Entertainment
St Davids Cathedral Music Festival representatives attend Royal Garden Party
SIMON PEARCE, the esteemed Organist and Master of the Choristers at St Davids Cathedral, was honoured to attend a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The event, celebrating the UK’s Creative and Cultural Industries, featured an array of celebrities, stunning displays of spring gardens, and performances by the Band of The Marines.
Mr Pearce, who attended with his wife Katherine was appointed in 2022 as the Director of Music at the cathedral—a position he has held since 1998 in an assistant capacity—expressed his delight at the opportunity to represent the festival. “Every single moment was to be savoured,” he remarked, noting the “wonderful music, fantastic host of celebs, a sumptuous tea party, stunning gardens and Palace, and glorious British spring weather.”
The St Davids Cathedral Music Festival 2024 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.
This prestigious invitation to Buckingham Palace came just two years after Mr Pearce’s official appointment as the Master of Choristers, a role in which he has pledged to continue enhancing the cathedral’s distinguished musical tradition.
At the time of his appointment, the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, as Dean of St. Davids, praised Mr Pearce’s exceptional talents, saying, “It has been a pleasure to enjoy the excellence of Simon’s playing and conducting over the years.”
Under his leadership, the Cathedral Choir and Choral Foundation have been furthering their well-deserved reputation for excellence. “St Davids Cathedral is a spiritually inspiring and beautiful place in which to make music,” Mr Pearce said, acknowledging the special connections the cathedral maintains with the local community, school, and the wider Pembrokeshire area.
Entertainment
A gripping drama at the Torch Theatre: Tachwedd is a journey through time and myth
THIS autumn, theatre enthusiasts have the opportunity to experience something truly remarkable. The Torch Theatre in Wales will host the English-language premiere of Tachwedd, a thought-provoking drama by Jon Berry, before it heads to the London stage. This unique production, which promises to leave a lasting impression, blends history, mythology, and contemporary struggles to explore deep themes of land, identity, and destiny.
Set in the heart of Bethesda, North Wales, Tachwedd spans centuries, from the 1700s to the present day. The play examines the pressures faced by a modern Welsh family, from a mother’s fight to pay the rent to a town grappling with the aftermath of mass layoffs. At its core, Tachwedd reveals how history, violence, and dispossession have shaped the land and the lives of those who inhabit it.
The play, directed by Jac Ifan Moore and produced by Phoebe Stringer Productions and Theatre 503, flips the typical “state-of-the-nation” play on its head. It weaves religious fervour, royal hunting parties, and national anxiety into a powerful, contemporary piece of theatre. The script delves into the consequences of decisions that reverberate across time, with the land itself becoming a fractured character that reflects the turmoil experienced by its inhabitants.
The stellar Welsh cast, including Bedwyr Bowen, Saran Morgan, Carri Munn, and Glyn Pritchard, will take to the Torch Theatre stage on the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th of September. All performances will start at 7pm. With an age guidance of 14+, audiences should be aware that the play includes explicit references to sexual violence and rape, adding to the intensity and realism of the themes explored.
Don’t miss this unforgettable production, which promises to resonate deeply with audiences long after the curtain falls.
Tickets are priced at £12, and given the limited run, theatre-goers are encouraged to book early. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Torch Theatre Box Office on 01646 695267 or by visiting torchtheatre.co.uk.
For further information and press images, please contact Anwen Francis (Marketing, Press & Communications) at [email protected] or call 07854 772640.
Entertainment
A guide to the most entertaining experiences in Pembrokeshire
Wales is known to contain plenty of beauty within itself, but one area is highly deserving of such praise. In the southwest of the country, along its stunning coastline, lies the county of Pembrokeshire. Here, you’ll be taken aback by how diverse and compelling the landscape is, ranging from sandy beaches to high sea cliffs. But, if you’re a lucky local or a simple visitor, you might be wondering what you can do beyond enjoying the vistas available. In this case, you have found yourself in the right place.
