The Red Lady of Paviland - Artists (premiere performance)
Claire Jones, Harp
In 2007, Claire Jones was appointed Official Harpist to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. Born in Crymych, Pembrokeshire in 1985 Claire began her musical education at the age of 7. She excelled equally on the violin, harp and piano before deciding to pursue a career as a harpist. As a schoolgirl she performed extensively on all three instruments receiving numerous prizes at competitions and festivals including the National Eisteddfod and National Urdd Eisteddfod of Wales. Perhaps a sign of things to come, at the age of 16 she first performed for Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
In 2003 Claire began her studies at the Royal College of Music. Notable solo performances during this period included concertos with the Welsh Sinfonia and the National Youth String Academy of London and recitals at the Fishguard International Music Festival and Aberystwyth MusicFest. She also participated in masterclasses with some of the world’s finest harpists, including Marisa Robles and Isabelle Perrin. In 2006 Claire won the Royal College of Music Harp Competition as well as the solo harp competition at the National Eisteddfod. She was also a finalist at both the 3rd International Harp Competition in Lille, France and the Camac Harp Competition, North London. Under the guidance of her then teacher Ieuan Jones she graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2007 with 1st Class Honours.
Since being appointed HRH’s official harpist Claire has performed for members of the Royal Family on numerous occasions. Engagements have included performances at Windsor Castle, St. James’ Palace, Highgrove House, Clarence House, Cardiff Castle, and Dumphries House, Scotland. In December Claire was invited by Valery Gergiev to join the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Orchestra as guest artist for a concert at Windsor Castle in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses. She was also asked by the Royal Academy of Music to conduct a private performance for Her Majesty the Queen when she visited the Conservatoire earlier this year.
Notable public appearances over the past year have included solo performances at the opening ceremony of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Bryn Terfel’s Faenol Festival (in association with Live Music Now) and Cambridge Summer Music Festival. Alongside fellow harpists Catrin Finch and Jemima Phillips, Claire also performed a specially commissioned piece by Karl Jenkins at the opening gala of the European Harp Symposium at the Millennium Centre Cardiff. Live television and radio broadcasts last year included appearances on GMTV, BBC, HTV, S4C news, S4C Wedi 7, Classic FM, Radio 3, Radio Cymru, and Radio Wales.
Claire recently made her London debut at Cadogan Hall with the English Chamber Orchestra for the premiere of Patrick Hawes’ Lazarus Requiem. Later in the year Claire will again collaborate with Patrick Hawes for the premiere of his piece for solo harp and string orchestra – a specially commissioned piece for HRH the Prince of Wales’s 60th birthday celebrations.
Other highlights for 2008 include a performance of the Mozart flute and harp concerto with William Bennett and the ECO, concertos with the European Union Chamber Orchestra, and performances at London, Bryn Terfel’s Faenol, Plaxtol and Howden Music Festivals.
In December Claire launched her debut CD ‘Touching Gold’ through Kissan Records and will be hosting further launches in Cardiff and London during the summer. In addition, she will be making appearances in support of her chosen Charities – The Prince’s Trust, The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, and Wellbeing of Women. With support from the Victor Salvi Foundation she will be conducting harp workshops in schools and also working on behalf of Live Music Now throughout the UK.
Currently studying with Skaila Kanga as a postgraduate scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, Claire is one of the first recipients of the Prince of Wales Advanced Study Awards Scheme, aimed at helping Wales’s most outstanding young musical talent. She is kindly supported by the Victor Salvi Foundation and the Cork Fund.
In 2003 Claire began her studies at the Royal College of Music. Notable solo performances during this period included concertos with the Welsh Sinfonia and the National Youth String Academy of London and recitals at the Fishguard International Music Festival and Aberystwyth MusicFest. She also participated in masterclasses with some of the world’s finest harpists, including Marisa Robles and Isabelle Perrin. In 2006 Claire won the Royal College of Music Harp Competition as well as the solo harp competition at the National Eisteddfod. She was also a finalist at both the 3rd International Harp Competition in Lille, France and the Camac Harp Competition, North London. Under the guidance of her then teacher Ieuan Jones she graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2007 with 1st Class Honours.
