Cathedral Music Foundation: Putting Llandaff ‘On the Map’

Llandaff Cathedral is entering exciting times as they embark on building a Music Foundation to enable as many children and young people as possible to access music-making, whatever their means or background.

Alongside Director of Music, Stephen Moore, professional musician Elizabeth Atherton has been brought on board to establish a charitable foundation that will support and secure the future of the existing Music Department, whilst creating further scholarships for potential Cathedral Choristers and widening access for more people to be involved in music-making in Llandaff. They plan to take music education into local schools to reach children who might otherwise be without provision and create more opportunities for them at the cathedral through new music groups. The vision is to put Llandaff firmly on the map, both locally and nationally, as an arts centre of the highest calibre in terms of musical output, reach and education, alongside its primary role as a historic place of worship.

Alongside setting up the foundation for its official launch in September, the cathedral started its first small-scale music education project in conjunction with Llandaff City C.I.W. and Peter Lea Primary Schools, along with students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, which culminated in a musical presentation in the cathedral on 14th March. The project is linked to the cathedral’s ‘Celebrate 10!’ festival, marking the tenth anniversary of its magnificent organ, and is simply called ‘Discover the Organ’, hopefully immersing upwards of 250 children in the amazing sound-world of the instrument, in many cases for the first time.

For further information about the Llandaff Cathedral Music Foundation or to be added onto the cathedral supporters’ database to be updated about future plans and events, please email: music.foundation@llandaffcathedral.org.uk or call 07928 539481.