Eisteddfod seeks emerging Welsh composers for new project

* The winner will have their work performed on the world-famous Eisteddfod stage.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has launched a major new commissioning opportunity for emerging Welsh composers. 

This project is made possible thanks to significant support from the Arts Council of Wales, whose commitment has enabled the festival to expand its investment in new music and creative talent.  

The new initiative, ‘Harmony Without Borders', invites early-career composers who were born in Wales, live in Wales, or study in Wales to apply for a £6,000 paid commission to create a six-minute bilingual work for choir and orchestra. Full details are provided in the attached brief.  

 

The commissioned piece will receive its world premiere on Tuesday 7 July 2026 as part of the festival’s flagship opening concert, Uniting Nations: One World, a centrepiece of the 2026 artistic programme. 

* Sir Karl Jenkins.

This special evening, featuring Sir Karl Jenkins conducting his powerful work One World, opens the 2026 festival with a message of unity, renewal and global collaboration, making it the perfect setting for this major new Welsh commission. 

 

The work is expected to open with a bold orchestral fanfare, progressing into expressive choral writing in Welsh and English, with the option of incorporating additional languages. Composers wishing to collaborate with a lyricist may apply for financial support included within the commission. 

 

Applicants will be shortlisted by the Artistic Director, with the final selection made by a panel of industry professionals. The commission is open to composers aged 18 and over, with preference given to those at the beginning of their professional journey. 

 

John Gambles, Chairman of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are thrilled to launch Harmony Without Borders, a project that reflects our dedication to nurturing Welsh creative talent and celebrating the musical languages of our nation. 

"None of this would be possible without the support of the Arts Council of Wales, whose commitment has enabled us to invest in new work on a scale worthy of our international stage. We look forward to welcoming a new composer into the Eisteddfod family and sharing their music with the world in July 2026.” 

Dave Danford, Artistic Director, said: "This commission offers a fantastic opportunity for an emerging Welsh composer to create a work that will sit at the heart of one of our most significant concerts in 2026. 

"We are looking for someone with imagination, ambition and a strong sense of musical identity. With choir, orchestra and a global audience at their disposal, the successful composer will have a powerful platform to showcase their voice. I cannot wait to see the ideas that come forward.” 

 

Key Dates 

• 19 December 2025 – Application deadline 

• 9 January 2026 – Composer notified 

• 6 March 2026 – First draft due 

• 31 March 2026 – Final draft due 

• 7 July 2026 – World premiere at Llangollen 

 

Composers can apply by filling out the following form: https://forms.gle/1hua1LGPJZ7dzfEa6 

 

* For more information please email composers@llangollen.net with the subject line “Harmony Without Borders”. 

Two early Christmas presents for St Collen's schemes

St Collen’s Church has just had two early Christmas presents.

Its Genesis Project to transform the ancient church into a modern community hub while retaining its historical fabric has been awarded £719,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) - more than they originally applied for.

And the separate campaign to preserve the ancient hammerbeam ceiling has also been given an important funding boost.

The massive cash injection from the NLHF takes the project a huge step closer to transforming the church into a warm, flexible, and welcoming space for the whole community, while protecting its unique medieval heritage.

Project manager Suzanne Evans said: "Our separate ceiling conservation fundraising has also had an important update in that Cadw, the Welsh heritage body, have agreed that we can submit a funding application for 50% of the costs of the repair.

"This is fantastic news as it will help with the amazing fundraising efforts the community has been undertaking.

"A huge thanks goes to the Collen Players Fundraisers, lots of private donations and bequests from individuals and families and our beautiful Evening of Song, supported by the Penley Madras Community Choir, which raised funds and awareness in equal measure."

Volvo XC60: a car that does almost all the work

 

Volvo XC 60 drive by Steve Rogers

We are inching closer to the day when we can sit back and let the car do all the work.

Blind comedian and Strictly star Chris McCausland gave us an insight in his TV documentary when he was taken for a drive in San Francisco with no one behind the steering wheel.

The whole idea is not that far-fetched because of the huge advances in driverless technology over the last decade, and there are already bits and bobs in cars we are driving today.

I've just taken a trip when I virtually handed over the driving to the car, and not surprisingly it was the king of safety - Volvo. I hit roadworks half way into my journey on a wet and busy M6. Average speed cameras, of course, so I selected a speed, engaged adaptive cruise control and lane hold and the Volvo pretty much drove itself, accelerating and braking while following a vehicle, and preventing the car drifting out of the lane.

Don’t be thinking you can sit back and take a snooze. After a few seconds a warning tells the driver to put hands back on the wheel but this is certainly a case of steering into the future.

The car will emergency brake if it detects pedestrians, cyclists or a vehicle if a collision is imminent along with rear cross traffic braking, useful when reversing out of a supermarket parking bay and the like.

XC 60 has taken over from the seventies 240 as Volvo’s best selling car of all time and has had a bit of a refresh, mainly technical stuff and even more safety features, and a new grille that makes it look even more like the XC 90.

Should mention an upgrade to the plug-in hybrid where the range is now up to 50 miles, so for some that could mean electric only driving with a home charge top up taking only three hours.

For me the best part of a Volvo is the cabin. It is Scandi cool, just like the laid back Swedes with high quality light materials and finishes. It is just a relaxing place to be.

