SINGING Histories, a year-long education outreach project devised by Presteigne Festival for school children in the area, was launched when more than 150 school children headed to the historic battleground site of Bryan Glas, Pilleth, for the re-enactment of the famous 1402 Battle of Bryan Glas.
Teachers and pupils from primary schools in Gladestry, Knighton, Leintwardine, Presteigne and Shobdon were led by Presteigne Festival education project manager Liz Johnson, composer Liz Lane, writer Paul Lewis and historian Charles Kightly in a morning of activity in and around historic St Mary’s Church, Pilleth.
“We feel it is important for Presteigne Festival to connect with its local community and, after the hugely successful Creating Landscapes project in 2010, we immediately started work planning Singing Histories,” says festival director George Vass.
“Singing Histories is a cross artform, cross-border initiative with professional composers, musicians, a writer and school children.”
The festival will commission composers Adrian Williams and Liz Lane together with leading local poet Paul Lewis to create a large poem (written in collaboration with the children) and two musical works (one sung by the children) inspired by the Battle of Pilleth.
The premiere of the new works will form the centrepiece of a major community concert in July 2 and they will be heard again at the 30th anniversary Presteigne Festival in August.
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