Preparations are well underway for the Cowbridge Music Festival in September and its artistic director, Dr Joe Fort, tells Cowbridge Nub News about what visitors can expect from this year's colourful programme. 

After last year's schedule of socially-distanced concerts, the festival will be back to its full glory. "The audience seems to value quite an eclectic mix of genres," says Dr Fort, 36, a lecturer in Music and director of the Chapel Choir at King's College London. "Several of the concerts are classical but we also have jazz and folk concerts, as well as world music." 

Dr Fort has helped to organise everything alongside his wife, Rosalind Ventris. This year's programme features many highlights, particularly a Music from Afghanistan set at Cowbridge Town Hall on September 21 to pay homage to Afghan refugees currently residing in the town. "We wanted to do something that would cater to them and bring a more inclusive and diverse element to the schedule," he says. 

Other acts include Welsh-Ukrainian soprano Natalya Romaniw and pianist Michael Pollock who will be performing at Holy Cross Parish Church on September 23, and The Darius Brubeck Quartet will close the festival at the Cowbridge Comprehensive School Theatre on September 25. 

Welsh-Ukrainian soprano Natalya Romaniw, pictured, will perform at Holy Cross Parish Church on September 23. (Image courtesy of Dr Joseph Fort)

The festival was founded in 2010 by Mary Elliott Rose, a former Cowbridge resident who relocated to Switzerland a few years ago. Mr Fort came onboard around 18 months ago to help with the artistic direction. "My wife [Rosalind] has played at the festival a number of times," he says. 

"From there, it made us coming onboard a natural succession because of the connections Rosalind had already made in Cowbridge."  

Since its inception 12 years ago, Cowbridge Music Festival has grown in popularity as well as the number of concerts performed. "It started off quite small with around three concerts in Cowbridge," says Dr Fort. "The idea was to create a festival with an audience already here in Cowbridge, for people that may not necessarily be able to travel to Cardiff. 

"We're bringing musicians that would normally play in Cardiff to Cowbridge and creating a festival for the community. Over the following years, it's continued to grow." 

Cowbridge Music Festival continues to grow in popularity as well as the number of concerts performed. (Image courtesy of Dr Joseph Fort)

The Cowbridge Music Festival now consists of approximately 11 or 12 main concerts over a ten-day period, and there is also a school outreach programme managed by a group called Children's Musical Adventures to get local schools involved in the schedule. "They [Children's Musical Adventures] normally go into around five primary schools and host various workshops with the children," says Dr Fort. 

"About 1,000 children take part in those workshops and we've also recently started a partnership with Cowbridge Comprehensive School and we also host a few concerts in local care homes too. 

"It's great for residents in the care homes who might not be able to travel to the concerts themselves, we bring the music to them – everybody in the community experiences the music as a result." 

Cowbridge Music Festival will run from September 16-25. Find out more about this year's programme here.