April/May 2006
contents:
from the committee news composers at work listings reference the committee of composers of walesSummer seems to have come with a bit of a rush, and with it, as a glance down our listings will tell you, the festival season. A great deal of hard grind on everyone’s part through the unforgiving winter months has yielded a real richness this year of our composers’ music in Welsh festivals. It promises to be even more rewarding this year to check each festival’s programme as it comes out.
Cyfansoddwyr Cymru/Composers of Wales has had fruitful relations for a while with some of these events, particularly the Bangor New Music Festival and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival. We are running a workshop this year for the Vale of Glamorgan Festival with the world-famous Latvian Radio Choir (see the News section). And as that reaches its climax at the end of August, we go straight on to the launch of the William Mathias Composition Prize, which we run on behalf of the Bangor New Music Festival. The Prize will feature in next year’s programme in March 2007.
On another tack, this newsletter has no competitions information. There is more information in this area out on the internet, readily accessible through your favourite search engine, than could ever be featured here, so - with an apology - please turn to Google!
Enid Luff
There is a lot to look forward to and plan for just now. As part of our members’ day in early November, hopefully at Machynlleth, we hope to include composition workshops for school pupils, specifically those preparing for GCSE and higher exams. Involvement with the younger generation is very important for us, and we are keen to develop this kind of Interaction. The day will end with a concert of members’ pieces - a call for these will be sent out soon.
As well as the Vale of Glamorgan Festival Latvian Choir workshop in August (see the News), we are looking forward to the Launch in the autumn of the William Mathias Composition Competition, which we run in association with the Bangor New Music Festival. More news of this will be in the next Newsletter. The Llandudno Festival is also keen to include music by contemporary Welsh composers.
Besides these more public ventures, we are always looking for ways to interact with and benefit Welsh composers’ working lives. These have included negotiating favourable terms for our members with Ty Cerdd for the use of their recording studio. We also keep a close eye on developments in the area of public commissioning policy and related issues, and of course aim to foster good relations with bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales, and with performing groups.
Your website
As you wlll have noticed, our website is once more up and running. The webmaster is keen to receive updates of members’ CVs, worklists and recordings information for their pages in the membership directory, and also for members who do not have a page to get in touch with her.
PLEASE UPDATE! - contact the Webmaster, Barbara Kopar, at barbara.kopar@cc-cw.org
.
Bangor New Music Festival
As in previous years, we had a presence at the Bangor New Music Festival, which ran from 8-11 March. We put up our display of scores, and organised a meeting for members and friends at which Ruth Leggett, director of the wmic, gave a talk about the work of the Centre. For the first time, we were invited to put on a concert in the evening, as part of the festival. The players were cellist Heather Bills (of Ensemble Cymru), and the distinguished accompanist Harvey Davies. The programme included pieces by Rhian Samuel, Peter Reynolds, Gareth Glyn, John Williamson, Enid Luff, Bill Connor, and Dan Phelps. Unfortunately Rhian was unable to be there, but those composers who were there introduced their own pieces, making for a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere which we feel worked well, and seemed to bring the audience closer to the performers, the composers and the music. We are very glad to say that we have been asked to give a similar concert next year.
The Vale of Glamorgan Festival and the Latvian Radio Choir
The world-famous Latvian Radio Choir is resident this year at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival, and the Festival has asked Composers of Wales if we would be willing to run a workshop for them with the Choir. Of course we are delighted to do this, and a call for pieces (restricted to Welsh composers) went out at the end of March. Three of the submitted pieces will be chosen for a workshop with the choir, to be held during the Festival, which runs from August 28th to September 2nd. The date of the workshop is Thurs Aug 31st, in the afternoon, with a public concert by the choir in the evening. Any composer interested in this opportunity should get in touch with our Administrator for full details (contact Enid Luff on 029 2061 6023, e-mail via the website ( www.cc-cw.org ) or at enidluff@globalnet.co.uk).
Concerts
On July 13th on the Wales Millennium Centre Foyer stage there will be a re-run of last November’s spnm day flute and piano recital, with Catherine Handley, flute and Andrew Wilson Dickson, piano. We hope to record the rectial soon afterwards at the Ty Cerdd studio at the Wales Millennium Centre.
We are also planning a concert as part of a members’ meeting in Machynlleth at the beginning of November.
