The two-day Bangor Music Festival is being held at Pontio arts centre, Bangor, on Friday and Saturday, February 14 and 15. This year the festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a packed programme based on the theme of Music, Health and Wellbeing.

Music lovers will enjoy 18 world premieres of new works – a fully restored street organ called ‘Astrid’ and yoga sessions for adults and children.

 

The festival will be presenting the innovative ensembles UPROAR and Electroacoustic WALES, the talented pianist Siwan Rhys, before closing with an experimental production by Exploration in Sound, all forming exciting and captivating performances within the majestic Pontio building.

New music is further celebrated with the commissioning of Juan Pablo Barrios and Tom Sissons, new pieces by Jordan Hirst, Ashley John Long, Niamh O’Donnell, David Roche, Joss Smith and Jerry Zhuo as part of the CoDI SOUNDS project, music especially written for the Astrid street organ, amongst many new pieces by composition students at the School of Music and Media, Bangor University.

The festival is the brainchild of Dr Guto Pryderi Puw, senior lecturer and head of composition at the School of Music and Media, Bangor University.
According to Dr Puw, the theme ‘Music, Health and Wellbeing’ is particularly timely because a new study into the therapeutic benefits of music has recommended listening to a minimum of 78 minutes of music a day, in order to maintain a healthy mind and body.

The study found that the therapeutic benefits of music became evident after 11 minutes of listening and, in the case of happiness, listeners needed only to wait five minutes to reap the emotional rewards of a song. Classical music was said to be the most relaxing and the best for concentration.

Music is available to all members of our community and it is a pleasure to be able to collaborate with like-minded organisations to present Steps in Music to the youngest generation, Yoga sessions for all ages and the opportunity to hear performances of Discover the Song.

Astrid the Street Organ:

Date: Saturday 15th February 2020
Time: 12pm by Bangor Clock Tower
4pm-5pm in the public areas at Pontio (Free Performance)

To find out more about the Bangor Music Festival or for tickets please visit www.bangormusicfestival.org.uk