Dinas Brân students to deliver Eisteddfod Peace Message

* Dinas Brân students rehearse for the Peace Message presentation (this picture and below).

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has selected Ysgol Dinas Brân to participate in its annual peace initiative at this year’s festival.

Performing on the main Royal Pavilion stage on Thursday, the school is set to deliver the International Eisteddfod message of peace in a performance of mime and narration, complete with a song entitled ‘Peace at Last’.

The Dinas Brân students, aged 14-18 years old, will modernise the message for the present day audience. What was historically performed through spoken word, has now been adapted to song, in true Llangollen style. 

The peace message was brought to the Eisteddfod stage in 1952 to demonstrate how the small town of Llangollen could positively impact the furtherance of peace worldwide through its initiative. 

Welsh peace organisation, Wales for Peace has been commissioned to showcase a special project for the International Eisteddfod 2018. This will feature a digital installation, presenting the transcendence of peace through time via a series of short video interviews. 

Awel Irene, Community Participation Facilitator at Wales for Peace, said: “Since its inception in 1952, through to modern day, the peace message has a historical perspective like no other. 

“As children from Ysgol Dinas Brân take to the International Eisteddfod stage on Thursday during the evening concert, Wales for Peace would like to congratulate all of the young performers on helping to uphold such a vitally important message.  

“Visitors will be warmly welcomed at the archive tent throughout the week-long celebrations, where they will find this year’s peace display, demonstrating the goodwill and friendship found at the very heart of the festival.”

Debbie Neal, Head of Music at Ysgol Dinas Brân, said: “It is fantastic to once again be celebrating the International Eisteddfod by taking part in the portrayal of such an important and uplifting message. It’s incredibly rewarding and inspiring to work with our young children on this project, whose history is deeply connected to the long-standing traditions adopted by Eisteddfod.

“Our pupils have put so much effort into making this performance a success and we are very much looking forward to closing with a peace song to accompany the message. It is something that has certainly created a buzz amongst the children."

* For more information or to book tickets to the festival, visit www.llangollen.net or contact the box office. For regular news and updates about the Festival follow us on Twitter @llangollen_Eist or like our Facebook page Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.