Abertawe Festival for Young Musicians, Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University

THE wealth of musical talent in and around the region never ceases to amaze this reviewer, and there is no finer showcase for the skills of young instrumentalists than Abertawe Festival for Young Musicians.

The festival is held every January at the Brangwyn Hall and George Hall, and culminates in an annual concert featuring the cream of the crop: this year's crop was creamier than most, and it was a joy to revel in the talent of these youngsters: the range of abilities might have been diverse, but everyone who took to the stage shared one thing in common: namely, dedication.

That dedication has already paid off in the polished performances we were lucky enough to see and hear during this enjoyable concert, and it was tremendous to see these individuals receive not only the appreciation of the audience but also acknowledgement of their achievement in the form of awards from the festival's sponsors.

Among the delights on offer were an ultra-cool rendition of Wayne Shorter's Footprints from pianist Sam Vine, a wonderfully moody and brooding performance of de Falla's Ritual Firedance from cellist Ben Tarlton and pianist Rachel Starritt's stirring delivery of the March from Prokofiev's Love of Three Oranges; we were also treated to pieces by Tycoch Tutti Flutti, the Yo Yos, Hemiola Young Musicians, Clase and Blaenymaes Primary Schools and Ysgol y Bannau, who charmed the audience with a Mary Poppins medley sung in Welsh.

Among noteworthy individual performers were Oliver Feng, whose mature rendition of Poulenc's Novelette No. 1 in C Major scooped him the Lloyds Bank Trophy, which was shared with Rachel Starritt, harpist Noa Gabay (who was awarded the HSBC Trophy) and cellist Saran Davies.

Another regular feature of the annual concert is the involvement of family groups, which goes a long way towards encouraging the idea that music can be fun.

Graham Williams