Bathurst's 2023 Festival of Bells to feature everything from world premiere to local voices

With the festival now only a fortnight away, organisers have entered the final straight.

Convenor Stuart Pearson says the festival will feature the world premiere composition Gently Does It, a duet for the Carillon and change ringing bells in the nearby All Saints' Cathedral belltower.

"All Saints' Cathedral bellringers will be performing a variety of rounds and call changes, while Carillon recitals by Bathurst carillonists Denise Garland and Wendy Murphy will fill the air," he said.

As well, the Bathurst City and RSL Concert Band will be performing for both the Last Post Ceremony on Friday, April 28 and providing entertainment on the Saturday afternoon, including accompanying the Mitchell Conservatorium Young Voices, chamber choir VOX, and All Saints' Cathedral Choir, Mr Pearson said.

"Together with Carillon and Cathedral bells, the Concert Band will close the festival with a rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture," he said.

Mr Pearson said Mitchell Conservatorium will be fielding two bands: the new Connections Big Band will be playing classic jazz and big band sounds, while the Conservatorium Concert Band will perform symphonic wind selections from its repertoire.

"Scots All Saints College Pipes and Drums Band will provide solemnity for the Last Post Ceremony on Friday and entertain the community on Saturday performing marching and parade drills," he said.

"They will also accompany the Scots All Saints Highland Dancers."

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Bathurst's first Festival of Bells, held in May 2021, brought together nine community groups, 50 volunteers and more than 250 performers and drew a crowd of more than 2600 people over the event's two-and-a-half days, of which one-third were visitors from outside the region.

For the second running of the Festival of Bells, the senior carillonist at Canberra's National Carillon, Dr Thomas Laue, has been commissioned to compose a unique piece of music incorporating both the Carillon and the pealing bells of All Saints' Cathedral.

The event will also feature food and wine.

The festival will be an entirely free event, but organisers say attendance must be registered for the Last Post Ceremony, and for the performances on Saturday, April 29 at www.bathurstregion.com.au/festival-of-bells.

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