A celebration to mark the milestone birthdays of two musicians will be held in Presteigne

A celebration concert to mark the 70th birthday of a composer and pianist and the 75th birthday of a Mezzo Soprano will be held in Presteigne.

The great event to mark Adrian Williams and Marion Rowlatt’s special days will take place at The Assembly Rooms on Saturday, May 9 2026 from 7.30pm, with doors open at 7pm.

The programme will include the world premiere of Williams’ Clarinet Sonata and works by Finzi, Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Betty Roe interspersed with readings from Adrian’s memoir.

It will include Peter Cornish on clarinet, Leila Basletic on piano and Ruth Watson on oboe.

Adrian Williams was born in Hertfordshire and showed precocious talent at the piano as a young child.

He began composing at the age of 11, his early promise resulting in consultations with Lennox Berkeley followed by composition and piano studies at the Royal College of Music where his teachers included Bernard Stevens, Alan Ridout and John Lill.

During his RCM studies Williams received recognition for his first mature orchestral work, the gritty and ambitious Symphonic Studies, an achievement acknowledged by the RCM director Sir David Willcocks who conducted the work with the RCM orchestra.

His final year at the College were marked by two accolades, a Leverhulme scholarship and the coveted Menuhin Prize for Composition.

The years that followed saw a period as Composer in Residence at Charterhouse School during which his music underwent a stylistic reassessment.

During the eighties a move to the Welsh borders saw Williams find his spiritual home, along with the peace of mind and creative impetus for many of his most vital works.

Marion Rowlatt has sung for Peter Hurford in his Alban Singers, for David Ireson in his Fayrfax Consort and Musica Deo Sacra and in oratorio and opera all over the country.

A move to Presteigne in 1990 occurred the same year as her first meeting with Adrian Williams at the Presteigne Music Festival.

“When Christopher and I moved to Presteigne in 1990 after working full time as teachers and performers, we had no idea that this remarkable town was full of musicians, poets, painters and writers.”

In no time, Marion joined Mid Border Community Arts Association, formed a singing group called the Dolau Mixtures and created a children’s choir called the Prestgang:

She continues to love singing and uses every opportunity to teach and share.

This special concert of celebration is not ticketed, donations only for Mid Border Arts.

Mid Border Arts offers it thanks and gratitude to these accomplished and generous musicians.