Cardiff, Wales – 02 October 2018
We are delighted to announce that our Honorary President has lent his name to the Paul Mealor Sacred Music Award.
On announcing the collaboration, the Brit Award and Double-Classic Brit Award-winning Welsh composer said: “sacred music is at the heart of everything I write as a composer and everything I sing as a singer. This award is intended to encourage and celebrate the sacred in music at this wonderful, innovative Festival.”
Born in St Asaph, North Wales, Paul was described by the New York Times as ‘the most important composer to have emerged in Welsh choral music since William Mathias’ and was later voted as the nation’s favourite living composer during the 2012 UK National Radio Station, Classic FM’s Hall of Fame.
Commenting on the announcement the Festival’s Artistic Director, Eilir Owen Griffiths said: “We are humbled and thrilled that Paul has lent his name to the Sacred Music Award. We had an incredibly high standard of performances from the sacred music repertoire at the 2018 Festival and the aim for the next Festival is to push the standard even higher. We are very fortunate to have Paul as an Honorary President, Partner and esteemed member of the adjudicating panel.”
Ukrainian Children Chorus “Pearls of Odessa” from the Ukraine were awarded the Sacred Music Award for their performance of владычкце пріими моиитвы (The Lady) at the 2018 Festival. Take a look at their winning performance here.
Applications are now open for the 2019 Festival, which will return to the Wales Millennium Centre over the Easter weekend [19 April – 21 April 2019]. During this time, the choirs will indulge in a fully packed schedule of choral events ranging from concerts with acclaimed artists; informal performances at the Welsh Capital’s most popular landmarks (Cardiff Castle, National Assembly of Wales, Mermaid Quay); workshops with leading choral conductors and collaborators such as Welsh composer Paul Mealor and Irish choral conductor and international adjudicator Bernie Sherlock; and last but not least, compete for the prestigious Sir Karl Jenkins Trophy.
Applications close on 01 November.