Since being appointed HRH’s official harpist Claire has performed for members of the Royal Family on numerous occasions. Engagements have included performances at Windsor Castle, St. James’ Palace, Highgrove House, Clarence House, Cardiff Castle, and Dumphries House, Scotland. In December Claire was invited by Valery Gergiev to join the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Orchestra as guest artist for a concert at Windsor Castle in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses. She was also asked by the Royal Academy of Music to conduct a private performance for Her Majesty the Queen when she visited the Conservatoire earlier this year.
Notable public appearances over the past year have included solo performances at the opening ceremony of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Bryn Terfel’s Faenol Festival (in association with Live Music Now) and Cambridge Summer Music Festival. Alongside fellow harpists Catrin Finch and Jemima Phillips, Claire also performed a specially commissioned piece by Karl Jenkins at the opening gala of the European Harp Symposium at the Millennium Centre Cardiff. Live television and radio broadcasts last year included appearances on GMTV, BBC, HTV, S4C news, S4C Wedi 7, Classic FM, Radio 3, Radio Cymru, and Radio Wales.
Claire recently made her London debut at Cadogan Hall with the English Chamber Orchestra for the premiere of Patrick Hawes’ Lazarus Requiem. Later in the year Claire will again collaborate with Patrick Hawes for the premiere of his piece for solo harp and string orchestra – a specially commissioned piece for HRH the Prince of Wales’s 60th birthday celebrations.
Other highlights for 2008 include a performance of the Mozart flute and harp concerto with William Bennett and the ECO, concertos with the European Union Chamber Orchestra, and performances at London, Bryn Terfel’s Faenol, Plaxtol and Howden Music Festivals.
In December Claire launched her debut CD ‘Touching Gold’ through Kissan Records and will be hosting further launches in Cardiff and London during the summer. In addition, she will be making appearances in support of her chosen Charities – The Prince’s Trust, The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, and Wellbeing of Women. With support from the Victor Salvi Foundation she will be conducting harp workshops in schools and also working on behalf of Live Music Now throughout the UK.
Currently studying with Skaila Kanga as a postgraduate scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, Claire is one of the first recipients of the Prince of Wales Advanced Study Awards Scheme, aimed at helping Wales’s most outstanding young musical talent. She is kindly supported by the Victor Salvi Foundation and the Cork Fund.
Robyn Lyn, Tenor
Robyn Lyn Evans was born in Ceredigion, Mid Wales and is a graduate of Trinity College Carmarthen where he was awarded the Stuart Burrows bursary and a postgraduate of the Royal College of Music, London.
Robyn’s singing career started at a young age in the Eisteddfod competitions of Wales. Through the years, competition highlights have been the National Eisteddfod of Wales scholarship 1998; International Young Singer of the Year Llangollen International Eisteddfod 1999; National Eisteddfod of Wales Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize 2000 and Lampeter Eisteddfod Blue Riband; ‘best tenor’ prize National Mozart Competition 2000 & 2001; runner-up in the W Towyn Roberts Memorial Scholarship 2001 National Eisteddfod of Wales; finalist of London Welsh Society Singer of the Year 2005 and winner of the David Ellis Memorial Prize 2007 (Blue Riband) at the Flint National Eisteddfod of Wales 2007.
Since graduating from the RCM, he has been successfully following and fulfilling a full-time singing career.
Operatic rôles to date include Il Duca, Rigoletto and Dr Blind, Die Fledermaus (Pavilion Opera); Tebaldo cover, I Capuleti e I Montecchi (Opera North), Gérald, Lakmé and Prince, Rusalka (Opera School Wales); Ferrando, Cosí fan tutte (Hand Made Opera); Alfredo, Die Fledermaus (Bristol Opera); Abdullah, Nabucco (Burry Port Opera) and 1st Soldier, L’incoronazzione di Poppea (Benjamin Britten International Opera School).
Concert performances include Don José, Carmen, Tony, West Side Story, Marco, The Gondoliers and numerous performances from the oratorio repertoire of Bach, Gounod, Handel, Haydn, Jenkins, Maunder, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Stainer, Verdi, Vivaldi and Weber.
