The festival has a rich tradition of commissioning and premiering works by outstanding composers of the time, including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Elgar’s Light of Life, and Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi, and this tradition continues today thanks to the generous support of the Commissioning Circle. Members of the Circle enjoy a variety of attractive benefits according to the level of support, detailed below.

Richard Blackford’s haunting and moving narrative cantata The Black Lake will be supported by the Commissioning Circle at the Hereford festival. Inspired by and setting sections of Caradog Prichard’s novel Un Nos Ola Leuad (One Moonlit Night), Blackford depicts the splendour of the meeting of choirs on a Welsh hillside, an overpowering and ultimately deadly storm, and many more dramatic scenes, in powerful choral moments that punctuate the words of the young Boy, our narrator. Music brings the Welsh villagers together in choirs, in songs by the fireside; music evokes the mystery of the Black Lake, the Chapel, the gift of song that a mother shares with her son.

If you would like more information about joining the Commissioning Circle and supporting exciting new works, please contact Robert Convey.

Commissioning Circle Members for 2025

Peter Beesley, Joan Bennett, Enid Castle, William Coulthard, David & Susan Coulton, Mr & Mrs Terence Dryburgh, Mr & Mrs Anthony Jeans, Robert Jones, John & Sheila Malin, Revd Canon Ian Macrae Michael, Graham Muncy, Mark Napier, Jean Ostler, Huw Rhydderch, David Russell, Angela Thomson, Mike Penn & Gareth Williams