Llandeilo Fawr Festival of Music
Charity no 1138432
Trustees Report 1[st] January 2024 – 31[st] December 2024
. From an artistic standpoint I don’t think anyone would deny that this year’s Festival (12 – 29 July) was an outstanding success. Four months earlier, in the middle of February, we had put on a Friends Concert, featuring the Shaham, Erz, Wallfish Piano Trio and the pronounced success of that venture had included in us a degree of confidence as we prepared for the summers event. That confidence was not perhaps entirely justified, as you will gather from this review. We could hardly have wished for a better start this year. The Festival’s long association with the redoubtable Christopher Monk and his Warwick based Armonico Consort has been one of the most important factors behind what is seen by many as our success in the past 24 years. Who will ever forget their concert performance of Purcells Dido and Aeneas last year ? Their consumable professionalism has been one of the most crucial factors in enabling us to ascertain the levels of musical excellence, which would not otherwise have been possible. This time they brought to the Festival an invigorating evening of Baroque which delighted a capacity audience.
That is not all, however. In the afternoon of that opening Saturday a goodly number of enthusiastic ‘amateurs’ took advantage of a quite unique opportunity, by participating in an event entitled, ‘Family Come and Sing’ (see Festival brochure). This involved their joining the young professional choir members of the Consort in a rehearsal for the evening performance, accompanied by original instrument orchestral ensemble to join such a distinguished group, was truly a once in a lifetime experience and something which could not have happened had it not been for the Festival. The importance of parents and children coming jointly involved in a musical project like this is considerable.
The following day brought with it another priceless opportunity for children (and adults) when Welsh Harpist, Catrin Finch, one of her inimitable masterclasses, which was the first Festival event to be held in Llandeilo’s beautifully restored Old Market Hall. This turned out to be a great success, both for young children and for some who had taken up the instrument much later in life. The masterclass was followed by an evening recital in the National Trust’s Newton House, when Catrin was joined by the Irish virtuoso, Aoife Ni Bhriain. This predictable could have sold three or four times over and the innovative and imaginative partnership between the two artists was thoroughly appreciated by the audience.
The remaining evening concerts were all we could have hoped for. It was good to see a local young lady playing Viola in the Treske Quartet, especially as she had been heavily involved in the Festival years before and has now graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where this quartet was formed. The Aquinas Piano Trio showed why they are one of
the most sought-after groups in the country, with a performance of scintillating brilliance and what can one say about pianist Llyr Williams, when every superlative in the dictionary has already been used? Th Festival continued to delight as it drew to a close, with the first visit of a Brass Quintet (the Barbican Brass) and a beautiful choral evening from the John S Davies Singers.
There was one disappointment, however. We were pleased to be able to include a song recital by ‘the new Kathleen Ferrier’, Jess Dandy. A fortnight later she was to sing in the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall but, although the other mid-week concerts drew respectable (post Covid) number, her recital was poorly patronised. We are at a loss to account for this, especially when Wales is supposed to be ‘the land of Song’!
All in all, however, I think we can be pleased with what we, as a Registered Charity, have achieved this year and we are optimistic that our audience will return to pre-covid numbers soon.
The future of classical music in Wales in under threat as never before. The latest calamity is the financial crisis at Welsh National Opera and, not only as the Swansea Festival of Music and Arts ceased to exist, but choirs, operatic societies and opportunities for our young musicians to ear some sort of living are disappearing almost daily.
We need our ‘smaller’ Festival more than ever and we, as trustees and committee members, are united in our determination in ensuring that the success this Festival continues for the foreseeable future.
FINANCIAL REVIEW.
Sadly, this was not our finest hour. With a loss of £9,995.86, our reserves have diminished somewhat. Obviously, the effect of the Covid Pandemic has had a significant effect across society. People are still cautious with regards to travel and Business Sponsorship, understandably at an all-time low. We are however confident that thing will improve, and we will be ale to make-up some of the deficit, if not all, in 2025.
Promoting the Arts is not for the fainthearted but some things are worth going the extra mile for.
Julia Jones Trustee / Festival Director
Llandgilo Fawr f•stival of Musi¢ and flowors R•c•lpts and paymonts Ac¢ount For the year ended Balances as at 3111212024 Recei Tidtats 19,110.(KI dOnatn81 spon80rs Pfograrnrnes v1fir $8Ès Bank int8re5t subscnpb.on Misc Refund from prfnters CCC grant (Magnum 50uTrJI Rafflg 11,5C#).00 165.80 30.825.80 Pa Arb515 venue Hlre Equipnwnt HirelRemovals Printiryj Ahv8rtksinfftrnot40n C8teMg. ne & Refreshments ents 30,687.02 6.150.95 2,313.20 122 66 Transla Sl Aecommcé41i insuran 208 34 Membershy fo Postage Stslkinery Travel Ticket refiJTrJs Commrtl8e eypen6es Illcncel Office Hire Bank Char VAT 0. Transfer 181.84 1,157.45 lunasned costs) 40.821.46 Surplusldekit for Ihe perK -9.995.88 balance as at 01101r24 HSBC Account Icurrent 71377256} HS8C Attount IDepo$rt 813778411 HS8C Account IFndS 913779141 Irection 0.nce 4.529.92 14.658.83 3,165.89 22.384.44 a tsj any outsknndirwj ¢hthJu88 not ca8W IrKsne sh¢Y Add surplusldeficil for the perh?d Subtracl chgques wtstanding from 0.00 c -9.995.66 b OOOd C1051ng tsalan- a+bc'. 12 358.78 C106in Bslance as at 31112124 HSBC Ac0nt (CUrrt 713772581 HSBC Account IDgpo3it 813778411 HSBC Account IFTi8nd5 913779141 8,$43.08 2.824.43 12 368.78 Christophar Plumnwr Treasurer Llat*ilo Musicand Flo%r Festfval 2024125
T ŷ Ni
Llanddarog Road Capel Dewi Carmarthen SA32 8AJ
28 October 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
I have examined the 2024 Accounts and corresponding Invoices. I can now confirm that this is a true and accurate financial report.
It is very sad that after 24yrs the organisation should have suffered such a loss, but I’m sure this was down to the pandemic rather than the organisation.