Eisteddfod - 10-15 July 2007

[meldy]

Thanks Keith and Gordon!

Those reviews really help when some of us members are half-way across the globe while these performances are up hehe i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Sounds like the mud wasn't very helpful Gordon, but glad you had a great time. Welcome to the forum Keith and thanks for the review

Meldy

[keithp]

I can confirm Gordon's comments that the Eisteddfod is a well-run festival. I visited for the first time in 2006, to see the gala concert starring Katherine Jenkins. We decided to return this year for a longer stay, seeing Hayley on Friday and staying for Jose Carreras on Sunday.

The welcome at the Eisteddfod has always been very friendly, the youngsters who act as Ushers in the Pavilion are a real credit to the whole festival. On Sunday, because the weather was agin very wet, they opened the Pavillion area earlier so that the people could get inside in the dry.

Its certainly a festival I would return to again

[dutchjoyce]

THANKS for nice reviews and comments
The first time i heard of EISTEDDFOD, i thought it was a festival somewhere in NORWAY....don't know why, maybe in Norway they have places with similar names.When i read about the NZ, choir, i found something on internet, and was listening,How Wonderful, and the combination with Hayley, must be stunning!!
greetzzJOYCE.

[postscript]

Hello Keith and welcome to you. Congratulations on being so fast with your report. It can be like a Reuters news desk sometimes here. Regretfully one of the 'old hands' to which Grant refers in a later post is me!

Running late because (and fortunately I did not need it for business) I managed to leave the laptop mains lead behind! First time I've done that although I had ensured I had my battery charger for camera and dictaphone and appropriate leads with me!

So, well done on your first report and also on Gordon's. I have had a quick look through and will read Gordon's report again before posting (a little more delay I am afraid due to accumulation from several days of absence through which i need to sort myself) to ensure I don't duplicate--where were you both, and at the end with Hayley?!!!! I was!

BEGINNING MY REPORT

It turned out that Richard had in fact pipped me HERE but I had not found the post, so, if you've read Richard's post you can skip the following and go HERE for my continuation.

For now, in case Stephany had jumped in with he usual Hoover-like news gathering I have just checked this did not already exist. It comes from the Shropshire Star Saturday 14th.

Hayley charms Eisteddfod Fans

The classical music world’s latest sensation, Hayley Westenra, captivated a capacity audience at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’s Friday night concert.

The 20-year-old star of the southern hemisphere showed at the evening, which was sponsored by the Shropshire Star, exactly why she has so quickly become such an international favourite.

Driving rain and muddy fields were forgotten as the girl with the pure singing voice - and looks and personality to match - took to the stage along with the very best of eisteddfod competitive talent.

Hayley charmed the sell-out pavilion crowd with a variety of songs, ranging from a Maori lullaby from her native New Zealand through British folk songs, like Scarborough Fair and The Water Is Wide, to In trutina from Carmina Burana.

Accompanied by her own trio of musicians, Mischa Marks, Fiona Pears and Ian Tilley, she was joined for her final song by the Tower New Zealand Youth Choir who had also delighted the audience with a selection of Maori songs and dances.

Also taking part were the Mount San Antonio College Choir from the US, Celtic fiddler Graham MacKenzie, pianist David Secchi and the Loughgiel Irish Dancers.

Following the concert Hayley happily signed programmes and CDs and posed for pictures.

It was her first visit to Llangollen but said she had heard a lot about it.

“I think it’s a fantastic festival because of its purpose of bringing the world together through music.

“I was just so lucky to be asked to come to this festival and have been so looking forward to it because I’d heard a great deal about it and wanted to come and check it out for myself,” she said.

By Deborah Knox
Peter S.

[Richard]

Welcome back Peter!

Actually that article appeared online in two stages. I posted the first part, then Joe posted the completed article HERE. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Never mind, now you've posted it again it can set the scene for your report.

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Stephany]

Sorry Peter, Richard was faster!!
Very pleased to hear that you had a great time in Llangollen.
Did you get to meet Hayley after the concert?

Stephany

[postscript]

Hi everyone!

