POET Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and her favourite court musician John Sampson delighted an audience as part of the Barry Arts Festival 2017 programme.

An hour of light and shade, laughter and reflection proved a hit at St Mary’s church, in Holton Road, on Saturday, June 24.

Barry Arts Festival (BAF) organiser Dot Connell said: “Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy took the audience on an emotional journey with readings of poems about the horror and tragedy of World War One, imagined feminist readings of major historical and fictional figures and then ended with a poem about the death of her mother.

“Lighter moments were provided by musician John Sampson who entertained the audience with tunes on a variety of medieval and Elizabethan instruments, with a bit of silliness and wigs.

“We were pleased to have a very appreciative audience as we continue to bring in high quality poets to Barry as part of the Barry Arts Festival, following last year’s performance by Barry-born former National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke, and Menna Elfyn the year before that.”

Resident and photographer, Gemma Collard said: “It was a very enjoyable evening in the ambient St Mary's Church.

“Everybody was humbled to be able to hear her read. She read a variety of poems, which brought on a rollercoaster of emotions, starting nonetheless with an emotional The Last Post, on to poetry with accompanying music from Monty Python, to poems about love and those written to seek revenge on a critic to a highly emotional tribute to the first time she re-met her mother, which happened to be whilst mother was on deathbed.

“She was accompanied by John Sampson on the most unusual instruments from the last 500 years, bringing to life the words. It was a fantastic inaugural event for BAF 2017.”

Ms Duffy signed her books at the event, in conjunction with Griffin books of Penarth.

Barry Arts Festival is sponsored by Barry Town Council and Newydd Housing Association.”