Presteigne Festival

The Presteigne Festival combines musical adventure with a delights of a little town, Presteigne (Llandras in Welsh), in the Welsh Marches in Powys in historic Radnorshire. They have a lively and adventurous commissioning policy, so that it is a lovely place to hear contemporary music. This year's festival runs from 21-26 August, and has Stephen McNeff as the composer-in-residence, a seventy-fifth birthday tribute to John McCabe and something of a Polish theme to the rest of the festival.

A festival commission, Stephen McNeff's oboe concerto receives its premiere and McNeff's opera Prometheus Drowned is being performed in a double bill with Cecilia McDowall's new work Airborne which is a festival co-commission.

Pawel Lukaszewski

The Polish theme includes a celebration of Andrzej  Panufnik's centenary along with music by other major 20th century Polish composer Gorecki, Lutoslawski, Penderecki and the less well known Grazyna Bacewicz. There is also the commission of a new Requiem from Pawel Lukaszewski, for soprano and baritone soloists, chorus and orchestra, performed by the Joyful Company of Singers and the Festival Orchestra conducted by George Vass, the festival's artistic director.

Festival commissions include Lynne Plowman's unaccompanied choral work The Mariner's Compass, Toby Young's song cycle setting Dylan Thomas, Lie Still, Hilary Tann's string quartet And the Snow did Lie and a work for clarinet and piano by Daniel Kidane. Further information from the festival website.