I have pondered how best to handle this as my experiences at the Eisteddfod were diverse and I know one or two have already expressed the thought of attending for the festival itself in the future. Others may follow on and in any case members generally might be interested in the overall picture. To cut to the quick, I have decided to keep everything under this thread but to sectionalise my posts under sufficiently descriptive headings so people can jump an entire section if the heading doesn’t appeal.

THE BEST ROUTE TO LLANGOLLEN?

The route one takes obviously depends upon one’s starting point. My experiences of the M5//M6 are such that I find them generally heavy laden at the best of times. The M1 I have found variable at all stages along its length. The M40 remains under-utilised by comparison, generally speaking, the only real bottleneck being the connection with the M42 where traffic siphons across lanes and it is crucial to get into the right lane, which in fact is the left lane and not the one instinct would indicate!

This leads you on to the M42 heading north and past the NEC convention centre. If there is a major exhibition this can be a pain but it is now an active speed management zone, like places on the M25 and works well.

The crucial point is that the map indicates the M6 Toll takes you past the M54 Telford Motorway. It does but this isn’t important. The toll motorway links with the M6 normal motorway just short of junction 12, the A5 interchange. Clearly one could then stay on the A5 but I consider it worthwhile ‘dog’s legging’ back on the A449 to connect with the M54, which gives you motorway to the far side of Telford, finally linking with the A5.

In my view, the M40 and the M6 toll remain the best motorways in the UK for weight of traffic and enjoyment of driving. If journeying south there is a peak period of traffic on the M40 at Oxford—around 4:30 p.m. onwards for an hour or so.

According to the map it might be logical to come off the M6 at junction 16, taking the Nantwich route and going via Wrexham, but I have not tried this. Overall the extra distance might make it a faster route.

MY JOURNEY TO LLANGOLLEN

‘Twas a dull, grey day that started me on my way, so grim and miserable even the woodcock across the way, in the farther field yonder, was mournful in his morning hoot—he was totally silent! I wondered if he might be dead, from which cheerful thought you will guess I was in one of my happier frames of mind. It was so foul outside even the rain found the day dismal, it was sleeting against my window as if desperate to gain admittance from its own misery.

Undeterred, in fact encouraged by such clear demonstration we were in the height of English summer time and that all was normal, I set forth, taking awhile to get myself going. So long, in fact, that it was only just before lunch-time that I actually ventured forth. I refrained from stopping immediately for lunch but ploughed on some way, pausing at the M40 link for petrol and a sandwich.

Following the route I have outlined above, the roads were as I described and the journey a pleasant drive as far as Oswestry, where I pulled over hoping for a cream tea somewhere, but no such luck.

I then drove on, diverting from my hotel route to visit Llangollen, pausing for awhile to enjoy what was by then a superb summer’s evening at the Pontycysyltte aqueduct (‘The Stream in the Sky’) which I have covered in the photographic section HERE when I visited last year.

I then drove on to Llangollen to reccy the place in preparation for my arrival the next day. I checked out the car park and enquired of the attendant the arrangements for ‘tomorrow night’.
‘You have got a ticket, otherwise, forget it, she’s sold out?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I gather they’ve put in outside screens to cope with extra people?’
‘Oh yes. She’s a marvel. Boy, can that girl sing? And I should know, I’m Welsh!’
Having checked out the location and gained a feel for the procedures, I retraced my steps some way and turned on to the route for my hotel.

ACCOMMODATION AND THE FESTIVAL WEEK GENERALLY

I was booked in at a Travelodge just outside Wrexham (Rhostyllen) on the A483. Travelodges are very basic but suffice, relying upon a Little Chef or equivalent and a petrol station being within 100 yards, so all facilities are available on the same site but just not under one roof.

In February I had tried to book into ‘The Wild Pheasant’ where I stayed when visiting last year but it was already booked. I guess it is the sort of hotel that might be block booked for the week to accommodate key people to which the celebrities’ managements would be directed by the organisers and then, at the last, release any vacant rooms. This is a personal assumption. It could simply be pre-booked on a year-on-year basis by regular visitors.

I would also say that all accommodation for the week will book months early and if you want basic B&B and to fully enter into all aspects of the festival (and an increasing variety of ‘fringe’ activities) then small hotels, B&B’s on the A452 road leading to the Horse Shoe Pass would be ideal. The festival site is immediately behind them and if you are good walkers there is much excellent scenery to enjoy. If you take your car and rely upon the evening events only, leaving the day to yourselves (allowing for good weather!) Langollen is a good central location for a diverse range of day trips to magnificent scenery, much of it very close to home.