We first saw this new look a decade ago and it has only needed a few tweaks to keep it bang up to date. Then the downside was the revolutionary portrait style touchscreen, which was a nightmare to navigate with a telephone directory of menus and sub menus. It was too clever by half.

The same screen dominates the XC 60 dashboard but has gone from complicated to simple thanks to large easy to read icons, but if it is still too much use voice control which does just about anything requested. The same simplicity is mirrored on the steering wheel buttons for selecting information in the large driver’s display.

As a family car XC 60 ticks the important boxes, the front seats are the most comfortable of any car I have driven, there is ample space for three in the back and the boot, while not the largest in the class, is a good size.

The ride is more twitchy than expected but is set up for comfort and does a reasonable job of absorbing our annoying road surfaces. If sharper handling is on the must list then look at an Audi Q5 or BMW X3.

There should be no complaints on the performance front. Volvo uses the 2-litre petrol that has served them well for years and this T8 all wheel drive delivers a stampede of horsepower that will have you hitting sixty in under five seconds.

With the aid of hybrid the economy figures sound impossibly high - would you believe 282mpg - but driving on petrol only I managed 40mpg which is nothing to complain about.

After my super bright headlights problems with the Cupra Tavascan the XC 60 seems to have found a happy medium. This is also a Matrix system that lays a superb, complex carpet of light that does not cause problems for other drivers.

Nearly 70 grand for this top of the range model is a big chunk of money though not out of step with its premium sector rivals. It comes with all the bells and whistles but the key was that I felt completely safe in this car and that is not too high a price to pay.

Favourite feature: Brilliant voice control.

Fast facts

XC 60 T8 AWD Ultra

£68,860 (starts £48,410)

2-litre plug-in hybrid; 455bhp

0-62mph 4.9secs; 112mph

Electric range: Up to 50 miles

40mpg (Actual petrol only)

Full charge: 3 hours

32g/km. First VED £110

Insurance group 42

Boot: 468 litres

Towing: 2250kg

Latest roadworks bulletin from the county council

The latest roadworks bulletin from Denbighshire County Council says that the carriageway outside number 36 Castle Street, Llangollen will be closed (7pm - 10am, according to the sign pictured above) on Sunday December 14 to allow manhole works to go ahead.

* The bulletin also shows the road will be closed at the junction of Vicarage Lane and Willow Street on December 3/4 to allow tree cutting to take place.

Famous houses get lit up for Christmas and a good cause

* The lit-up houses along Green Lane.

Residents of a high-profile block of houses in Llangollen have had a bright idea to raise money for a cancer charity.

They've decked out their Victorian terrace which overlooks Llangollen railway station with a colourful array of Christmas lights with the aim of filling a £500 sackful of seasonal cheer for Prostate Cancer UK by January 5 next year.

Garry Perriton said: "We've thought about Green Lane Christmas lights for a number of years and this year we've finally got around to doing it.

"Llangollen railway station and our houses above feature in many images taken by tourists and the media.

"The idea was to come together and deliver a Christmas display to add to Llangollen's fantastic Christmas festival and lights."

He added: "Whilst we 'switch on' for Christmas we also decided to raise awareness and vital funds for Prostate cancer UK. We hope to raise funds for prostate this year and look at fundraising for other more local and global charities in the future. 

"Prostate Cancer UK is a cause that is close to our hearts. Prostate cancer affects so many lives, and by donating, people are helping to fund vital research and support services that make a real difference.

"We have produced a flyer explaining what we are doing which we will display in shops and bars around the town."

* Here's the fundraising link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/greenlane-1

Coffee morning will help Christian Aid's Christmas appeal

Llangollen Churches Together (Cytûn) are holding a fundraising coffee morning for Christian Aid's No Crib For a Bed Christmas appeal tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Memorial Hall in Market Street, from 10am until 12 noon. 

The appeal aims to provide shelter and food for families torn apart by war. Details of how to donate can be found on the Christian Aid website. 

Oak Street Gallery announces its final show

                 

* By John Peacock.

Oak Street Gallery in Llangollen has announced a new exhibition for Christmas 2025. 

Karl said: "We feature a wonderful selection of paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery, and stitched textiles from our roster of gallery artists. We are also delighted to be exhibiting the expressionistic and compelling work of Gill and Ian Edwards from Glyn Ceiriog."

But he added: "Sadly, this Christmas exhibition will be the Gallery’s final show, as we will be closing in mid-January 2026. 

"Since opening in June 2019, The Oak Street Gallery has taken pride in presenting artists whose authentic work stems from a genuine impulse to create. 

"It has been my privilege and pleasure to know them and to exhibit their work. We are deeply thankful to Carys Haf Roberts, one of our artists and our gallery manager, who helped create an atmosphere in the gallery that we truly cherished.

"We are grateful for the support and enthusiasm we have received from the residents of Llangollen and from the many tourists who stopped in to buy or view our work, or simply to come in and have a chat. 

"The Oak Street Gallery will remain open on Thursdays and Saturdays, with extended hours during the Holiday season." 

www.facebook.com/12OakStreetGallery

* By Ian Edwards.

* By Karl Young.

* Work by Gill Edwards in the show.