Bryn
Terfel's Faenol Festival in Wales Safe From Threatened
Cancellation
By
Hannah Jones
Western Mail [Cardiff] - 18 May 2004
Fears over the possible cancellation of this year's
Faenol Festival have been allayed by festival organisers.
The annual three-day event brought to Gwynedd by opera
giant Bryn Terfel was in crisis last week because a
pop festival had been booked on the same site just a
few weeks before.
Terfel's
festival promoter, IMG Arts Entertainment, were worried
that the number of people walking through the Faenol
Estate for the Summer Pops extravaganza could be a potential
problem.
Last
week it told Gwynedd Council the festival would not
go ahead unless it was reimbursed if it made a loss.
Now the council has agreed to cover any shortfall.
With
the funding problems solved, the line-up with a decidedly
jazzy theme has been finalised.
Jools
Holland and Jamie Cullum headline on August 28, appearing
together for the first time, and there will be a number
of young international performers also singing.
Twenty-six-year-old
tenor Joseph Calleja stars with Bryn Terfel in the Gala
Opera Night on Bank Holiday Sunday. He won the prestigious
Caruso Award in 1998 and stood in for José Cura
in a production of Il trovatore at the Royal Opera House
two years ago.
Last
year's Gala Opera Night was widely recognised as being
the launch pad for Hayley Westenra's incredible
success story and Bryn maintains that commitment to
younger talent this year, performing with some of the
world's top young stars in classical music.
On
Bank Holiday Monday the original cast of 1974 Welsh
rock opera Nia Ben Aur will re-form just for the Dragon's
Fire concert, which will also feature Dafydd Iwan and
seventies favourites Hergest from Aberystwyth.
Said
Bryn, 'I'm delighted that the festival is able to go
ahead again this year. It's our fifth year, it's a tremendous
weekend for music-lovers and I'm very grateful for all
the local support we received in making it happen.'
Tickets
are on sale from North Wales Theatre, Llandudno, on
[+44] 01492 872000, Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, [+44] 01248
351708 and Silver Star Holidays, Caernarfon, [+44] 01286
671771. The prices are: Saturday, seats £35, promenade
£25; Sunday, seats £38.50, promenade £21.50;
Monday, promenade £17.50, Under 16s, £10.50.
(C)
2004 Western Mail. via ProQuest Information and Learning
Company; All Rights Reserved
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thanks to Jon Voslo
