In the bright and lively universe of games, there are few hobbies as timeless and popular as bingo, especially in the UK. Spanning the gap from quaint bingo clubs to modern internet platforms, this game’s mystical appeal weaves through every age group and catches the heart of players across the country. So, what’s the secret pull of bingo for British folks?

One possible answer, undoubtedly, is nostalgia. Many citizens of the UK remember joining their parents or grandparents in bingo halls. These places buzzed with a thrilling, hope-filled atmosphere. These memories bring back longing for simpler times, creating a powerful emotional bond with the game.

Furthermore, the simplicity of bingo is a prime reason for its widespread love. Unlike more complicated casino games demanding strategy or rule recall, bingo is delightfully simple. Players just have to check off numbers as they are announced. This makes it easy-to-play for people of any age or background. Because of this simplicity, bingo continues to be a welcoming game, inviting everyone from experienced players to first-timers to join the enjoyment.

Besides its simplicity, bingo also provides a community feeling, which has become rare in our current digital era. Whether in old-school bingo halls or on well known bingo sites, the game unites people, enhancing camaraderie and social connections. This sense of togetherness that the game promotes is particularly treasured in the UK, where bingo venues have long been social meeting places for friends and neighbours to connect and exchange tales.

Everyone loves online bingo. It has grown to be very popular because it’s easy to play from home. Think of a game or theme. There’s probably an online bingo site that has it. Whether you like the traditional 90-ball game or fast-paced speed bingo, you’ve got choices.

Bingo sites have chat rooms too. You can talk to other players in real-time. It’s like being in a real bingo hall! Make new friends. Share tips. Celebrate wins together. It’s great, especially now when we can’t always meet in person.

People in the UK love online bingo because it’s not just about having fun. Many popular bingo games raise money for charity. Players get to help out while they play. It’s another reason to love the game.

Bingo is also exciting because you can win prizes. It could be money, a trip, or a gift card. Even a small win can make you happy. That’s why players keep coming back for more.

So, why do UK folks adore bingo? It’s simple! Its long-lasting charm stems from a mix of things like nostalgia, ease, community spirit, universal access, charity, and the excitement of winning. 

Regardless of where they play – in quaint bingo halls or modern online sites, bingo remains cherished by both the young and old British people. As long as there’s a number to call out and a card to dab, the everlasting appeal of bingo will keep bringing together a community who genuinely enjoys this conventional game.

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!

STUDENTS from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen will be performing The Admirable Crichton by J.M.Barrie at two venues across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire this week. On Wednesday 15 May, you can see the play, written in 1902, on the Torch Theatre stage, directed by William Kingshott and Torch Theatre’s very own award-winning Artistic Director, Chelsey Gillard.

This joyful comedy is presented by third year students from the Acting and Design and Production courses at the University. The classic satire, pokes fun at British manners and asks what will happen if the “natural” order is upended. Members of an aristocratic family find themselves shipwrecked on a desert island with just one pair of shoes between them and someone must take the lead – will it be the blustering Lord Loam or their loyal butler Crichton? 

Torch Theatre’s Artistic Director Chesley Gillard said: “I love the work of J.M. Barrie and it’s a real joy to be rehearsing this play with the third year acting and production students at UWTSD. The show is wonderfully witty and fun. It really pokes fun at the ideas of British manner and I’m sure you’ll all be laughing along with these fantastically talented students.”

Taylor Dyderski and Alyanna Arzente, both students at UWTSD, say that the experiences that they are gaining on this production will help them prepare for their future careers in the industry.                       

“As set design and production students, we learn a lot about how to adapt sets, lighting, and costumes so that we can tour them around different venues. Working within different environments and making sure that we are working sustainably. We are working alongside Chelsey and William, to achieve their creative visions and from this opportunity we are learning to a high standard how to be practitioners in the industry.”

Playing the role of Crichton, Celeste Turnbull has enjoyed diving into the role.

“As it is a period piece, us acting students have had to learn the specific rules of etiquette that were expected at the time. Wearing the amazing period-accurate costumes has allowed us to develop the physicalisation of our characters and delve into their mindsets. It’s nice to look back at period plays and learn a different form of our language that we wouldn’t necessarily consider including in our repertoire,” explained Celeste.

The Admirable Crichton will be performed on the Torch Theatre stage on Wednesday 15 May at 7pm. Ticket prices: £8 / £5 concessions. For tickets phone the Box Office on 01646 695267 or visit torchtheatre.co.uk. You can also see the production at y Stiwdio Fach, Yr Egin, Carmarthen on Friday 17 May at 7pm and Saturday 18 May at 2pm and 7pm. To book tickets for the Carmarthen shows, please contact ([email protected])