Wales’s top bard will be reading an “uplifting poem” she wrote to cheer people up during Covid at a music festival
Mererid Hopwood, the Archdruid of Wales, will be among the star attractions of the fringe events at the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph, from September 11 to 20.
According to Mererid, she has fond memories of the Vale of Clwyd because she became the first woman to be awarded the chair at the National Eisteddfod when it was held in Denbigh in 2001.
The Cardiff-born poet has also won the Eisteddfod Crown and Prose medal becoming only the third person to win all three of the festival's big prizes, as well as being the second woman to be Archdruid.
Her reading takes place at the Jacob’s Ladder café at 9.30pm on Thursday, September 18, following the evening concert at St Asaph Cathedral across the road.
Organisers say numbers are “very limited” so anyone wanting to attend should email admin@nwimf.com to book their free place.
Mererid said: “Such events often create a quite magical atmosphere and I'm excited at being invited to take part.”
"I'll be reading poems from my new book 'Mae' as well as some others. Most of them are in Welsh but I have written poems in English and several more have been translated."
"Mae" is a collection of poems written in strict metre or free verse since the publication of Nes Draw in 2015. The poems are about peace, injustice, the environment and being a mother and grandmother.
The title of the new collection comes from a poem commissioned shortly after the first lockdown was imposed in March 2020 by the Government.
"Someone from S4C phoned up and said they wanted a poem to cheer people up who were stuck at home. Of course I was in the same situation at home in Carmarthen but quickly realised that everything else in nature was in its place as normal.”
"I've often wondered if poets in other countries were asked to write uplifting poems during their Covid lockdowns," she said.
Paul Mealor, in his second year as the festival's Artistic Director, said the festival features a range of concerts, masterclasses and discussions as well as a range of fringe events and community workshops.
"It's the second time we've staged these fringe events and they were so successful last year we've decided they'll return again this year.”
"Our first comedy evening was hugely successful and Manon James will again be appearing at the New Inn along with Katie Gill and it'll be an evening of laughs and more laughs", he said.
Other fringe events include pianist Cyrill Ibrahim performing a programme titled ‘Harmonie du Soir’ at St Asaph Cathedral.
Jazz guitarist Joshua Lascar will be at the New Inn on Saturday, September 13 and there will be an evening of Cabaret and American songs at the same venue with Jillian Bain Christie and John Frederick Hudson on Friday, September 19.
It’s not the first time Mererid has worked with Paul Mealor.
She said: “During Covid I wrote the words for a piece composed by Paul called Gweddi Cymru (Wales' Prayer). It was for the BBC's annual St David's Day concert and my words were read over the music.”
"Later I wrote the words for Tangnefedd (Peace) a piece for choirs at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. During Covid they obviously couldn't travel so they were sent the piece for recording and submitted on video. The response was quite remarkable," she said.
The festival is being made possible thanks to the backing of the Arts Council of Wales, the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, Arts & Business Cymru and Tŷ Cerdd.
The festival's opening concert on Thursday, September 11, stars Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja who Paul Mealor believes is "the world’s finest lyric tenor".
Headliners this year include the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, world class choral group Apollo5 and the renowned Black Dyke Band.
Making her festival debut this year will be the acclaimed film and TV composer, Debbie Wiseman OBE.
Her theme tunes for Wolf Hall, Wilde, Father Brown, Tom’s Midnight Garden, Jack Frost, The Glorious Garden and many others will be played by the NEW Sinfonia orchestra.
Another highlight this year will be the second Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition that was launched last year and is being funded by the Pendine Arts and Community Trust set up by Pendine Park.
The final concert will feature the North Wales Choral Union and Orchestra under the baton of conductor Trystan Lewis.
Other events and community projects being staged at the festival include a Tots & Children’s concert, a Dementia Friendly concert and Mindfulness through Music workshops.
Live Music Now Cymru musicians will stage interactive community tour performances in numerous community venues while a community art project with visual artists Ben Davis and Jude Wood will create an art exhibition in the cathedral on the ‘perceptions’ theme.
Tickets and further details about the festival programme are available online at https://nwimf.com. Tickets are also available from Cathedral Frames, St Asaph - 07471 318723 (Weds - Fri, 10 - 4) and Theatr Clwyd by phone - 01352 344101 (Mon - Sun, 10 - 8).