Our Display of scores
went up at Bangor for the Festival (this now happens every year), and will go up at Llandudno in July for the whole Festival, and at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival. Also this year for the first time we are hoping to take it to the Presteigne Festival in mid-August. The display of scores is a very positive shop-window for our members’ work. A great many people do stop and look over the copies, and if anyone asks how they can get hold of a piece, we give them the contact details of the composer. The display also goes up at other events, for example contemporary music concerts (with a photo and CV of any of our members who may be in the programme). Last week it went up at a workshop of composition students’ compositions at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, giving us a great opportunity to tell the students about us and our student membership.
More scores - the newer the better - from our members are always welcome - please send them (bound, please, and computer-generated if at all possible) to the Administrator, Enid Luff, 12, Heol Tyn y Cae, Cardiff CF14 6DJ.
Women in Jazz
Jen Wilson writes: Women in Jazz will be setting up a new Swing Band for women aged 16 to 96. A free taster day will be held at the Dylan Thomas Centre Sunday 21st May from 2-4pm, following by regular workshops. Bring your instrument, piano and drums provided. Crissy Lee, world renowned drummer who toured with the Beatles in the 1960s and leader of the Crissy Lee Jazz Orchestra, will be leading our DRUM CLINIC on Sunday 18th June, also at the Centre.
Dame Cleo Laine will be giving a keynote Address at our Gala Evening at the Dylan Thomas Centre on Thursday 12th October 2006 followed by music from the Women in Jazz Allstars.
Our multi-media show BEFORE FREEDOM will be performed at the Waterfront Museum for Black History Month over the weekend of 21st and 22nd October.
For further details call Jen on 01792 456666 or email jen@womeninjazzswansea.org.uk
Hilary Tann
looks forward to three premieres: a choreographed solo bassoon piece at The Egg in Albany, NY May 6th
(Kilvert's Hills); a youth string and percussion piece for the Sefton Youth String Orchestra, Crosby, England July 7 (Shorelines); a work commissioned by the Swansea Bach Choir for their 40th Anniversary, Gower Festival, Oystermouth, July 16
(Psalm 86 (Incline Thine Ear)).
Hilary writes, "I'll be at my parents' home in Ferndale, Rhondda for much of the first two weeks in July. It would be lovely to meet up with fellow Composers of Wales. I'll have a car, and I'm happy to travel ( tannh@union.edu )."
John Hardy
writes: SPACES - BEYOND THE END OF THE WORLD
I have been writing a sequence of choral pieces for a mixed choir [Serendipity Singers] made up of a ladies' choir [Vivace] and a mens' choir [Only Men Aloud]. Conductor: the fantastically talented Tim Rhys-Evans. My music was commissioned by Vivace with generous support from Arts Council Of Wales & The PRS Foundation. The initial try-out performances are being co-produced by Chapter, and are being performed there - in the 'Stiwdio' space, formerly the Gym, on 24 & 25 June in the evenings.
Some of the music is for SA, some for TB; but the majority is for SATB, sometimes a capella,often with mixed instrumental accompaniment. For reasons of cost this is rather restricted, and I hope to open the project out a little and perform it again in more ambitious surroundings in 2007/2008. If possible, I will also add further movements to the seven currently in the final stages of preparation.
So this is something of a glimpse of a process.
The performances will be less than 60 minutes long, and are likely to sell out, as space is limited. I must say that it is a great honour to be invited to create something quite ambitious for a professional ensemble almost the same size as the BBC Singers, and for them to allocate a huge amount of rehearsal time within their already very busy schedule.
More details in due course from: www.chapter.org
Enquiries: 029-20311050
Box Office: 029-20304400
Gill Stevens
writes: I am to have a large composition for choir soloists and early instruments performed on September 23rd in St Mary's Priory Church Abergavenny at 7.30.
It has been commissioned by a local choir and financially supported by the Arts Council and the soloists will be Gothic Voices. The name of the piece is A Strand in the Web of Life. It explores the use of the space in many ways. The words are from various sources including Menna Elfyn. The Bhagavad Gita, 12C Latin, and Waldo Williams.
Gareth Glyn
writes: The extended cantata “Dirion Dir” (Gentle Land) for five different choirs, four soloists and brass band, was given its first performance in the Mona Pavilion, Anglesey on Sunday evening, May 7th. This work, which runs without a break for 50 minutes, uses settings of poems and prose from various sources to recount the history of the island of Anglesey from pre-history to the present. It was recorded by BBC Radio Cymru, and a CD will be produced incorporating specially filmed images of the locations which feature in the piece, such as Bryn Celli Ddu, Plas Penmynydd and the Britannia Bridge.
