Merlin Music

For 42 years the Merlin Music Society, a charitable society based in Monmouth has provided live classical music of a standard typically available only in the cities. It has been recognised as one of the foremost music societies in the country as a whole. Past performers include:

John Lill, Richard Rodney Bennett, Ian Bostridge, Julius Drake, Pascal Rogé, Freddy Kempf, Ailish Tynan, Llyr Williams; the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the European Community Chamber Orchestra, the English Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera; Garden Opera; the Wallace Collection, I Fagiolini, the Boyan Ensemble of Kiev; the Endellion String Quartet, the Belcea String Quartet, the Kungsbacka Trio, Kit and the Widow.

As these names suggest, the Merlin presents a huge variety of concerts: from solo piano recitals to full orchestral programmes and world music. Some are given by young artists beginning their careers, and others by established international names. The Merlin includes at least one concert each season by an artist from the Young Concert Artists’ Trust (YCAT), and a number of those who performed in Monmouth early in their careers have gone on to develop international reputations. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW) have recently renewed their link with the Merlin, after a gap of some years, and they record their Merlin concerts for broadcasting. (Radio 3 New Generation Artists).

Membership of the Merlin is by annual subscription, which is, in effect, a season-ticket, and it is chiefly on the basis of season-ticket sales that the Society is able to function, since the revenue they generate is already secured at the beginning of the season. Tickets for individual concerts are also available, however. (Contact & Booking) Concert-goers come from all walks of life and from a large catchment area, embracing Newport, Abergavenny, Hereford, and the Forest of Dean, and audiences normally number between 200 and 400. Most Merlin concerts are held in the Blake Theatre, but the final concert of the season – in May – takes place at the Nimbus Concert Hall, Wyastone Leys. There is level access for wheelchairs at both venues, and members of the local branch of St. John Ambulance Wales attend every concert. Merlin audiences are appreciative, and many performers remark on the warmth and enthusiasm with which they are received, as well as on the fact that the audiences are often larger than in comparable venues elsewhere.

The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) has long been a vital supporter of the Merlin, though its contribution (an annual grant from the Lottery Fund), as a proportion of costs, has fallen significantly in recent years. The Society has also always received generous help and co-operation from Monmouth School, and a number of the artists who perform for the Merlin also give a master-class or run a workshop for pupils from the local schools. For students following academic music courses, the Merlin offers a valuable live resource, principally in Western classical music, but also in world music, an increasingly important element in GCSE and A-level syllabuses. For instance, a recent, very successful concert featured The Asian Music Circuit, an ensemble performing the classical music of Northern India.

Student tickets are offered at a very low price, and pupils from local schools write reviews of the concerts for the local press. The Merlin is fortunate to be able to use the Blake Theatre, where the acoustics are now greatly improved, and where the Bar is extensively patronised during Concert Intervals!