The Burry Port Band will unveil the world premiere of Tom Davoren's latest work, 'Pure of Heart' during their Championship Section performance at the National Eisteddfod of Wales this weekend.

The work has been commissioned to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the historic Carmarthenshire town of Kidwelly, and is based on an exciting exploration of the Welsh hymn 'Calon Lan'.

Commission

'Pure of Heart' (the English translation) was commissioned by the organisers of Kidwelly 900, and aided by generous support by legacy funding from the now disbanded Mynyddygarreg Silver Prize Band which was once based in a nearby village.

The work is the latest in a series of exciting commissions currently being undertaken by Tom. Later this year will see the premiere of a work written to commemorate another notable West Wales anniversary — that of the arrival of American aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who landed in Burry Port on her historic Atlantic crossing of 1928.

Connection

The composer told 4BR: "'Pure of Heart celebrates the long established connection between Kidwelly and Mynyddygarreg, whose rail linked coal mining and tin plate works were symbiotic during their industrial heyday.

I've evoked the sounds of the industrial works and railway by using an array of percussive effects including metal bars, piping and anvils, whilst the hymn tune 'Calon Lan', by West Wales composer John Hughes binds the piece together."

Pure of Heart celebrates the long established connection between Kidwelly and Mynyddygarreg, whose rail linked coal mining and tin plate works were symbiotic during their industrial heydayTom Davoren

Foundation

Tom added: "That acts as the musical foundation to the historical connection between community music making in Wales and heavy industry, and indeed Hughes' own past as a steel worker."