A Hungarian Day is planned in Montgomery to celebrate the growing links between the town and the country.
Last month Montgomery featured on Hungarian national television as part of a video celebrating a Welsh festival in the country.
And now plans are being made to host a special day, once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Through Magyar Cymru a musical friendship has been established with UK-based Hungarian opera singer, Elizabeth Sillo. This in turn has led to a newly commissioned piece of music by composer Georges Gondard being entitled ‘Montgomery Fanfare.'
Ms Sillo, who began the annual Hungarian-Welsh concerts in Cardiff, is a founder member of the Welsh Hungarian Cultural Association and organises Europe wide concerts. In this role Elizabeth commissioned an organ piece from French composer Georges Gondard for an anniversary concert in Nice this year.
Georges was born in Nice and himself has distant Hungarian connections. He has been a prolific composer of both film scores and concert works including a tribute to Frida Kalo and a Memoriam for Hiroshima for the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra.
The newly commissioned organ piece was written specifically for Adrian Partington who frequently appears as conductor with the National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales as well as being an organist of international repute.
It came as a wonderful surprise that, learning from Elizabeth of the Hungary-Montgomery links, Georges has now entitled his piece a 'Montgomery Fanfare'.
It is planned to celebrate the Montgomery-Hungary links with a ‘Hungarian Day’, once Covid restrictions allow. This event will include the postponed unveiling of the plaque presented to Montgomery following the bestowing of an Honorary posthumus Freemanship of the town on Hungarian national poet, János Arany. Arany based his epic allegorical poem The Bards of Wales at Montgomery Castle.
Cllr Jill Kibble, who is leading this initiative, as Chair of the Town Council’s Tourism Committee, said “Plans are advancing and we are hoping to have a really interesting day, welcoming friends from both Wales and Hungary, and including some very special surprises.”
She added, “We hope we can host the premiere of a new scoring of Georges Gondard’s work, Montgomery Fanfare, here in Montgomery as part of this.”
Although no date has been able to be set as yet, Jill said, “Watch this space for further news about this exciting event.”
