Pembrokeshire-born composer Lyndon Hilling returned ‘home’ this month to lead the specially formed Picton Recorder Ensemble in the county premiere of his three-movement suite for recorders, entitled ‘Picton’.

Over 70 people packed into Picton Castle’s Courtyard Gallery to enjoy unique musical delights which also featured the early music group La Volta, led by Stuart Evans and Clare Primett.

The evening fulfilled Lyndon’s long cherished wish to see his ‘Picton’ work performed in the castle setting, as he was born at Picton Castle in the 1950s when his father, Duncan, was Head Gardener there.

Now aged 98, Duncan was principal guest, joined by other family members. ‘Picton’ was written in 2020 to celebrate Duncan and his late wife, Audrey’s, Platinum Wedding.

The recorder players came from all over south and west Wales and from as far as Herefordshire. Lyndon’s choices in the programme included music by celebrated 16th century Welsh composer Thomas Tomkins and his own settings of Psalm 139 – this in memory of Gareth Wynn Jones of Pyle in Glamorganshire - and A G Prys-Jones’ A Song of Caldey.

The evening began with La Volta playing in the castle’s great hall – medieval music in an historic medieval setting. La Volta’s programme, which also included music by Thomas Tomkins, was played on an eclectic selection of early instruments, including crittern, curtal, crumhorn, bagpipe and, of course, recorders.

The finale was the Ensemble performing the suite for recorder orchestra - ‘Picton’, reflecting the castle and the local area, so well remembered by the composer, who is now Northampton-based. The three movements: Picton Point, Crafty Woods and Picton Castle, describe the beauty of the local countryside and the composer's early life at Picton Castle.