Welcome to the Gower Festival
For more than forty years the Gower Festival has been bringing music of the highest quality to this area of south west Wales. Once again, during the first two weeks in July, we are inviting internationally acclaimed musicians to play in the superb acoustic and atmosphere of our ancient churches.
As you navigate the web site, clicking photographs will reveal further information.
Following a "sold out" 2023 Festival, we have a stellar line up of artists for 2024.
We will feature performers from 10 different countries, including by popular demand, the return visit of the outstanding Polish Accordionist, Bartosz Głowacki and Mexican guitarist, Morgan Szymanski. Also not to be missed will be three outstanding international pianists, plus the beautiful venue of Clyne Chapel in a lunchtime concert with Tabea Debus, recorder and Toby Carr, lute.
We are thrilled to present a special evening to honour our President, Sir Karl Jenkins at 80, in conversation with John Suchet.
Many venues are extremely intimate, so early booking is advised.
gordon back
After three long years the Festival has returned. It was fantastic to hear live music again!
2022 was a brilliant Festival with outstanding concerts performed by artists from twelve different countries. The majority of the concerts were sold out and the audience reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
We are indebted to our Patron,
Llŷr Williams, who stepped in for a concert at extremely short notice.
Roll on 2023!
2023 Festival
video Review
The Festival programme planned for July 2024 is lively and varied, with outstanding musicians from many countries performing in some of the most beautiful churches and chapels of this area. Besides eleven concerts, there will be talks, including an evening of words and music for the 80th birthday of Sir Karl Jenkins.
There’ll also be a special exhibition featuring the work of artists inspired by the life and landscape of Gower.
Times and venues for all events will be announced on this website in December.
2024 FESTIVAL
“It is a privilege for me, as President, to be able to welcome you to the Gower Festival, my ‘local’ festival, having been raised on the beautiful Gower Peninsula. There is an exciting programme for you to enjoy, with concerts in the historic churches of Gower.”
Sir Karl Jenkins CBE
“The Gower Festival represents the best of the British summer festival tradition, great music for friendly and appreciative audiences in the most beautiful surroundings. I always look forward to returning with much anticipation.”
Llŷr Williams
“Performing at the Gower Festival on many occasions has always been a special experience for me. I am therefore thrilled to be invited to be a Patron of this outstanding Festival.”
Catrin Finch
2024 Provisional programme
‘The Story So Far ….’ Join Catrin as she journeys through the music that’s most important to her and tells anecdotes of her life as an extraordinary harpist. Debussy’s sublime Clair de Lune, the tangos of Piazzolla, the fiery style of Colombian joropo and the serenity of Welsh folk tunes – all these combine to show the wonderful diversity and range of both harp and harpist.
yevgeny sudbin, piano
Accompanied by Gordon Back, sixteen-year-old Keila Wakao, first prize-winner at the Menuhin Competition 2021, plays Beethoven’s ‘Spring’ Sonata and Bartók’s folk-inspired Rhapsody No. 1. Bloch’s Nigun (one of his Three Pictures of Hassidic Life), Wagner’s early Romance and Szymanowski’s brilliant Nocturne and Tarantella complete an exciting programme.
BARTOSZ GŁOWACKI, accordion
Tour of Artists’ Studios in North Gower 10.00 am - 3.30 pm and with lunch break. Transport provided.
A great opportunity to visit the studios of painter Beth Marsden, stained glass artist Catrin Jones and ceramicist Micki Schloessingk in their rural north Gower surroundings. The tour also includes an art display in beautiful Cheriton Church.
Morgan Szymanski, guitar
Joined by Daniele Caminiti on theorbo, leading violinist Rachel Podger performs Italian and Austrian masterpieces from the golden age of the Baroque violin.
‘There is an unfailing eloquence to everything Rachel Podger does.’
KARL JENKINS at eighty, in conversation with John Suchet
With theorbo player Daniele Caminiti, violinist Rachel Podger performs sonatas by Italian, Austrian and German masters of the seventeenth and early eighteenth century – music which still sounds new, daring and fantastic.
