Saturday 1st July 2023, Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod via Crediton

 

Togged up in our black uniforms for Izzy’s wedding gig, we headed off early to Crediton to grab a brunch at The Drifters cafe before joining the rest of the choir for the dress rehearsal in Holy Cross Parish Church. The church itself is quite substantial, sub cathedral category if there is such a thing, and dripping with early mediaeval history. 

We ran through our number, the acoustics felt disappointingly modest, it felt a challenge to try and project the quieter bits without turning up the volume. Then we joined the church choir, fully cassocked in their pews, to practice the grand opening of the ceremony with a blast of Hugh Parry’s I Was Glad.

The religious rites of the wedding were performed without any hitches, and our centrepiece rendition of The Luckiest seemed to be well received, even eliciting an incongruous ripple of applause.

Then it was a dash back to Taunton to change into holiday casuals, pack the car and head up the M5. Short pitstop at the Farmshop motorway services for pie and chips and a few goodies from the shop, then onwards to our accommodation in.

The pad is a very comfortable, clean 2 room affair, bathed in natural light, with views across the hills, including the imposing ruins of Dinas Brân. We took a short evening stroll into Llangollen, c 1 mile, for an introductory exploration of the town. Favourable first impressions, in particular the old bridge and rapid waters coursing through.

The pavilions are just the other side of town and under construction, so we were only able to catch glimpses of the white-topped marquee and grounds of the festival. There also seems to a motorbike convention in town, somewhat spoiling the tranquility of the place.