He is a regular on the concert platform with performances taking him to the Royal Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, Usher Hall Edinburgh, St David’s Hall Cardiff, the Cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester, Llandaff and St Davids and as guest soloist with choirs touring Europe.
In addition, he can frequently be heard on radio and television as a performer as well as a vocal commentator for BBC Cymru Television and BBC Radio Cymru (Wales).
Forthcoming appearances include Nemorino, L’elisir D’amore for Swansea City Opera.
Robyn’s singing career started at a young age in the Eisteddfod competitions of Wales. Through the years, competition highlights have been the National Eisteddfod of Wales scholarship 1998; International Young Singer of the Year Llangollen International Eisteddfod 1999; National Eisteddfod of Wales Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize 2000 and Lampeter Eisteddfod Blue Riband; ‘best tenor’ prize National Mozart Competition 2000 & 2001; runner-up in the W Towyn Roberts Memorial Scholarship 2001 National Eisteddfod of Wales; finalist of London Welsh Society Singer of the Year 2005 and winner of the David Ellis Memorial Prize 2007 (Blue Riband) at the Flint National Eisteddfod of Wales 2007.
Since graduating from the RCM, he has been successfully following and fulfilling a full-time singing career.
Operatic rôles to date include Il Duca, Rigoletto and Dr Blind, Die Fledermaus (Pavilion Opera); Tebaldo cover, I Capuleti e I Montecchi (Opera North), Gérald, Lakmé and Prince, Rusalka (Opera School Wales); Ferrando, Cosí fan tutte (Hand Made Opera); Alfredo, Die Fledermaus (Bristol Opera); Abdullah, Nabucco (Burry Port Opera) and 1st Soldier, L’incoronazzione di Poppea (Benjamin Britten International Opera School).
Concert performances include Don José, Carmen, Tony, West Side Story, Marco, The Gondoliers and numerous performances from the oratorio repertoire of Bach, Gounod, Handel, Haydn, Jenkins, Maunder, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Stainer, Verdi, Vivaldi and Weber.
He is a regular on the concert platform with performances taking him to the Royal Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, Usher Hall Edinburgh, St David’s Hall Cardiff, the Cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester, Llandaff and St Davids and as guest soloist with choirs touring Europe.
In addition, he can frequently be heard on radio and television as a performer as well as a vocal commentator for BBC Cymru Television and BBC Radio Cymru (Wales).
Forthcoming appearances include Nemorino, L’elisir D’amore for Swansea City Opera.
Burry Port Town Band
Burry Port Town Band (Band Pres Porth Tywyn) is a traditional brass band located in Burry Port near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, UK. Since January 2000, the band has competed in the Championship Section within Wales and across the UK. Burry Port has a busy schedule providing music for a wide variety of events including concerts, functions and local charitable events.
The first written report of a brass band in Burry Port was in 1896, when the band was first formed, originally as the Elliots Smelting Works Band. From this humble beginning the band quickly established itself as an integral part of the local community playing at local fetes and marches, raising money for both itself and worthy causes. This remains the case even today.
Just before the outbreak of the Second World War the bands' fortunes took a turn for the worse and they disbanded. Decades later in 1972, a group of local enthusiasts held a meeting in order to re-establish a band in Burry Port. Old instruments and a library of music were discovered. These, together with some new purchases, a place to rehearse and a keen group of volunteers, were the seeds of the renaissance. One member from that original meeting is still in the band today.
In the pre-war days the band was successful in competition, a distinct highlight being when the band represented Wales at the Crystal Palace in London. This trend has continues today with the last decade being the most successful period in the band’s history, with Burry Port winning every trophy in the Second Section, including the Welsh Championship on two consecutive occasions; winning most trophies in the First Section and the Welsh Championship on two consecutive occasions and also representing Wales in the National First Section championships at Birmingham (1997) and Nottingham (1999).
In 1999 the band achieved championship status where it has competed ever since. Since that time Burry Port Band has been National Eisteddfod Champions, Champion Band of Wales and represented Wales on a number of occasions at the National Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The Band has also won the prestigious Senior Cup at the Spring Brass Band Festival in Blackpool, England beating off competition from 20 of the UK’s finest bands.
