September 04, 2026 - 106 views
A dramatic new harp concerto inspired by a Flintshire power station and the work of Welsh music legend William Mathias is to receive its world premiere at the festival Mathias founded.
Nature’s Dance, by North Wales composer Cameron Biles-Liddell, will be performed at St Asaph Cathedral on Friday, September 18, as part of the North Wales International Music Festival.
The gritty and atmospheric work was inspired by the composer’s view of the Connah’s Quay gas-fired power station while travelling along the A55.
Cameron, who lives in Hawarden and grew up in Corwen, also drew inspiration from Mathias, the former professor of music at Bangor University who founded the festival in 1972.
The new concerto has been co-commissioned by the North Wales International Music Festival and BBC Radio 3 for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and former Royal Harpist Alis Huws.
The orchestra and Huws will perform the work under the baton of conductor Tianyi Lu.
Cameron said seeing the power station from the A55 was the starting point for the composition.
“The whole theme was inspired when I was driving back from Manchester along the A55 Expressway and I saw the Connah’s Quay power station.
“That was the trigger and what I am seeking to do is champion the county of Flintshire where I live.”
He said listening to Mathias’ harp concerto, alongside music by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, helped shape his approach.
“When you think of the harp you naturally think of an angelic, mystical type sound when there's actually a whole lot more to offer from the instrument and it's so richly varied.
“From listening to the Mathias concerto I realised I had to do something different and try to create something that is distinctive and unique.”
Cameron worked closely with Alis Huws during the composition of the piece, with her feedback helping to shape several revisions.
“It began in January when I sent her a sketch of some of my ideas and she played through some of them and offered some practical advice about the harp and since then it's gone through several revisions as a result of her feedback.
“In reality it's a concerto which has been composed for her and I like to think it's got a bit of her style and personality in there.”
Huws became Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales in 2019 and became Royal Harpist following the accession of King Charles III. She was also chosen to perform at the King's coronation in 2023.
Mathias founded the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph in 1972 to promote classical music and make it more accessible across the region. He remained involved with the festival until his death in 1992.
Cameron’s compositions regularly draw on North Wales landscapes, folklore and landmarks. His work Afon yn yr Awyr, inspired by the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, was performed by BBC NOW at the festival in recent years.
The premiere of Nature’s Dance forms part of this year's festival theme, Macrocosm: Music and Conservation.
Artistic Director Professor Paul Mealor said the concert would explore the natural world through three very different pieces.
“The programme examines the natural world and its many wonders, from the beautiful warmth of Vaughan Williams’ ever-popular, The Lark Ascending, via Cameron’s dramatic harp concerto, to the joyous Sixth Symphony of Beethoven – a pioneering piece of programmatic music, depicting rural life with scenes like a brook, peasant dances, and a thunderstorm.”
The North Wales International Music Festival runs from September 10 to 19 at venues in and around St Asaph.
Among the other highlights are the opening concert featuring international opera star Sir Bryn Terfel, the Pendine Young Musician of Wales Grand Final, a performance of Peter and the Wolf narrated by Classic FM presenter Zeb Soanes, and a closing choral concert bringing together Anglesey's Encôr and Cardiff choir Hen Nodiant.
The festival is supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Colwinston Charitable Trust, with headline sponsorship from Pendine Park through the Pendine Arts and Community Trust.
Tickets and details of the full programme and free fringe events are available from North Wales International Music Festival.
