Patrick
Larley – Music Director
 Patrick, a
freelance composer, conductor, singer and
keyboard player, has been Music Director of the
Montgomeryshire County Music Festival since
January 2008. He is also Music Director of Ludlow
Choral Society, founder/director of a
professional vocal ensemble, Chudleigh's Company,
and formerly Music Director of Birmingham
Festival Choral Society – a post which he
relinquished in 2016 after eleven very successful
years.
Patrick has performed with choral societies
around the UK, notably as Evangelist in the Bach
Passions and in works of the Baroque, and has
been a member of two professional choirs –
Wells Cathedral Choir and the BBC Northern
Singers. A Fellow of the Royal College of
Organists, he has given recitals in many of the
country's cathedrals and major churches, and his
concerts, at the organ, piano and harpsichord,
often include a variety of styles of
improvisation – including jazz.
Patrick's compositions encompass a variety of
styles including choral, orchestral,
instrumental, theatre and advertising. His choral
works have been recorded on CD, broadcast on BBC
Radio 3 and performed widely throughout the UK,
across Europe and in America. His Memento
Mori score for the award winning Aerial
Theatre company Ockham's Razor has received
performances throughout the UK and Europe and
more recently in the Sydney Arts Festival, and he
composed music for the first in-house production
of Macbeth at Shrewbury's Theatre Severn
in April 2017.
Recent choral commissions include The Gentle Earth of
Wales (2011), a cantata based on
traditional Welsh melodies, The Birmingham
Spirituals (2014), commissioned by BFCS and
inspired by the words and melodies of African /
American spirituals, and The Tree of Peace
(2016) – a joint commission for St. Paul's
Church, Chichester and Paul-Gehardt Kirche,
Berlin.
Patrick's first String Quartet, Iona Sound,
was premiered at the Gateway Arts Centre,
Shrewsbury in February 2016 and performed again
in Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull and Iona
Abbey in June 2017, and his Clarinet Trio, Sweet
Rememberings, was performed by Hollie
Whittles (clarinet) and Anne Tupling (violin) and
Patrick (piano) on 22nd February 2018 in the
Gateway. A Girl for the Blue was the UK
winner in the Ortus International New Music
Competition, receiving a performance in New York
on June 27th 2015 by Khorikos, the outstanding
NYC young chamber choir.
Away from the music platform, Patrick has a
keen interest in sport and outdoor pursuits and
enjoys discovering Scottish Islands in his
campervan. A former faster bowler and rugby union
winger, he now continues his sporting and leisure
activities in a sea-kayak and on a bicycle –
though not at the same time.
For further information, see www.patricklarley.com.
Stella has been involved in Choral singing
from schooldays, being a composer, arranger and
folk singer before moving to Llanidloes in 1997,
shortly afterwards joining Llanwnog Mixed Voice
Choir with whom she is now deputy conductor as
well as an alto.
When the previous conductor of Llanidloes
Choral Society resigned in 2003, Stella was
invited to become conductor, and now rehearses
Llanidloes, as well as singing alto in the County
Festival.
Stella is also the conductor of the Wesley
Singers based at Longbridge Street Methodist
Church in Llanidloes, with whom Stella has
brought her musical experience to bear in winning
Eisteddfodau. The Wesley Singers have produced a
double CD of 24 hymns to accompany a hymn book
published in September 2009, and sang on the
Glanfa Stage at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff on
Oct 2nd 2010.
Stella has also given great support to the
committee in the organisation of the Festival.
Beryl graduated from UCW Aberystwyth with a
B.Mus degree in 1961 and, after completing a PGCE
course in London, was appointed Head of Music at
Welshpool High School. After leaving to raise her
family she did not return to full-time teaching
but has been involved in private coaching and
local music-making ever since.
In November last year Beryl celebrated 40
years as conductor of Welshpool Choral Society
– an anniversary also shared by the
choir’s accompanist, Margaret Benbow. During
the past 40 years, in addition to their
involvement in the Festival, Welshpool Choral
have given annual Christmas Concerts and Beryl is
very grateful to the choir for the opportunity
during this time to perform a number of her own
original compositions.
|
