Brecon Food Music, Shakespeare wrote “if music be the food of love play on”, possibly this should be twisted with relation to the upcoming Brecon Beacons Food Festival, as “for those that love food there is great music”.
The Brecon Beacons Food Festival which takes place in the market hall in the centre of Brecon on Saturday 5th October has always supported the town and aspects thereof.
2024 in this way is no different but the musical line up is. Brecon Food Music has amongst its line up Brecon Men’s Shed. This is part of a national organisation Men’s Shed which is best described in their own words. Happy & Healthy Men Connection, conversation and creation – that’s what joining a Men’s Shed is all about. Men’s Sheds encourage people to come together to make, repair and repurpose, supporting projects in their local communities. Improving wellbeing, reducing loneliness and combatting social isolation. Brecon Men’s Shed choir is very much an amateur ensemble whose primary aim is creating a great mentally easy place for their members whilst singing.
Another local choir that is a regular performer at the Brecon Beacons Food Festival is the Brecon Male Voice Choir also known as Côr Meibion Aberhonddu. With around 40 voices they keep the tradition of the Welsh male voice choir singing at the heart of Welsh culture. Their repertoire is wide and varied from West End pieces to famous operettas and not forgetting the traditional Welsh hymns.
The themes of inclusivity, community and charity continue with the Builth Wells Ladies Choir. This wonderful choir is a community-based choir that combines their love for music with a commitment to charitable giving. Their annual charity concerts are a testament to their dedication to supporting various causes and fostering community spirit. They bring a wide mixture of music to the food festival which is always much appreciated.
Brecon Food Music has another new dimension to it for 2024 with the melodic voices of members of the Brecon Cathedral Choir. Having been enhancing worship in Brecon Cathedral for 900 years but their repertoire now encompasses far more than Psalms and canticles. A little more back ground to the choir shows how they are very much part of Brecon and the wider community
There are between 14 and 18 Choristers, children aged between 8 and 13 who sing the Soprano or Treble line in the choir. They attend local schools and come to the cathedral to rehearse after school on three afternoons every week during term time and sing an early evening service (usually Evensong) on Fridays in addition to two choral services on Sundays. The Brecon Cathedral Choir Trust was set up in 2003, with the aim of ’empowering young people through the gift of music’, enabling the choristers to receive free music tuition. Places are available for year-4 children each September, with auditions held in early June.
The adults and teenagers who sing alto, tenor and bass in the choir are called Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars. They rehearse on Thursday evenings and join with the choristers to sing evensong on Fridays, for the two Sunday services and some external performances. They do so as volunteers, and some travel considerable distances (from as far away as Neath, Abergavenny, Newport and Bristol) to sing with the choir on a regular basis.
The Brecon Beacons Food Festival has had the pleasure of welcoming Affinity Female Voice Choir previously. Brecon Food Music is made all the more magical with Affinity which as it says on the can is an all female choir, founded in 2012 by the Musical Director, Diane Wright. The choir based in Cardiff has recently appointed Ryan Wood as their deputy musical director who normally resides behind the keyboard with the choir but brings so much experience from other musical groups around south Wales. The choir performs an eclectic range of music from a variety of genres including musical theatre, pop and light classical.
Importantly Affinity is a non-auditioned choir with around 50 members ranging in age from 18-80, and no previous experience is required but enthusiasm and love of music is essential.
Diane Wright herself a musical tour de force in South Wales brings another of her groups to the food festival this year, Tawe Voices. This female choir is based in Ystradgynlais, where no auditions or experience necessary are necessary to join. In addition to their visit to the Brecon Beacons Food Festival they perform 2 main concerts a year in winter and summer, singing a variety of repertoire each term.
Brecon Food Music just demonstrates the wonderful atmosphere inclusivity and community that emanates from the Brecon Beacons Food Festival with the very best of food drink and music.
Facebook: @BreconBeaconsFoodFestival
