Hyd at ddeuddydd cyn trosglwyddo’r sgôr i’r cerddorion, roedd y darn hwn yn dal i fod heb enw. Gan fod y rhan fwyaf o’m gwaith yn deillio o rywbeth diriaethol, fel cerdd neu gysyniad penodol, gall fod yn hawdd rhoi teitl a hunaniaeth i’r gwaith ar adeg weddol gynnar, gyda’r sicrwydd mai ‘dyma’ beth yw testun y gwaith. Gyda’r gwaith yma, fodd bynnag, ni fu unrhyw gysyniad diffiniol ar y dechrau. Roedd y darn wedi dod i’r fei’n araf o dameidiau bras iawn wedi’u hysgrifennu â llaw a’u cyflwyno i’r ensemble gan barhau fel taith gydweithredol rhwng y cyfansoddwr a’r cerddorion. Mae’n parhau i ymdrin â’m diddordeb yn y berthynas rhwng y crëwr a’r perfformiwr, gan fy mod, yn fwriadol, wedi creu sgôr sy’n gadael i’r ensemble benderfynu hyd, cyflymder a chyfeiriad y gwaith, ac yn darparu’r deunydd cywair iddynt yn unig ynghyd ag awgrymiadau ynglŷn â sut y gallai pob adran gael ei dehongli.

Deilliodd teitl y darn yma o sylw wrth fynd heibio roeddwn yn ei wneud mewn sgwrs — a dweud y gwir, wrth gwyno am y ffaith na fedrwn i feddwl am unrhyw deitl o sylwedd i’r gwaith — am y seinfyd a’r cyfeiriad at gofio ac atgofion sydd wedi’u hanghofio. “Mae fel blodau haul yn yr hydref”, cellweiriais. Bu tawelwch byr cyn sylweddoli fy mod, yn ddiarwybod, wedi llwyddo i gael hyd i’r teitl perffaith i’r darn yma, yn hollol ddamweiniol.

Blodau haul yn yr hydref, sy’n atgoffa rhywun mewn ffordd fyw ond sydd eto’n pylu o’r haf a fu, yn gyforiog o liw ac yn sefyll yn dalog o hyd pan fydd y rhan fwyaf o flodau eraill wedi gwywo ers tro. Mae’r darn yma’n edrych ar y syniad o atgof anghofiedig gan ymdroelli’n dawel bach ar daith llawn atgofion, yn debyg iawn i nosweithiau euraid a thesog yr haf.

 

Up until two days prior to handing the score over to the musicians, this piece remained nameless. As most of my work emerges from something concrete, like a poem or a particular concept, it can be easy to attach a title and a sense of identity to the work at a fairly early stage, with the surety that ‘this’ is what the work is about. With this work, however, there had been no defining concept to begin with. The piece had slowly emerged from very fragmented, handwritten sketches presented to the ensemble, and continued as a collaborative journey between composer and musicians. It continues to explore my interest in the relationship between creator and performer, as I purposely created a score which leaves the ensemble to decide the length, speed and direction of the work, providing them only with pitch material and suggestions as to how each section could be interpreted.

The title for this piece came about from a passing comment I was making in conversation — actually whilst bemoaning the fact that I could not think of anything tangible to name the work — about the sound-world and the illusion to remembering and forgotten memories; “It’s like sunflowers in Autumn” I quipped... Followed by a short silence, and the realisation that subconsciously I’d managed to find the perfect title for this piece, quite by accident.

Sunflowers in autumn are a vibrant yet fading reminder of the summer that was; rich in colour, and still proudly standing tall when most other flowers have wilted long before. This piece explores the notion of a forgotten memory, and meanders gently though a journey of remembering, much like the hazy golden evenings of summer.