Not only is the former Roma Liggins Scholarship winner back by invitation to perform himself, the audience will also hear a pianist play Waltz Number 2, his composition that was commissioned as a special inclusion in the piano section for the event’s milestone year.

The original idea to commission a composition and put it in a set work section where everyone who entered that section would play the same piece came from piano co-coordinator Don Secomb.

“I had this idea as I was trying to do something special for the 50th anniversary,” he said. “I thought of Andrew because of his association with the eisteddfod.”

The commission fee was donated by Louise and Peter Rourke. “Louise came here when Andrew was living here and they used to play in a chamber music ensemble together.’’

He described the composition as a “beautiful piece”.

“It’s reflective with a slightly bittersweet nature to it. It’s a haunting melody set over gentle chords.”

Andrew, a performer, teacher and composer who lives in Newcastle, said he was “very humbled, delighted and excited to do it”. 

He said he spent a month or so trying to come up with the piece and then suddenly it came to him quickly. “Suddenly they became ideas that worked.”

Describing the work as “very whimsical”, he imagines it would become part of a set of waltzes.

“I wanted to make something that would be interesting for young people and pianists who are much more mature,” said Andrew.

“It’s the kind of piece that younger and older people find something in when they are looking into it with different expressions and what they can do with the piece. People can work their own ideas into it.”

The set work was for across the age groups, with 10 years, 12 years, 14 years and open age sections.

Andrew was at the eisteddfod with students of his own and was able to see his work performed.

“I heard them all, four sections in all. the open age group was probably the most diverse,” he said.

“People approached it with great sincerity.”