Wales Millennium Centre is celebrating St David’s Day for an entire weekend this year from Friday 1 – Sunday 3 March and will showcase the best of Welsh food and music. Experience live music by Welsh artists as the Glanfa stage comes alive with free performances across three days of festivities (1 – 3 March 2013), along with a taste of some traditional Welsh recipes from the Centre’s Head Chef in ffresh Restaurant and Bar.
Showing the rich musical talent of Wales, performances on the Glanfa stage include an array of singers and musicians covering many genres of music. Singers from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama will share the stage with local school choirs and youth orchestras, whilst ex band member of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Richard James will perform a selection of contemporary folk songs ensuring that there will music to suit everyone’s tastes.
http://www.wmc.org.uk/stdavidsday
Wales Millennium Centre’s Artistic Director Conrad Lynch says, “The programme for the Centre’s hugely popular free performance stage has been extended especially for the St David’s Day celebrations. As well as a great variety of events and activities there will be great Welsh food and drink on offer. As Wales’ national centre for the performing arts it’s only fitting that we should mark Wales’ national day in this way with an extended free programme of activity.’
Performances on the Glanfa stage will start from 1.00pm on 1 March and will continue later that day. The celebrations will continue throughout Saturday 2 March and Sunday 3 March. All events are free.
For those unable to make it to Wales Millennium Centre on 1 March, there’s no reason to miss out. The Centre recently launched it online streaming service which means that performances from the Glanfa Stage can be viewed live, online, for free. Viewers can log on to http://www.wmc.org.uk/connected to enjoy all the St David’s Day events throughout the weekend from the comfort of their own home or whilst out and about using their mobile devices.
The Centre’s ffresh Bar and Restaurant will have a special Welsh themed menu on offer. Executive chef Kurt Fleming has created a menu to reflect the finest in Welsh ingredients from the restaurant’s pioneering partnership with Wales the True Taste, which recognises its local sourcing policy.
The St David’s Day menu includes three courses with a choice of Cawl; Celtic pork terrine with pickles and toast; Cockles and laverbread; Roasted mushroom and basil pate, brioche fingers or Welsh rarebit with Colliers cheddar to start. The main course selection includes Pan fried breast of chicken, dauphinoise potato; Braised shoulder of Welsh lamb, roast potatoes and vegetables; Sea trout, sliced new potatoes, samphire and prawns; Leek and hafod cheese strudel, courgette ragout and roasted pumpkin seeds and a Taffy Apple cider braised pork belly with rosti potato and honey glazed carrots. To finish, Kurt has devised a choice of desserts of Bara Brith pudding with Sub Zero vanilla ice cream; Peanut butter and jelly cheesecake; Capaccio of pineapple, coconut sorbet and mango foam; Pear and frangipane tart, crème Chantilly and pear puree with a selection of Welsh True Taste cheese selection with Daffodil Cottage Oatcakes.
As well as the usual offering, ffresh Bar will also include three types of Welsh rarebit on their menu, made from strong and powerful Colliers Welsh Cheese. Whilst Hufen, the Centre’s café, will offer their customers a complimentary miniature home-made Welsh cake with every tea and coffee.
As usual, tours of the building will be available in both English and Welsh throughout the weekend.
Events Programme for 1, 2 and 3 March:
Friday, March 1
1.00pm-2.00pm: Lynne Denman (Acapella singer)
5.00pm-5.45pm: Richard James (Guitarist and singer-songwriter )
6.00pm-7.00pm: Meilir Jones (Baritone) and Jessica Robinson (Soprano)
Saturday, March 2
11.00am-12.30pm: Penrhiw and Cwm Derwen Nursery Schools near Caerphilly
1.00pm-2.00pm: Delyth Jenkins (Harpist)
3.00pm 4.00pm: Guto Dafis and Danny Kilbride (Folk musicians)
6.00pm–7.00pm: Jennifer Walker (Soprano)
Sunday, March 3
12.30pm-1.30pm: Lowri Evans (Singer songwriter with acoustic guitar)
2.00pm–3.00pm: Dewi Griffiths (Guitarist)
4.00pm-5.00pm: Cardiff and Vale Music Services Youth Orchestra
The St David’s Day festivities will culminate with Welsh National Opera’s performance of Madam Butterfly in the Donald Gordon Theatre. Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones will play the lead role of Pinkerton. Tickets for Madam Butterfly range from £5 – £40 and can be booked by visiting www.wmc.org.uk Madam Butterfly will also be performed at 7.15pm on Saturday 2 March.