The piece was commissioned to mark the centenary of the Anglesey Eisteddfod; together with the soloists (including Gwyn Hughes Jones and Huw Llewelyn), almost every choir on Anglesey took part, bringing over 450 performers to the stage for the performance.
It has been confirmed that the LSO will be playing The Mission of SPM-1 in November at the Barbican. This is another extended work, this time for actors and orchestra, introducing children (and adults) to the instruments of the orchestra in the form of a journey into space.
On St. David’s Day 2007, Huw Williams, the organist of St. Paul’s, will be the soloist in a performnce of the concert pieces for orGan and orchestra
Gwylmabsant, at a concert in St. DaVid’s Hall, Cardiff with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Christopher Painter
The Thüringen Philharmonie, conducted by Alun Francis, have recently premiered Chris's latest orchestral work which is entitled Forest of Dreams (Wald der Träume) to great acclaim in concerts in Suhl and Gotha. The Thüringen orchestra has a history extending back over 450 years and is the orchestra in which Bach’s father, uncle and brothers played and whose past conductors include Louis Spohr.
Forest of Dreams is a forty minute work which is cast in four movements and sets out to describe the magical nature of the forest and draws
inspiration from the Mabinogion, the legend of Melusine, “Der Freischutz” and, of course, the magic forest in Wagner’s “Ring”. Chris
spent a week in Gotha whilst working with the orchestra and during this
time took part in a number of interviews with the local and regional press and the final rehearsal was filmed for German television. The
concerts in Suhl (during a snowstorm!) and Gotha were all but sold-out and the work was well received.
The Thüringen Philharmonie commissioned the work with financial assistance from the National Welsh-American Foundation, the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Welsh Music Guild.The study score of Forest of Dreams will be published later this year and there will be further performances with the Mexico City Symphony Orchestra and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006/2007.
Richard Elfyn Jones
A new cantata by Richard Elfyn Jones, 'In David's Land' for soprano and baritone soloists, choir and orchestra (65mins), will be premiered at the
Fishguard Festival on July 25.
Two Pieces for 2 harps (commissioned by Ieuan Jones) receive their first performance at the Machynlleth Festival in August. Richard’s 'Hymn and Celebration' for Brass was commissioned by WAMF through (Ty Cerdd ) for the opening of the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on March 1.
Gareth Churchill
writes: My new chamber piece 'Mydrau Barddonol' (Poetic Metres) for octet was given its first performance by the London Contemporary Music Group last week in a concert to celebrate Colin Matthews’ 60th birthday.
Also I have just finished 'Cromlech: Viola Sonata' for Philip Heyman, and my 'Haul Ar Fynydd' (Sun on the Mountain) will be given its first performance next month by the Vivace Singers.
Stephen Goss
writes Frozen Music for guitar and strings receives its first London performance on 27th June at the Wigmore Hall
www.wigmore-hall.org.uk . The guitar soloist will be Tom Ellis, who gave the first performance at the Menuhin Hall last Month.
Anna Noakes and Richard Hand's recording of First Milonga, Last Tango will be launched at a free concert at the Bolivar Hall on 12th May. There is a (free) drinks reception after the concert courtesy of Quartz Music.
Xuefei Yang's next performance of Raise the Red Lantern is at The Stables, Wavendon on May 9th www.stables.org
The Young Composer of Dyfed
The following report was received from Mike Parkin, who was mainly instrumental in setting up this very notable scheme to help young composers. This is his account of how it came into
being.
The Young Composer of Dyfed (YCD) was established in 2001 with the aim of encouraging and promoting young composers in the counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion in West Wales. Although the event was open to composers up to the age of 21, we especially targeted the age range 15-18. Composition has now become a significant component of the GCSE and A Level syllabus and we felt that encouragement and incentives were needed for young composers in this age range.
The first event was held in April 2002 during which the finalists had the opportunity to rehearse with professional musicians from the National Orchestra of Wales under the guidance of the distinguished composer John Metcalf. The evening concert was recorded and all the young composers taking part received a copy of the recording. A similar format was adopted for 2003, and by this time the YCD had established itself as a significant event for young composers in West Wales, attracting a large number of entries, raising the profile and status of composition in schools, and attracting parents, teachers and the public to the final day of rehearsals and performances.
