North Wales Music Festival to mark 75th anniversary of William Mathias

Jul 3 2009 by Peter Spall, Liverpool Daily Post

WHEN William Mathias died at the early age of 58, it was a sad day for British music.

In September, the North Wales Music Festival, of which he was the founder, will mark the 75th anniversary of his birth with performances of his music and other events.

At the final concert, The BBC National Orchestra of Wales will play his Dance Overture, with which the RLPO had a big success when touring Germany in 1981.

Pupils of the William Mathias Music School include his music in a midday concert on the opening day, September 19. Before the evening recital, Wyn Thomas Senior will speak about the important part Mathias played in the development of Welsh music. Then, outstanding operatic soprano Rebecca Evans gives a recital and Ensemble Cymru will intersperse his instrumental music among her songs and arias.

On Sunday, there is a lunch at which the distinguished musicologist Dr Rhiannon Mathias, his daughter and biographer, will speak about her father. His music will be sung at Evensong on Wednesday, and the BBC Singers, directed by David Hill, sing his Royal Garland on Friday evening. And, on November 1, there will be an anniversary celebration at the Cathedral.

An increasing amount of his music is now available on CD, on the Lyrita label, and the recent organ and choral recitals on Priory and Hyperion.

There is another event detached from the main Festival, which runs from Sept 19 to 26. On September 12, you can sing Messiah with Brian Kay in charge and support from the Crosby Symphony Orchestra.

Take your own scores for rehearsal, morning and afternoon, with the evening performance open to the public. Other major events include Catrin Finch playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations on the harp (she has just recorded it), the Allegri Quartet with Haydn, Beethoven and Matthew Taylor, who will give a pre-concert talk.