Top coastal activities to try
With such an impressive coastline, it’s not surprising that you can enjoy plenty of fishing. Here, the bulk of your catches will comprise of bass, mackerel, and wrasse. Fishing overall is a very relaxing option that has been gaining traction in recent years even amongst younger generations, as advised by The Guardian. We can even see this in the rise of fishing-themed games such as the Fishin’ Bonanza slot found on the mobile bingo app. If you haven’t heard of this app before, it’s an online casino platform where you get the chance to play a variety of slots, live casino, and bingo.
For those seeking a more thrilling experience, we have coasteering, another great choice thanks to the landscape of the area. In fact, this recreational activity is said to have been first practiced commercially in Pembrokeshire. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of coasteering before, it simply entails activities that happen on the foreshore, such as cliff-jumping, exploring caves, and rock-hopping. However, we do suggest that this is only done with experienced professionals nearby.
Alternatively, you can go paragliding, which is a great option for people who want to look at the coast view from above. We would recommend this to people who aren’t afraid of heights, as even season pros may find this quite exhilarating. But if you’re a complete beginner, you don’t have to worry as you can get lessons from the Pembrokeshire Paragliding.
Cultural and historical sites to visit
Apart from the wonderful coastline, there are plenty of cultural and historic sites you can visit. Starting with the impressive Pembroke Castle, a sprawling mediaeval castle originally built in 1093, which has gone through several rebuilding and restoration phases throughout the next centuries. It is open to the public, so you can explore the castle with free guided tours included in the admission price. And with the fact that the castle was the birthplace of Henry VII, Britain’s only Welsh King, you can expect plenty of highly interesting exhibits.
Speaking of the Tudors, a must-visit is the Tudor Merchant’s House, the oldest house still standing in Tenby. Although this has nothing to do with the royal family per se, this three-story 15th-century stone townhouse will certainly take you back in time. As a historic house museum, it has been carefully preserved for current and future generations with fine reproductions of era-appropriate furniture.
If you want to explore Pembrokeshire even further back in time, then the Pentre Ifan is a great option. This ancient manor dates back to the Neolithic era, or New Stone Age, containing the biggest preserved Neolithic dolmen in the country. The running theory is that this was originally a communal burial, which formed the courtyard where rituals and ceremonies took place, however, this is not fully confirmed.
Pembrokeshire truly is a one-stop-shop for all kinds of experiences, ranging from recreational to historical. So, if you live here, consider yourself quite fortunate. And if you’re planning a trip to Wales and don’t know which area to visit, well, you’d be quite remiss not to place this county at the top of your bucket list.
Community
Crymych Arms pub saved by the community is to expand
A PEMBROKESHIRE village pub which reopened its doors last year after being bought by the community has now been given permission for a restaurant extension and outdoor seating area.
Last December, the Tafarn Crymych Arms reopened after being closed in September 2021 when its current owners retired and put the pub up for sale.
Crymych Football Club coordinated the community purchase of the historic pub in the heart of the village, with volunteers raising more than £200,000 to buy the pub. They also secured a significant Community Ownership windfall from the UK Government.
A dedicated team had helped with repainting, wiring, moving the furniture and pool table, and sorting all issues ready for reopening.
Speaking at the time, former county councillor Cris Tomos who had helped with the purchase process “It is hard to believe that it was just one year ago from now, on December 13, 2022 that the first public meeting took place at the Crymych Market Hall to see if there was any interest within the community to take on the challenge of raising the funds and organising the process of purchasing and reopening the Tafarn Crymych Arms.
“The tremendous support over the following months soon demonstrated that people have missed having the traditional pub at the heart of the village.”
Since that successful reopening, Tafarn Cymunedol Crymych, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, has applied to Pembrokeshire planners for a dining room extension and external seating area.
The scheme was supported by Crymych Community Council which said: “We are pleased to see an application to develop a community resource.”
An officer report for the application said: “The proposed development is to erect a flat roof extension to the front of the building to create a dining room extension and lobby entrance area.
“A formal enclosed seating area which is partially raised would also be created to the front of the public house. The retention of pavement to allow pedestrians to walk across the front of the development, outside of the seating area is to be included within the scheme.”
The application was conditionally approved by Pembrokeshire County Council planners.
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