In appreciation of the wonderful tradition of sharing music and legends around an open fire, this programme celebrates the transformation of melodies, stories and nursery rhymes into harp masterpieces. Join Gwenllian Llŷr as she displays the versatility of the harp, including her own reimagination of the well-known hymn ‘Calon Lan’, a rhythmic visit to a New York night club, as well as her transcription of the stunning Prelude and Nocturne by Scriabin played solely with her left hand.
i Dros y Mynydd (Over the Mountain)
ii Suo Gân (Lullaby)
iii O’r Banna (From the Beacons)
Haldon Evans’s “Soliloquies” (“Ymsonau”) for solo pedal harp is a three-movement original work based on Welsh folk tunes. A sophisticated concert-piece, this suite makes a very entertaining and imaginative rendering of this traditional music.
Vaughan Williams once commented, "The art of music above all arts is the expression of the soul of the nation". In this delightful piece, he manages to capture the very essence of England in music. The serene, pastoral sounds evoke images of bucolic bliss, with lyrical string writing and particularly descriptive flute passages. The title of Fantasia is in some ways misleading: the work is neither long enough nor complex enough to deserve the description; instead, it is a rather faithful setting of the original.
Renie dedicated this piece to Marcel Grandjany. A challenging piece in one movement. Beginning with Renie’s Ballade Fantastique (the tell-tale heart), Llyr’s technique is sure, powerful and well-up to the challenges of this notorious gothic fantasy. Changes in register and colour are defined and the ghoulish subject matter clearly lives in the artist’s imagination as she plays.
“Calon Lân” (Welsh for ‘A Pure Heart’) is a Welsh hymn, the words of which were written in the 1890s by Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) and sung to a tune by John Hughes. The song was originally written as a hymn, but has become firmly established as a rugby anthem. This is an original composition by Gwenllian.
i Prelude
ii Nocturne
In summer 1891 Scriabin hurt his right hand through too much practice. For this reason he cultivated his playing with his left hand for which he composed his Prélude et Nocturne op. 9 in 1894.
i Prélude
ii Menuet
iii Clair de lune
iv Passepied
Suite bergamasque is a piano suite by Claude Debussy. He began composing it around 1890, at the age of 28, but significantly revised it just before its 1905 publication. The popularity of the 3rd movement, “Clair de lune”, has made it one of the composer’s most famous works for piano, as well as one of the most famous musical pieces of all-time. The suite was originally composed for piano but has been arranged for a wide variety of instruments and combinations. Clair de Lune means “moonlight” in French, is taken from Verlaine’s poem “Clair de lune”. The movement is in D-flat major.
i Ten past two
ii Beige nocturne
iii Harpicide at Midnight
iv The morning after
Pearl Chertok was an internationally regarded harpist and composer for harp from America. This suite for pedal harp incorporates elegant classical traditions with contemporary harp techniques and jazz rhythms. Harpicide at Midnight is the third movement in the Around the Clock Suite.
Gwenllian Llŷr - Harp
Gwenllian has performed in prestigious venues alongside renowned artists, including Rebecca Evans, Imogen Cooper, Al Jarreau, Matthew Rees and Bryn Terfel. Gwenllian toured the UK alongside the release of her debut album with Sain, ‘Dusk to Dawn’, and her playing was praised for its rare “liquid legato” and “compelling mellowness”.
Flute/Piano Duo
9 March 2023
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