The band have been joined in concert on various occasions by an impressive list of soloists including Burry Port's own West End Star John Owen Jones, opera divas Shan Cothi and Claire Hammacott, and many other famous names from the stage and screen. The band now looks forward to developing its partnership with its new Musical Director Craig Roberts. In 2008/09 the band toured its new production ‘The Planets’, an innovative concert created in partnership with Craig and the University of Glamorgan’s Professor Mark Brake, that features the performance on brass of works through the ages influenced by science and the stars, the centrepiece of which is a performance of Gustav Holst’s epic Planets suite with a full audio visual presentation.
In the summer of 2009 the band hit the headlines in the UK and world media by participating in the World Military Music Festival, held in Tripoli, Libya. 16 nations from 5 continents (Algeria, Australia, Austria, Egypt, France, Italy, Kenya, Libya, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Tunisia, UK) were represented in the show, and the band performed as part of a world class cast of military and civilian performers, comprised of brass and military bands, medieval flagwavers (Sbandieratori Italia) and dancers (Waza Afrika Kenyan Dancers; Russian State Ballet Company and Nalmes State Academic Dance Company).
Burry Port Band thoroughly enjoyed working on this project, its first major commission, and particularly working with professional artists of the calibre of Andrew, Menna, Clare and Robyn.
The first written report of a brass band in Burry Port was in 1896, when the band was first formed, originally as the Elliots Smelting Works Band. From this humble beginning the band quickly established itself as an integral part of the local community playing at local fetes and marches, raising money for both itself and worthy causes. This remains the case even today.
Just before the outbreak of the Second World War the bands' fortunes took a turn for the worse and they disbanded. Decades later in 1972, a group of local enthusiasts held a meeting in order to re-establish a band in Burry Port. Old instruments and a library of music were discovered. These, together with some new purchases, a place to rehearse and a keen group of volunteers, were the seeds of the renaissance. One member from that original meeting is still in the band today.
In the pre-war days the band was successful in competition, a distinct highlight being when the band represented Wales at the Crystal Palace in London. This trend has continues today with the last decade being the most successful period in the band’s history, with Burry Port winning every trophy in the Second Section, including the Welsh Championship on two consecutive occasions; winning most trophies in the First Section and the Welsh Championship on two consecutive occasions and also representing Wales in the National First Section championships at Birmingham (1997) and Nottingham (1999).
In 1999 the band achieved championship status where it has competed ever since. Since that time Burry Port Band has been National Eisteddfod Champions, Champion Band of Wales and represented Wales on a number of occasions at the National Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The Band has also won the prestigious Senior Cup at the Spring Brass Band Festival in Blackpool, England beating off competition from 20 of the UK’s finest bands.
The band have been joined in concert on various occasions by an impressive list of soloists including Burry Port's own West End Star John Owen Jones, opera divas Shan Cothi and Claire Hammacott, and many other famous names from the stage and screen. The band now looks forward to developing its partnership with its new Musical Director Craig Roberts. In 2008/09 the band toured its new production ‘The Planets’, an innovative concert created in partnership with Craig and the University of Glamorgan’s Professor Mark Brake, that features the performance on brass of works through the ages influenced by science and the stars, the centrepiece of which is a performance of Gustav Holst’s epic Planets suite with a full audio visual presentation.
In the summer of 2009 the band hit the headlines in the UK and world media by participating in the World Military Music Festival, held in Tripoli, Libya. 16 nations from 5 continents (Algeria, Australia, Austria, Egypt, France, Italy, Kenya, Libya, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Tunisia, UK) were represented in the show, and the band performed as part of a world class cast of military and civilian performers, comprised of brass and military bands, medieval flagwavers (Sbandieratori Italia) and dancers (Waza Afrika Kenyan Dancers; Russian State Ballet Company and Nalmes State Academic Dance Company).
Burry Port Band thoroughly enjoyed working on this project, its first major commission, and particularly working with professional artists of the calibre of Andrew, Menna, Clare and Robyn.
Further information on The Red Lady of Paviland:
Project Background
The Cantata
The Libretto
Partners
The Red Lady of Paviland project is supported by a Steps to New Music grant from the Arts Council of Wales
Project Background
The Cantata
The Libretto
Partners
The Red Lady of Paviland project is supported by a Steps to New Music grant from the Arts Council of Wales