Following the second event, the organising committee undertook a major consultation and review of the competition. It was decided that the YCD should act as a focus and catalyst for an ambitious and comprehensive educational process that would aim to raise the standards of composition and the teaching of composition in schools throughout the 3 counties. Because of the projected volume of entries, works would still have to be selected for the final rehearsals/masterclass, but the competitive element would be downplayed in favour of a policy of rehearsing and workshopping as wide a selection as possible. In partnership with the LEA’s, regional music advisor, schools and community music groups the YCD would appoint a resident ensemble and composer to promote an annual programme that would include:
In May 2004 the YCD committee appointed the composer John Metcalf as Composer in Residence and chose the exciting new wind quintet Celtaidd as Ensemble in Residence to run a limited pilot scheme in 2004-5 with a view to launching the full programme in 2005-6. Even with limited input from our Composer and Ensemble in Residence, the 2004-5 pilot programme proved to be such a success with young composers and heads of music that within a week of the final masterclass 18 schools in West Wales wanted to host events and take part in the 2005-6 launch of our full programme.
With at least 18 schools and over 380 young composers taking part, INSET days, workshops, concerts, tutorials, and a final 3 days of workshops with a professional string quartet where 45 works will be rehearsed and discussed, our 2005-6 programme is one of the most ambitious schemes for young composers ever undertaken in Britain.
INSET TUTORIALS took place in two locations during September 05 with
John Metcalf. These sessions are designed to address the challenge of teaching musical creativity throughout the school, from a child’s first introduction to group improvisation/composition in year 8, right through to the specialised guidance required for pupils approaching the composition components in GCSE, AS & A Level Music.
WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS were held in three schools in September, with
John Metcalf and the resident ensemble Athena String Quartet for GCSE and A Level music students throughout each county. Each session will include illustrations of 20th. century musical styles, explore the instrumental colours of the string quartet and workshop simple compositional techniques.
COMPOSITION TUTORIALS were held during November 05 in three schools.
In January 2006, three concerts (free to schoolchildren) of work by living composers were given in Newport (Pembs), Carmarthen and Lampeter by the Athena String Quartet, introduced by John Metcalf, the Composer in Residence of the scheme. In February, a series of 2-hour tutorials was given in schools in Pembrokeshire, Carmarhenshire, and Ceredigion, with John Metcalf, to help young composers working on their pieces for sting quartet. March 31 was the closing date for String Quartet entries to the final rehearsal/workshops.
The Young Composer of Dyfed Workshop Rehearsals & Masterclass in April 06 provided the final focus and culmination of 8 months of educational work in schools and communities throughout West Wales. In the presence of the 45 young composers shortlisted, each day consisted of 5 hours of rehearsals with Athena String Quartet and resident composer John Metcalf. On the final day a public Masterclass/Concert was given where performances of representative works (age range 14-18) were introduced and presented by John Metcalf. The concert was very informal and included discussion between the young composers and John Metcalf. CD recordings were made of all the shortlisted pieces throughout the 3 days of workshop/rehearsals.
| May 12th 7-30pm |
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Lynne Plowman
House of the Gods, opera. Music Theatre Wales. Tickets 01874 611622. |
|
June 19th 8pm |
National Concert Hall, Dublin. Rhian Samuel Gaslight Square II. Duo Antithesis (Petros Moschos and Dimitris Karydis) |
| June 24th | The Studio Space, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. John Hardy Spaces - and |
| June 25th | Beyond the End of the World. Serendipity Singers, Tim Rhys-Evans, conductor. |
|
June 27th 7.30 pm |
Royal Academy of Music, London. Rhian Samuel Shards of Light. (PREMIERE) Chihiro Inda (solo violin) |
