Electric Brass
Electric Brass was an innovative project centred around contemporary music for brass and other musical forces, and was also the second project in which Craig combined music for brass with the visual arts.
Combining the skills of several leading artists and composers, Electric Brass aimed to present a full and varied programme of exciting new music for brass and live electronics in an engaging and approachable manner to a traditional theatre audience.
The premiere performance of Electric Brass took place as part of the Welsh Brass Arts Festival 2006, and featured a number of leading performers including world renowned harpist Catrin Finch, electric violinist Steve Bingham, baritone soloist Gareth Rhys-Davies and the progressive male choir Only Men Aloud. The project also featured the work of Digital Artist In Residence Monika Dutta, and details of the work of that residency can be found below.
The musical programme for the project included works by David Bedford, Tim Souster and Gareth Wood and also saw the premiere of a number of new and exciting works for brass including the first performance in Wales of Dr Mick Wilson's "Concerto for Six String Electric Violin and Brass Band", and the premiere of a new work by Andrew Powell entitled "Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd". David, Andrew and Mick were all present at the performance.
Combining the skills of several leading artists and composers, Electric Brass aimed to present a full and varied programme of exciting new music for brass and live electronics in an engaging and approachable manner to a traditional theatre audience.
The premiere performance of Electric Brass took place as part of the Welsh Brass Arts Festival 2006, and featured a number of leading performers including world renowned harpist Catrin Finch, electric violinist Steve Bingham, baritone soloist Gareth Rhys-Davies and the progressive male choir Only Men Aloud. The project also featured the work of Digital Artist In Residence Monika Dutta, and details of the work of that residency can be found below.
The musical programme for the project included works by David Bedford, Tim Souster and Gareth Wood and also saw the premiere of a number of new and exciting works for brass including the first performance in Wales of Dr Mick Wilson's "Concerto for Six String Electric Violin and Brass Band", and the premiere of a new work by Andrew Powell entitled "Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd". David, Andrew and Mick were all present at the performance.
Following on from the success of the premiere, a second Electric Brass performance was undertaken at the Royal Academy of Music, London. The performance took place in the Duke's Hall of the RAM and also featured a number of student perfomers from the Academy, electronics by Kirsten Cowie and the Duke's Hall organ.
A brief tour of the show in Mid and South Wales then followed in early 2007 which featured performances at Theatr Hafren, Newtown; the Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea; and the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.
A brief tour of the show in Mid and South Wales then followed in early 2007 which featured performances at Theatr Hafren, Newtown; the Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea; and the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.
Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd
Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd was the centrepiece of the premiere Electric Brass performance. A daring new work for brass band, harp, male choir and baritone soloist, Tair Cerdd was based upon the poetry of literary icons Dafydd ap Gwilym (Englynion Yr Offeren), Gwenallt (Pechod) and William Williams Pantycelyn (Os Yw Tegwch). The piece was commissioned by Craig and the Welsh Brass Arts Festival in conjunction with the PRS Foundation and Arts Council of Wales.
Uncompromising in terms of both its musical language and requirements upon the performers, Tair Cerdd is described by the composer as follows:
"The original idea behind Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd, apart from the desire to write a work in praise of God, came from the wish to combine several aspects of Welsh culture from various periods in Welsh history: the Welsh language, the solo voice with harp, the male voice choir, the brass band, hymn-singing and indeed “praise” - Canon Allchin’s excellent book Praise Above All was an important catalyst in this work’s creation.
The work starts with a brief Agorawd (Overture) which starts in the depths, slowly rising upwards, and includes foretastes of some of the music for the three Cerddi.
The first Cerdd, Os Yw Tegwch, text by William Williams (Pantecelyn), is scored for choir, band and harp: as this was written as a “hymn” the music follows a verse/chorus scheme, with a harp solo in between each chorus and the succeeding verse.
The second, Pechod, text by Gwenallt, is written for the baritone soloist with harp, and occasional colourings from the percussion section of the band, underlining its extraordinarily strong imagery - but no brass, and no choir.
In the text of the final Cerdd, Englynion Yr Offeren, by Dafydd ap Gwilym, the poet takes a Latin prayer (Anima Christi -which itself apparently dates from the 14th Century, so would have been a contemporary poem to the poet!) and after each line of the poem has an englyn commenting on the Latin line. This immediately gave me the idea of having the baritone soloist singing the Latin line (like a priest in a service), and the choir (the congregation) answering him with the Englyn.
The piece was commissioned by Craig Roberts and the Welsh Brass Arts Festival and is dedicated to my Mother."
Further information on Andrew Powell can be found in the collaborators section of this site.
Uncompromising in terms of both its musical language and requirements upon the performers, Tair Cerdd is described by the composer as follows:
"The original idea behind Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd, apart from the desire to write a work in praise of God, came from the wish to combine several aspects of Welsh culture from various periods in Welsh history: the Welsh language, the solo voice with harp, the male voice choir, the brass band, hymn-singing and indeed “praise” - Canon Allchin’s excellent book Praise Above All was an important catalyst in this work’s creation.
The work starts with a brief Agorawd (Overture) which starts in the depths, slowly rising upwards, and includes foretastes of some of the music for the three Cerddi.
The first Cerdd, Os Yw Tegwch, text by William Williams (Pantecelyn), is scored for choir, band and harp: as this was written as a “hymn” the music follows a verse/chorus scheme, with a harp solo in between each chorus and the succeeding verse.
The second, Pechod, text by Gwenallt, is written for the baritone soloist with harp, and occasional colourings from the percussion section of the band, underlining its extraordinarily strong imagery - but no brass, and no choir.
In the text of the final Cerdd, Englynion Yr Offeren, by Dafydd ap Gwilym, the poet takes a Latin prayer (Anima Christi -which itself apparently dates from the 14th Century, so would have been a contemporary poem to the poet!) and after each line of the poem has an englyn commenting on the Latin line. This immediately gave me the idea of having the baritone soloist singing the Latin line (like a priest in a service), and the choir (the congregation) answering him with the Englyn.
The piece was commissioned by Craig Roberts and the Welsh Brass Arts Festival and is dedicated to my Mother."
Further information on Andrew Powell can be found in the collaborators section of this site.
Digital Artist In Residence
In an additional element of the Electric Brass project, working in partnership with Cywaith Cymru - Artworks Wales and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Arts Development Unit, an Artist-In-Residence was appointed to work with members of the local community in which the Electric Brass project was based, for the three month period leading up to the premiere performance.
The selected artist was Monika Dutta, a digital artist from Sheffield in the North of England. Monika worked with local schoolchildren from Ysgolion Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt, Bronllwyn, Llwyncelyn, Llyn Y Forwyn and Ynyswen of the Rhondda Valleys to produce a series of imagery inspired by the three poems on which Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd was based. Elements of the final pieces of work produced were then included in a film which was then screened alongside the first performance of Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd.
The selected artist was Monika Dutta, a digital artist from Sheffield in the North of England. Monika worked with local schoolchildren from Ysgolion Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt, Bronllwyn, Llwyncelyn, Llyn Y Forwyn and Ynyswen of the Rhondda Valleys to produce a series of imagery inspired by the three poems on which Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd was based. Elements of the final pieces of work produced were then included in a film which was then screened alongside the first performance of Tair Cerdd Sanctaidd.