At the time of booking I did have it in mind to book the week and see through the whole festival but at that time there was an expectation of being in NZ this September, so I decided to book for Hayley and the following few days to have some holiday and to slum it. It was basic, adequate and ‘did’. It is about a half-an-hour’s drive at most from Llangollen. There is also a Ramada at Wrexham, just a little further away.

With the weather as it was, the break of a few days was a sufficient time to treat as a restful break.

SCENERY

I will add more details during the course of this report. For now I will link you to the photographs I took last year around the Pontyscyllte Aqueduct. HERE as mentioned and linked earlier on.
Continued HERE
Peter S.

[grant]

Hi Peter and welcome home!

A very comprehensive report so far and interesting to read how you found your way to Llangollen!

Well, I guess that was the soup or the prawn cocktail :2fun: So when do we get the turkey dinner?!!

Best wishes
Grant

[comet]

Peter the poet.
lovely descriptions and the link back to the older canal photos reminds me that the AA BOOK OF THE ROAD once had some wonderful illustrations drawn in green of the British canal systems and bridges and tow paths. I live just a few hundred feet from a canal here in Dublin and have a deep affection for them as a transport and leisure facility.

comet

[postscript]

Previously HERE

ARRIVING ON SITE PRIOR TO THE CONCERT

The Eisteddfod motto:
‘To the stage lads and sorry I am if we don’t bash the living daylights out of our opponents
with our rendition of ‘Peace, Glorious Peace’’!
[Source: see below]

The evening before I had moved on to my hotel, settled in and made do with the repast available across the way. I enjoyed a fair weather evening with a short walk before retiring. Clearly I envisaged a good day the next day, Friday. I was wrong. Rain started around 6:00 a.m. (I was told!) and revisited 11:00 a.m. settling in for the rest of the day.

I had a late breakfast and so had no need to worry about lunch immediately I arrived at the festival site just after noon. I decided to park in the car park immediately and contemplate my options with the rain pelting down.

Since I had two more days I decided against entering the site early preferring to wander the town via investigating the possibility for tickets for subsequent events.

For reasons that are irrelevant, this ticket enquiry gained me access to the site, through which I had to walk, ahead of the time scheduled on my ticket, to book for Carreras on the Sunday. Even on the Saturday concert they announced tickets for Carreras were still available.

Carreras and Hayley
I forgot to check the arrangements for Joan Baez but we need to compare the pricing strategy. For Carreras the seats ranged from £65 to £35 (I took the £35 option) in the last row and some 100 yards from the stage. For Hayley the range was half that. Some of this will be due to the fee Carreras can demand but some of it will also be due to the fact he was backed in the first part with a full orchestra.

Now, here’s me thinking out loud. Is it possible they would invite Hayley back to do the last concert next year? I never found anyone able to tell me how many had stood outside to watch the large screen.

Judging from the weight of rain falling on the canvas roof above our heads during the performance I doubt more than two or three hundred. Many of these could have been accommodated underneath a small marquee whilst there will have been some sturdy souls prepared to stand under umbrellas.

Let us therefore assume there are a thousand who would have stood but didn’t and therefore missed her. Of the 4,000 that got in, let us assume there would be a quarter to half that would want to see her again—and I believe that is a conservative estimate. Before they start advertising they have three-quarters filled the covered auditorium. Let us assume Hayley raises her fee slightly, merely to acknowledge the commercial reality. She will still be undercutting Carreras leading to the repeat situation she had this time round of a ‘way ahead’ sell out and provision for 1,000 additional standing souls at the gate—and backed by a full orchestra.

This means, folks, we need to keep a weather eye open for Hayley’s commitments 8th July 2008 to 13th July 2008 inclusive—and be prepared to book the week, or at least that last performance in FEBRUARY 2008 if not January, not just the performance but the ACCOMMODATION!! Just thinking aloud.

However (edited in later as an after thought 21/07/07) this is a 'simple' girl, loving though she does large orchestras and she might not want to do a full orchestral presentaion in suxh surroundings, preferring the 'folk style' simplicity.