|
July 7th 7.15pm |
St Faith's Church, Crosby. Hilary Tann Shorelines, Sefton Youth String Orchestra |
|
July 13th 1pm |
Wales Millennium Centre Tesco Stage, recital with Catherine Handley, flute, Andrew Wilson Dickson, piano. Works by Ian Lawson, Rhian Samuel, Stephen Goss, Christopher Andrews, Andrew Wilson Dickson, Enid Luff. |
| July 16th | All Saints Church, Oystermouth, Hilary Tann Psalm 86 (Incline Thine evening Ear). Swansea Bach Choir, Gower Festival. Swansea Bach Choir 40th Anniversary commission. Tickets 01792 475 715 |
| August 22nd 1.00pm | Y Tabernacl, Machynlleth (Machynlleth Festival). Rhian Samuel: Gaslight Square II. Helen and Harvey Davies (piano duet) |
| August 25th 1.00 pm |
The Tabernacle, Machynlleth (Machynlleth Festival). Rhian Samuel. A Garland for Anne, Chenyin Li (piano) |
| August 25th 1.00 pm |
The Tabernacle, Machynlleth (Machynlleth Festival). Rhian Samuel. The Flowing Sand, Adam Green (baritone), Indre Petrauskaite (piano). |
|
Sept 23rd 7-30pm |
St Mary's Priory Church Abergavenny. Gillian Stevens A Strand in the Web of Life. Gothic Voices. |
| Oct 20th, 21st, 22nd, 7:30 pm | Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea (Swansea Festival). John Metcalf
A Chair in Love, opera. Tickets 01792 602060 |
|
Oct 25th 7:30 pm |
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth. John Metcalf A Chair in Love, opera. Tickets 01970623232 |
|
Oct 27th 7:30 pm |
Galeri, Caernarfon..Tickets 01286 685222 |
|
Oct 29th 7:30 pm |
Newport Riverfront Arts Centre, Newport.John Metcalf A Chair in Love, opera. Tickets 01633656757 |
|
Nov 1st 7:30 pm |
Waterford Theatre Royal, Ireland. John Metcalf A Chair in Love, opera Tickets 051874402 |
Members’ websites
Dafydd Bullock www.cranemusic.com/bullock.html
Kenneth Gange - www.kenneth.gangecomposersalliance.com
Paula Gardiner - www.paulagardiner.co.uk
Gareth Glyn - http://gglyn.tripod.com
Stephen Goss - www.surrey.ac.uk/Music/Who/Goss.html and
www.cadenza-music.com
John Hardy - www.johnhardymusic.com
Meuryn Hughes www.aureus.co.uk
Andrew Lewis www.AndrewLewis.org
Enid Luff - www.primaveramusic.com
and www.impulse-music.co.uk/primavera.htm
John Metcalf - www.johnmetcalf.co.uk
Lynne Plowman www.lynneplowman.co.uk
Peter Reynolds - www.musicnow.co.uk/composers/reynolds.html
Michael Robinson - www.michaelrobinson.ndirect.co.uk
Gillian Stevens www.composer.co.uk/composers/stevens.html
Hilary Tann - www.union.edu/PUBLIC/PARTDEPT/TANNH
Ceiri Torjussen http://www.ceiri.com
John Williamson - www.impulse-music.co.uk/williamson.htm
Rhian Samuel - http://www.stainer.co.uk/samuel.html
and http://www.city.ac.uk/music/staff/rsamuel.html
The Music Publishers’ Association offer a leaflet on copyright for composers
wishing to explain to users the rights of use in their music, from the Music
Publishers Association Ltd, 3rd Floor, Strandgate, 18/20 York Buildings,
London WC2N 8JU. Tel: 020 7839 7779, fax: 020 7839 7776.
Black Cat Music, suppliers of general concert/performance
equipment, staging, acoustics etc. More info at www.blackcatmusic.co.uk
Arts Council of Wales
ACW’s grant schemes are available from its website www.ccc-acw.org.uk
and in other formats. Contact any ACW office for e-mail or paper copies.
Cardiff office: 9 Museum Place Cardiff CFIO 3NX
Tel: 029 2037 6500
Fax:029 2022 1447
Minicom: 029 2039 0027
Colwyn Bay office: 36 Prince’s Drive Colwyn Bay LL29 8LA
Tel: 01492 533440
Fax: 01492 533677
Minicom: 01492 532288
Carmarthen office: 6 Gardd Llydaw Jackson Lane Carmarthen SA3I 1QD
Tel: 01267 234248
Fax: 01267 233084
e-mail: information@ccc-acw.org.uk
Website: www.ccc-acw.org.uk
Websites of interest
www.welshmusic.org.uk
the committee of composers of wales
Chair: Andrew Wilson-Dickson, composer, andrew.wd@cc-cw.org
Secretary: Bill Connor, composer, bill.connor@cc-cw.org
Administrator: Enid Luff, composer, enid.luff@cc-cw.org
Treasurer: Ian Lawson, composer. ian.lawson@cc-cw.org
Mervyn Burtch, composer
Guto Puw, composer
Peter Reynolds, composer, Director, PM Ensemble
Gareth Glyn, composer
Co-opted:
Tim Raymond, composer, Head of composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
John Hardy, composer
Webmaster: Barbara Kopar: barbara.kopar@cc-cw.org
Newsletter editorial committee: Enid Luff, Bill Connor, John Hardy.
Observers:
Ruth Leggett (Manager, Welsh Music Information Centre) ruth@tycerdd.org
Keith Griffin (Manager, Ty Cerdd), keith@tycerdd.org