* Selwyn Evans, Treasurer of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has
staged a dramatic reversal of fortune - by making a profit for the first time
in five years and providing a £1.5 million boost to the local economy.
While other festivals have struggled, the
world-renowned event defied the recession
and bad weather to record a profit of £22,668 after a number of difficult
years.
Meanwhile, advance sales for this year's
International Eisteddfod are already breaking previous records.
Last year’s event attracted 36,000 people and with
an average daily visitor spend of £42 that adds up to a massive £1.5 million cash
injection to the local economy.
The result has been welcomed by Eisteddfod
treasurer Selwyn Evans who said: “This is very encouraging after a number of
difficult years and the fact that it was achieved against the odds is also
significant.
“Not only did we manage it in the worst
economic downturn in our 67-year history we also did it in a very wet week in
the middle of the wettest summer on record.
“That did affect daytime ground admissions in
particular but we managed to more than maintain our concert attendance figures.
“That was down to the extremely hard work of
the staff, one only of whom was full time, and our dedicated army of volunteers
and helpers.
“Our aim now is to improve on this result in
2013 and continue improving in subsequent years and to do that every line of
income and expenditure will continue to be carefully monitored in order to
achieve our aim.
“But what we will also do is continue to back
our Musical Director and his plans for the future and to maintain the standards
of our superlative concert lineup and the wonderful atmosphere that the
Eisteddfod always creates on the field and in the town.”
This year’s Eisteddfod starts on Tuesday,
July 9, and runs until Sunday, July 14, when a concert by keyboard king Jools
Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will be the climax to six days of
music and dance and competitions.
Also in a star-studded line-up are a Strictly Cuban
evening featuring Strictly Come Dancing stars James and Ola Jordan and the
music of Havana’s Buena Vista Social Club.
Concerts include a performance of Verdi’s
Requiem on the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth and
performances from harpist Claire Jones, tenor Noah Stewart, and percussionist
Evelyn Glennie as well as Only Men Aloud on the Choir of the World competition
night, Saturday, July 13.
Advance sales for this year’s concerts are
going very well and Selwyn Evans added: “In just four weeks we have sold
£170,000 worth of tickets and are more than halfway to our target for the year.
“The Jools Holland concert is already over
half sold and there is also lots of demand for the other events, especially
Strictly Latin and Only Men Aloud.
“That’s very poitive and we’re really pleased
with the results after a few very tough years.
“To have turned it round the way we have is a
wonderful achievement.”
The 67th Llangollen International
Musical Eisteddfod kicks off on Tuesday, July 9, with International Children’s
Day including interactive performances from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
and the colourful procession of the competitors to the Royal International
Pavilion, led by Eisteddfod President Terry Waite, CBE, the former Archbishop’s
Special Envoy and a long-time supporter.
The evening concerts start with Tuesday
night’s Carnival of Nations featuring four of Wales’s finest male voice choirs,
the Rhos Orpheus, Cor Godre’r Aran, Cor y Brythoniaid and the chart topping
Fron Choir, performing on the 60th anniversary of the historic visit
of Germany’s Obernkirchen Choir. They will be joined by the St Melodians Steel
Band, from Trinidad and international competitors.
Wednesday night will feature An Evening with
Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie who will be joined by the rising American
tenor Noah Stewart and harpist Claire Jones, former official harpist to HRH the Prince of Wales, along with the Eisteddfod Orchestra and the Santo Tomas Choir
from the Philippines, twice Choir of the World winners.
Thursday will be Strictly Cuban, a
celebration of Latin dance rhythms with James and Ola Jordan and the Buena
Vista Social Club while Friday will be VERDI 200, a performance of Verdi’s
Requiem by to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth with
Claire Rutter, Mirouslava Yordanova , Gwyn Hughes Jones, Jonathan Lemalu and
accompanied by the Eisteddfod Orchestra conducted by Andrew Greenwood.
Saturday is Choir of the World which this
year will also feature Only Men Aloud, Last Choir Standing TV winners while for
the first time dance will be teamed with choral music on Saturday night as the
Eisteddfod’s top two dance troupes dance off for the new Dance Champions 2013
Trophy.
On Sunday keyboard king Jools Holland will
bring the house and the curtain down with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and a
special guest before the traditional firework show finale.
