Llangwm Puts Pembrokeshire On The Operatic Map!

The village of Llangwm has been congratulated for putting Pembrokeshire ‘on the operatic map’ by Cllr Tony Brinsden, Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Brinsden invited representatives from the Llangwm History Society’s WW1 project ‘A Village at War’ to a reception at County Hall yesterday (Tuesday) in recognition of their success at the national Remember WW1 awards, held recently in London. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Llangwm History Society’s project consisted of an opera especially commissioned to commemorate the outbreak of WW1 and performed by the local community, plus an interactive exhibition. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Judges described the project as ‘inspiring and audacious’ and made it the overall winner in the Arts and Creativity category. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Peter Grant, one of the judges, said: “In the 1900s Frederick Delius wrote his beautiful opera ‘A Village Romeo and Juliet’. In the 1950s and 60s Benjamin Britten penned many extraordinary pieces for amateur artists. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“To compare Llangwm’s ‘A Village Opera’ to two of our finest composers may seem an exaggeration but in Peter George’s poetic libretto and Sam Howley’s extraordinary music we have found a 21st century equivalent. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Despite the incredibly high standard of the entries for the arts award for ‘Remember World War 1’, it was an easy decision to give it to Llangwm. ‘A Village Opera’ will stand as one of the finest creations of the centenary and will, I believe, still be remembered a hundred years from now.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Brinsden echoed Dr Grant’s words, adding: “The terrific amount of work that a small community like Llangwm went to, drawing on the unquestionable talent from within, enabled you in a very clever way to achieve your goal. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The winning of this award only goes to show what can be achieved in a very short period of time by some determined people all pulling together for a common cause.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He was presented with a DVD of ‘WW1: A Village Opera’ by the Chairman of Llangwm Local History Society, Jane Mills, who thanked him for the invitation to County Hall ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​