A Raven Above Press Presents!

Grand Concert for the 2013 Los Angeles St. David’s Day Festival – National Day of Wales (Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant, Los Angeles – Diwrnod Cenedlaethol Cymru)

March 3, 2013 at 1:30pm

At the Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90027

The St. David’s Day Festival – National Day of Wales replants its daffodil roots at the Barnsdall Art Park on March 3, 2013!

Inside the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre there will be a special ticketed St. David’s Day Grand Concert beginning at 1:30pm with a Druid blessing, followed by a screening of the rare 1962 short film ‘Dylan Thomas’ starring Richard Burton. After this the Welsh Choir of Southern California (Côr Cymraeg De Califfornia) will take the stage, and then a special performance by Paul Child, and in her debut North American appearance – Welsh soprano and harpist Siobhan Owen!

We are all excited by the return of Paul Child to Hollywood. Among his many achievements, Child is Wales biggest independent selling artist, the ‘Official Voice of Welsh Rugby’, and recently sang at the half time show of the final match of the Wales Rugby Grand Slam. Interesting to note, each time he’s sung before a match, Wales has registered a victory.

Siobhan Owen was born in North Wales to a Welsh father and Irish mother, and moved to Australia when she was 2 years old. A classically trained singer from the age of 9, Siobhan also turns her haunting soprano voice and gentle harp playing to a repertoire of traditional Celtic songs. She has received prestigious awards for both her classical and Celtic singing and is a popular performer at festivals, concerts, recitals etc around Australia. Siobhan is presently working on her fourth studio album which promises to be “A reflective, sublimely beautiful musical journey”.

Outside the concert beginning at 10am visitors will be delighted in a free Celtic Marketplace, Welsh language classes by Jason Shepherd of the Learn Welsh Podcast, Celtic workshops, Welsh Corgi demonstrations, Kids Crafts at the Ogden Nash Children’s Area, and the LA Eisteddfod featuring poetry, storytelling, readings and performance at the Harold Lloyd Outdoor Stage, Welsh food, and much more.

We will be promoting artists from both Wales and the US in a special book release party on Welsh Nursery Rhymes written by Peter Anthony Freeman (Llanelli, UK) and published by A Raven Above Press. International artists include David Richardson (Loveland, CO), Anthony Richards (Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, UK), Siobhan Owen (originally from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio, UK now residing in Adelaide, South Australia), Michele Witchipoo (New York City, NY), Kimberly Wlassak (Los Angeles, CA), Rochelle Shelly Rosenkild (Riverside, CA), Brian Kenny (Middletown, NY), Nichola Hope (Barry, UK) Sarah Hope (Barry, UK) Rhys Jones (Swansea, UK), Kerry Evans (Swansea, UK), Jo Mazelis (Swansea, UK), Judy Adamson (Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, UK), Gaabriel Becket (Portland, OR), Xavier Lopez Jr. (Seattle, WA), Jason Shepherd (Swansea, UK), Adrien Burke (Los Angeles, CA), Danny Walden (Bell Gardens, CA), Robert Karr (Westminster, CA), John Charles (Los Angeles, CA), Grasiela Rodriguez (Pomona, CA), Casey Ruic (Cleveland, OH), Daniele Serra (Cagliari, Italy), and Lorin Morgan-Richards (Los Angeles, CA).

Also, Sarah Hope from Barry, UK (now in Cardiff) will be in attendance exhibiting a collection of ceramic wall mounted pieces and dinnerware that are decorated with themes from welsh nursery rhymes and stories. The pieces are a collaboration between artists Sarah Hope and Nichola Hope and sculpture Kevin Caufield. A perfect tie in to the Welsh Nursery Rhyme Book by Peter Anthony Freeman that is also due to launch at the festival!

The last Welsh festival in LA brought over 2,000 attendees with famous celebrities including Frank Lloyd Wright’s grandson and Henry Thomas (star of Legends of the Fall and ET). There is really no better place to celebrate the history and accomplishments of Welsh-Americans then at Barnsdall Art Park. Designed by Welsh-American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, its nestled atop a shaded hill and away from the city bustle, the park has a clear view of the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park (named for Welsh philanthropist Griffith J. Griffith) and near the infamous Gower Street to the west (known for the golden age of cinema and Welsh-American stars like Glenn Ford and Myrna Loy).

For more information goto: http://www.aravenabovepress.com