Clare hammond, piano
One of the Gower Festival’s remits is to support the best of local talent.
Come and hear the wonderful Mumbles
A Cappella in a lively and varied programme.
You will be entertained and surprised!
swansea bach choir
Acclaimed Welsh pianist and Festival patron Llŷr Williams makes a welcome return to Gower with a fine programme of romantic piano music. César Franck’s Prélude, Aria et Final and Brahms’s Seven Fantasies, Op. 116, are followed by Schumann’s Études Symphoniques, Op. 13, one of the composer’s greatest works, and Liszt’s sparkling Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor. A fascinating evening of contrasting styles.
Tabea debus, recorder
and Toby Carr, lute
‘A seemingly unlikely combination of instruments that works real magic.’
Following the enormous success of their appearance at the 2019 Gower Festival, Huw and Oliver embark on a new musical tour, from Albinoni, via Ravel and Tarrega, to the saxophone music of today.
ARTISTS OF GOWER
AT THE GLYNN VIVIAN ART GALLERY
Local composer and popular lecturer on music Chris Weeks considers the lasting appeal of Gower and of the sea around it to musicians and visual artists.
Castalian String Quartet
Local composer and popular lecturer on music Chris Weeks considers the lasting appeal of Gower and of the sea around it to musicians and visual artists.
Evening talk with
griff harries
A firm favourite with Gower audiences, the Carducci Quartet play Haydn’s delightful early masterpiece, the ‘Joke’ Quartet, Op. 33/2, and Dvořák’s popular ‘American’ Quartet, Op. 96.
Castalian String Quartet
The Carducci are joined by the gifted young Welsh soprano, Erin Gwyn Rossington, in a performance of Gareth Walters' fine song-cycle Cân y galon (Song of the Heart). Before this we hear Shostakovich’s first quartet and the recently rediscovered ‘Poem’ by Rebecca Clarke.
The evening ends with Beethoven’s Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, the second and most impassioned of the quartets he dedicated to Count Rasumovsky.
pavel kolesnikov, piano
Maxim Lando is one of the most brilliant and imaginative young pianists to emerge in recent years. His varied programme takes us from ragtime to ‘Frankenstein’, a new work by Lowell Liebermann here receiving its world premiere. We’ll also hear tunes from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd, a piece by Florence Price, the first African-American classical composer, plus one of Liszt’s most evocative works, his Reminiscences of Don Juan on themes from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni.
A thrilling evening.
Maxim Lando is one of the most brilliant and imaginative young pianists to emerge in recent years. His varied programme takes us from ragtime to ‘Frankenstein’, a new work by Lowell Liebermann here receiving its world premiere. We’ll also hear tunes from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd, a piece by Florence Price, the first African-American classical composer, plus one of Liszt’s most evocative works, his Reminiscences of Don Juan on themes from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni.
A thrilling evening.
red priest
Maxim Lando is one of the most brilliant and imaginative young pianists to emerge in recent years. His varied programme takes us from ragtime to ‘Frankenstein’, a new work by Lowell Liebermann here receiving its world premiere. We’ll also hear tunes from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd, a piece by Florence Price, the first African-American classical composer, plus one of Liszt’s most evocative works, his Reminiscences of Don Juan on themes from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni.
A thrilling evening.
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ST GEORGE’S CHURCH,
REYNOLDSTON SA3 1AA
It is believed that the village and its church were founded by the Norman Reynald de Breos and unusually, for churches before the c14th (and in Wales!), was dedicated to St George. By 1866 it was described as ‘in a dreadfully dilapidated condition’ and demolished. A new Victorian Gothic style church was opened in 1867 on the original foundations but with a longer and wider nave. The stone came from old red sandstone quarries on Cefn Bryn with Welsh slate on the roof. The cost was £1500 with contributions from the Talbots of Penrice, the Bensons of Fairy Hill and the Woods at Stouthall.