Passing through the site to the town I wandered awhile and then had a late lunch there where I knew there would be somewhere dry. Passing through the site I found sunshine throughout as if the sun itself had crashed earthwards into the centre of the Eisteddfod site. Where ever I went there were smiles. One or two showed a certain determination—we will overcome! The majority were just a seeming natural disposition to be cheerful that flowed from the heart. Everywhere was rain-sodden, the grass a quagmire—it was green welly weather and I was in my Hunters and generally dressed as if I was setting out for an after-noon’s fishing on a wet November day! But the smiles were warm and warming.

Some stalls were more despondent-looking than others. I felt particularly sorry for the ‘Strawberries and Cream’ and similar stalls, laden with unsold produce. One could only imagine just how fast these stalls would have been depleted if the sun had properly shone in the sky—as was demonstrated to a small extent on the Saturday. On the Friday this stall had been crammed with produce that did not move.

The Sunday, however, was even more dismal, the site being largely deserted the whole day. Clearly, those who might have come at other times must have come on the Saturday, grabbing the sunshine which had been sufficient to dry out the ground, although still leaving mud in place of grass.

In so far as anything could be done about the mud they did their best continuously re-arranging plastic pathways to counter its effects and marking off particularly dangerous areas.

On the Friday and Sunday half the entrances could not be used as they were considered too dangerous, so slippery were the conditions.

Later I looked in on a side show detailing the history of the Eisteddfod. I found two particularly interesting facts. One, that in the third year the Eisteddfod had faced its most dismal summer with torrential rain throughout the period—so they are well used to inclement weather! The second was a reproduction of a Giles cartoon. The picture was a backstage scene of various contestants in different stages of preparedness dependent upon their performance sequence. The caption read: ‘To the stage lads and sorry I am if we don’t bash the living daylights out of our opponents with our rendition of ‘Peace, Glorious Peace’’!

Part 3 follows. In a little while!
Peter S.

[Joe]

Hello Peter,

Thanks very much for your reports. And the photos too. So nice to read how you arrived in Wales etc. Athough parts of the festival saw lots of cloud and rainy conditions, it couldn't and didn't detract from the performances.

Looking forward to Part 3 !!

Thanks again ,
Joe

[postscript]

Part 4 fromPart 3

PRE-CONCERT—THE NATURE OF THE EISTEDDFOD

I mooched my way through the morning—okay, I lay-in until 10:00 a.m.!—and went for a late breakfast. The morning really was that dismal. It was almost with reluctance I drove to Llangollen and was advised to come back around 5:00 p.m. when most of the cars in the car park would have cleared. I chose to ignore this advice and it is as well I did as those cars were still there when I returned, prior to going to the concert itself. Clearly, most of the cars belonged to people who had all-day tickets, not just for the evening concert and who had decided this was the time to make a day of it. As I have already described, evening tickets do not allow you into the grounds until 4:30 p.m. but in seeking my Carreras ticket they allowed me in.

Returning from lunch, although still slightly early, they allowed me in ‘officially’ to save me walking round the outer perimeter to access my car and that was when I wandered the side stalls.

In the booth from which I quoted the Giles cartoon earlier HERE, the Festival at Llangollen (the concept of an Eisteddfod being an ancient Welsh tradition of bringing poetry and music, then ultimately all the arts together) started in 1947 as a way of rekindling friendship across nations following the international hostilities of the Second World War.

That first year 40 overseas groups representing 14 nations arrived. A rail strike in France meant some groups had to hitch-hike across post-war Europe busking on the way to cover their expenses—Hayley would have been in her element! Unseasonable heavy rain continued throughout the Festival!

The History board noted how the German contingent had been warmly welcomed by the Welsh—the tradition having started early that local people put up individual members of visiting groups. Then, as the Eisteddfod developed, this hospitality spread amongst the surrounding villages (presumably they are gathered together in their respective villages to be bussed in and out) and is essentially how things still run today, except that there is now a permanent site headquarters of which the stage is a part and can accommodate an audience of 1,500. However, it is unheated! In winter this means being wrapped (as one local inhabitant advised me) in your woolly underwear and have a hot water-bottle! Llangollen apparently is a frost ‘hole’ and can experience intense cold.

