing when to stop or have a habit of chasing losses.

Similarly, most reputable casinos also have time limits, to ensure you aren’t spending too much time gambling. Additionally, if you feel you’ve lost control entirely, you can also self-exclude yourself from all sites by registering for an account with Gamstop Online.

Avoid Gambling Under the Influence

Gambling under the influence, after consuming alcohol for instance, can impair your judgement and lead to impulsive decisions. It’s essential that you only gamble while sober and when you’re not experiencing any particularly strong emotions, so you can make more informed, level-headed decisions.

This is especially true when using the fastest payout casinos or high intensity games, as it can be easy to get caught up in the fun, lose money fast, or make more impulsive decisions.

Know the Signs of Problem Gambling

When you gamble, you are taking a risk. Not just financially, but emotionally too. It’s important that you recognise the signs of problem gambling, so you can address any problems early to prevent further harm.

Some of the common signs of problem gambling include:

Frequently chasing losses
Using money intended for savings or essential expenses for gambling
Borrowing money from friends or relatives to gamble
Feeling agitated, angry, or anxious when not gambling
Having a preoccupation with gambling
Feeling out of control or impulsive when gambling
Not engaging in other hobbies or withdrawing from social activities
Concealing or lying to loved ones about gambling habits

Maintain Gambling Best Practices

To prevent your gambling habits from becoming a problem. Be sure to set yourself financial and time limits, avoid gambling when under the influence or when experiencing strong emotions, and get to know the early warning signs of problematic behaviour so you can address any issues quickly.

Entertainment

Waverley marks 79th anniversary with Pembrokeshire sailings

Published

2 days ago

June 15, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE WORLD’S last seagoing paddle steamer will return to Pembrokeshire this week as Waverley marks the 79th anniversary of her maiden voyage.

The historic vessel will sail from Milford Haven and Tenby on Tuesday (Jun 16), with trips including a daytime cruise around Skokholm, Skomer, St Brides Bay and Ramsey Island from 11:30am to 4:30pm.

There will also be an evening sailing from Milford Haven at 5:00pm, travelling to St Govan’s Head, Caldey Island and along the Pembrokeshire coast, returning at 9:50pm.

Passengers can also join Waverley at Tenby, with sailings to Milford Haven and an evening cruise around Caldey Island and the coast.

On Wednesday (Jun 17), Waverley will make her only Fishguard visit of 2026, with an evening cruise to St David’s Head, passing Strumble Head Lighthouse, from 6:15pm to 9:15pm.

Tickets are available through Waverley Excursions.