All Saints’ Church,
Oystermouth Sa3 4bz
All Saints was probably built on the site of a Roman villa or mansion (inn) or even a military/naval base. It is suggested that St Illtyd established the original church as early as the C5th but the first recorded reference dates from 1141. The oldest parts are the large Norman Tower (to protect the Anglo-Normans from Welsh attacks!) and the Early English Lady Chapel. By 1800 the church was described as ‘notoriously poor’ but during the C19th fortunes changed with rapid population increase as Oystermouth grew into a busy fishing, trading and tourist centre. The church was enlarged in1860 and again between 1915 - 1937 when the architect was Leonard William Bernard.
Church of St John The Evangelist,
Gowerton SA4 3EA
The Gothic-style church with bellcote was designed by the Brecon architect, J B Fowler and built in 1880-82 on land donated by John Dillwyn Llewelyn of the nearby Penllergare estate. The original Welsh name of the hamlet, Ffosfelin had been changed to Gower Road (before becoming Gowerton) reflecting the English speaking population who arrived after the two railways and the establishment of the Elba steelworks and coalmines. Anglicans had to walk either to Penclawdd or across the marshes to Loughor. The church has walls of local Pennant sandstone with green Bridgend stone external dressings and Bathstone interiors. St John’s was generously endowed by both the Dillwyn Llewelyn and Wright families.
The Story of the Gower Festival
The Gower Festival has its roots in the long, hot summer of 1976 when Jonathan Beecher, an Oxford cellist, brought a student orchestra and a handful of professional soloists to perform an astonishing series of thirty-one concerts in Gower churches during the last two weeks of August. So many events packed into a fortnight may have been over-ambitious. But the idea of holding a music festival in Gower churches was such a good one that it led to the formation of the Gower Festival Society and in due course to the appointment of John Fussell MBE, Swansea's Director of Music and City Organist, as Artistic Director of the enterprise. More than anyone else, it was John who established the high standards of musical performance and well-chosen repertoire which have characterised the Gower Festival ever since.
Friends of the Gower Festival
We have some wonderful concerts arranged for the 2023 Gower Festival.
Festival Friends have priority booking.
Benefits of becoming a Friend
➢ Advance booking for concerts. This benefit is much appreciated by Friends as many concerts, particularly at smaller venues, sell out quickly.
➢ Regular Festival email updates.
➢ Acknowledgement in the Festival programme.
➢ Opportunities to help with the running of Festival events and to attend the Society’s Annual Meeting.
Annual membership costs £15 per household
You can join in one of four ways:
♦ Contact Mrs Anne Pope, 10 Vowley View, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire SN4 8HT
♦ Email: friends@gowerfestival.org
♦ Download a Gower Festival application form
♦ Pick up an application form at any festival venue.
Gower Festival Friends 100 Club
Don’t miss your chance to support the Gower Festival Society and win cash prizes for yourself!
There are three prize draws per year - July, November and March.
➢ 1st Prize per draw £100
➢ 2nd Prize of £50
➢ 3rd Prizes of £25 (the number of 3rd prizes is dependent on the number of tickets sold per year).
Last year the 100 Club raised over £600 for the Gower Festival - a significant contribution towards the cost of a concert.
The cost of a share is only £12 per year - that’s just £1 per month. You may take out more than one share if you wish.
You can join in one of three ways:
♦ Contact Mrs Anne Pope, 10 Vowley View, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire SN4 8HT
♦ Email: friends@gowerfestival.org
♦ Pick up an application form at any festival venue, or download an application form.
useful links
Gower Festival secretary at info@gowerfestival.org
Friends of Gower Festival secretary: friends@gowerfestival.org
Information about Swansea and Gower including, walks, what's on, accommodation:
www.visitswanseabay.com/
destination/gower-peninsula
Swansea Classical Guitar Circle: www.swanseaguitars.co.uk
