Ar hyn of bryd mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
Ar hyn of bryd mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
Ar hyn of bryd mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
hyrwyddo a dathlu cerddoriaeth Cymru
promoting and celebrating the music of Wales
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Six collaborative music projects are awarded
Vale of Glamorgan Festival Legacy awards
The projects are being supported through Legacy funding from the Vale of Glamorgan Festival, which came to an end last year, following over 55 years championing the work of living composers, engaging with audiences, and forging unique international partnerships. Composer John Metcalf MBE founded the festival and remained Artistic Director throughout. The Festival took the extremely difficult decision to close following the rejection by Arts Council of Wales of applications for Lottery funding.
Following an open call, launched in late 2024, over 40 applications were received, representing in excess of £170,000 of request. Six collaborations were selected, in awards totalling over £22,500.
The projects will take in a range of composer-led initiatives: from a digital cantata, to a harp concerto; from a new work for World Environment Day, to a collective of artists working in electro-acoustic and live electronic performance; and from a contemporary angle on the harpsichord, to new work for a leading piano and percussion duo.
Supporting these composer-led projects is entirely in the spirit of John as a composer and enabler, and of the Festival’s remarkable body of work.
The six funded collaborations:
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A collective of leading Welsh musicians working in acoustic, electro-acoustic and live electronic performance will present their own short sets. Featuring Rob Fokkens, Richard McReynolds, Angharad Davies, Ashley John Long, Lyndon Owen and Gwen Siôn, with newCELF.
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Composer Claire Victoria Roberts will write a climate-responsive sextet, and Oasis One World Choir will create a new song, both to sit at the heart of a performance event by Sinfonia Cymru to mark World Environment Day 2025.
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Cameron Biles-Liddell will write a new harp concerto for North Wales International Music Festival, to be performed and broadcast by harpist Alis Huws and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
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Storïau Cymry: this digital cantata comprising eight individual life stories reflecting the diversity of local histories around Wales will be collected and curated by composer Nathan James Dearden and creative producer Ruth Evans.
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Composer Richard Baker will write a new piece for leading contemporary performers GBSR Duo (piano & percussion) – to be performed in a programme including the Welsh premiere of Angharad Davies’s new work for the duo.
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Composer Sarah Lianne Lewis will work with harpsichordist Despina Homatidou and project lead Janet Oates, bringing their initiative The Harpsichord Across Time and Borders to Wales.
Footnote from the Vale of Glamorgan Festival
Following a number of unsuccessful grant applications to the Arts Council of Wales, it is with sadness that the chairman and trustees of the Vale of Glamorgan Festival announce the suspension of activities connected with the festival.
The festival has a distinguished and remarkable history, focusing on the promotion of the works of living composers, which has earned it an international reputation and status, highlighting the music of Wales. Notable visits by composers such as Arvo Pärt, Louis Andriessen, Pēteris Vasks, and Steve Reich have been part of this legacy. Their works were presented by outstanding international ensembles, including the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Cello Octet Amsterdam, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Talks and interviews were integral to the festival, bringing new music to a wider audience.
Newly commissioned works receiving their world premiere brought an added edge of excitement to the mix. The Peter Reynolds Composer Studio, which has been part of the festival in recent years, offered opportunities for young composers to be exposed to this rich ferment of music and ideas.
The festival received several awards and accolades, most notably, the Prudential Award for the Arts in 1993.
The festival is keen to mark this legacy and invited composers and performers from Wales to submit proposals for awards made possible by residual funds. After careful consideration, a number of one-off awards are being made. The projects supported by the legacy funding are intended to reflect the spirit of excitement, enjoyment, and adventure that has characterised the festival since 1969.