Despite talking with a number of people I could never get anyone to explain to me in a way I could understand exactly how the building works. I feel like making a specific trip sans Festival just to see the building as it is most of the year. I can’t believe the ‘permanent’ wall rises out of the ground but must be sectioned and ‘slotted’ into place. Looking at the pictures I have provided the high semi-circle steel bar supports the permanent canvas.

The semi-circular seeming horizontal bar at the lower end of this slope is where the rest of the canvas pulls away and a fixed wall closes off the opening. It is the lower extended canvas area (indicated by the light-weight girder behind the ‘H’ sign)

that enables seating for the extra 2,500 people, building a total audience capacity of 4,000 under cover during the festival.

As Alex and Gordon have commented, the whole set-up is most efficient—and yet with that very professional efficiency the main staff are volunteers and all is conducted with a real open sense of fun and involvement that in no way detracts from the very serious business of audience safety.

In terms of side stalls etc, frankly, they are no more than one would expect at any ‘county show’, other than being orientated towards the nationalities visiting and being arts-orientated. For this, one would need only one full day ticket to take in the festival and one evening concert. I would then be inclined to use the other days for sight-seeing and visit subsequently only for the evening concert. However, as shown in post HERE bottom picture, to the left there is a large marquee where excellent meals are served at almost canteen prices. As an incidental the small canopy straight ahead is where some people would have been able to take cover while watching the open-air large screen.

However, while my pictures show seemingly few people, one must remember that a lot is going on inside the auditorium which will attract many hundreds during the day. These are the various stages of the different competitions. One that would attract me in the future would be the reels and jigs, more of which I will regale you when reporting on the concert. Other day occupations will also be the various types of choral singing. In fact, they overflow into local churches and other buildings depending upon the number of entries.

Keith and Gordon have told how they heard Hayley’s sound check (and so did I). Additionally I heard the last part of one phase of the choral competition and being US-orientated I was rather pleased to hear a choir from California had won. Something told me, having heard them that they were destined to win the Choir of the Year competition but for the 'really big one' they only came second! More of them later.

For now, I jump to queuing pending admittance to Hayley’s concert. For what ever reason, I suspect a combination of several, Hayley’s sound check was running late which meant standing outside a reduced number of entrances (due to the mud) in the rain. There were constant demands to be admitted which I thought odd. Yes, it was pelting down but one could shelter in the side booths, most were dressed for abysmal weather and we all had tickets!

I suspect:
• The competition ran late.
• The clearing up therefore ran late.
• Time was needed to rehearse the choir that preceded Hayley. They were the ones who only knew they were going to be there two hours earlier!
• Ditto the dance rehearsal.
All quite understandable delays.

When we were admitted, the young persons from local schools, many pre-teen, were superb. Patiently waiting for the audience members to follow them at their pace to their seats and then rushing back for the next lot, so as to speed the ingress of twice the population intended through the remaining entrances.
.
Then came an announcement we would be starting fifteen minutes late because of the ‘traffic’ conditions. Whether this related to weight of traffic, the weather slowing vehicles or problems with the mud in the car park clearly there was a variety of reasons why they would not want people to feel pressured.

As usual there were the prohibition notices but this time these were presented in the nicest way I have ever known. ‘We are not trying to be spoilsports, it is just that copyright is part of our sponsor’s privilege’. The Shropshire Star were promoting this concert (and seemingly much of the festival) and they had a booth where they sold quality prints of the show, not just the concerts but the various competitors as well. I did not wish to draw attention by using flash and with a x10 maximum telephoto and low light it is camera shake that is the problem. This picture was in fact taken on the Saturday and I have included it just to show the extraordinary floral decoration upon which Hayley was to comment when she opened her show.

Part 4
Peter S.

[Gene]

Hi Peter,
Very informative and very interesting report. The photos are great! I'm looking forward to the next chapter!
Regards, Gene

[grant]

Hi Peter.

Excellent stuff but I wasn't expecting sorbet AND a fish course!

I really need my turkey dinner now!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best wishes
Grant

[postscript]

Desperately trying to get the dinner and dessert in before you post on Gawsworth Hall-or am I already too late, I haven't been visiting and reading?
Peter S.