BBC NOW INVITES SUBMISSIONS FOR COMPOSITION: WALES 2020

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BBC National Orchestra of Wales is inviting submissions for its highly acclaimed Composition: Wales project for 2020, which will take place in January and March 2020 in BBC Hoddinott Hall and conducted and led by B Tommy Andersson. For the past 18 years, the project has provided aspiring and talented Welsh composers with the opportunity to have their music rehearsed and then performed in front of an audience.
 
Composition: Wales, has established itself as one of the most important contemporary music events in the orchestral scene in Wales. It showcases works by composers worthy of wider exposure and offers them the opportunity to hear and evaluate their music played by BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The project is organised in collaboration with Composers of Wales, Tŷ Cerdd, Vale of Glamorgan Festival and Welsh Music Guild.
 
Those who are eligible to submit scores include those born or living in Wales who have completed a music degree at undergraduate level or equivalent qualification, or composers born in Wales studying composition at post-graduate level in Wales. BBC NOW will also consider composers born in Wales or living in Wales who have a proven track record in composition.
 
The deadline for submission is 10.00am on Wednesday 13th November 2019, with the selected scores announced on Friday 6th December 2019.
 
In addition to compositions played at BBC Hoddinott Hall as part of Composition: Wales 2020, collaborating partners – Tŷ Cerdd and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival – will also offer additional opportunities for selected composers.
Tŷ Cerdd will be offering the opportunity to write a short piece of music for a chamber ensemble to three composers. These compositions will be performed at the Night Music series of events at St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 
The Vale of Glamorgan Festival (VOGF) regularly selects composers featured in Composition Wales to work closely with. Selected composers may have their music featured as part of the Festival in May, and may be commissioned on an orchestral and/or chamber level. VOGF 2020 will feature an orchestral commission and a solo work by composer David Roche, who took part in Composition Wales 2019. 
Scores are invited with the guidance brief of: the perfect concert opener or an encore for a BBC National Orchestra of Wales concert, such as St David’s Day or an international tour. 
 
Selected scores will be featured in the project at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay. The initial workshop will take place in on Tuesday 28 January 2020; this day will be followed by two additional workshop days on Tuesday 3 March and Wednesday 4 March 2020, culminating in a free public concert.
 
Key dates:

·         Deadline for initial score submission: Wednesday 13 November 2019 at 10.00am

·         Selected scores announced: Friday 6th December 2019

·         Deadline for submission of selected final full scores & orchestral parts: Monday 6 January 2019 at 5.00pm

·         Initial workshop day: Tuesday 28 January 2020 at 2.00pm -5.00pm and 6.00pm-9.00pm

·         Open rehearsals: Tuesday 3 March 2020 at 2.00pm-5.00pm and 6.00pm-9.00pm, and Wednesday 4 March 2020 at 2.30-5.30pm

·         Free Culmination Concert: Wednesday 4 March 2020 at 7.00pm 

 
For further Information go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcnow or call 0800 052 1812 or email now@bbc.co.uk.

 

Distinguished Welsh Musicians Receive Coveted Awards

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Sopranos, harpists, composers and record producers were amongst the musical glitterati celebrated for their commitment to enhancing Welsh culture at an illustrious awards ceremony.

WMG Award Winners 2018

The Welsh Music Guild presented nine coveted prizes at its annual awards luncheon held at the Cardiff & County Club on the opening weekend of the National Eisteddfod.

Before a packed audience of some of Wales’ most influential and notable musicians, singer and broadcaster Shan Cothi, composer Dr Lyn Davies and Universal Records senior manager Mark Wilkinson were amongst the impressive list of award recipients.

President of the Guild Captain Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards welcomed guests and award winners to the County Club and explained the important work undertaken by them to further the development of Welsh music and musicians.

“The Welsh Music Guild remains dedicated to its original purpose of advancing the education of the public by encouraging the understanding and appreciation of the music of Wales,” he said.

“Today we will celebrate a plethora of extraordinary talented individuals, either Welsh born or residing in Wales by recognising their massive contribution to the enhancement of our culture and positioning on the world stage.

“Individually they have all become high achievers in their given fields and their tireless efforts should be deservedly recognised in this way.”

International Welsh baritone and secretary of the Welsh Music Guild Jeremy Huw Williams introduced each of the individual prize givers led by their Patron Professor Paul Mealor.

Founded by John Edwards in 1955, the Welsh Music Guild has succeeded in promoting the careers and works of musicians by exerting a strong influence over broadcasting and recording companies, festival organisers and global musical bodies.

In honour of their founder the Welsh Music Guild annually award The John Edwards Memorial Award.
Regarded as the most prestigious non-competitive award given in Wales for services to the nation’s music, receipients have included composers Alun Hoddinott, John Metcalf and Grace Williams, performers from Osian Ellis to Bryn Terfel and institutions including the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Vale of Glamorgan Festival and the Lower Machen Festival.
Capt Sir Norman Lloyd Edwards, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony, explained that the Guild continues to exert a positive influence on the Welsh music scene.

He explained: “The Guild has established partnerships with the School of Music at Cardiff University and with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and has developed a close working relationship with both Composers of Wales and Ty Cerdd.

“The Guild is currently expanding its work by engaging in projects with both the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and the National Youth Orchestra of Wales.”

The Welsh Music Guild Awards take place each year in venues close to the National Eisteddfod maes.

Winners of the Welsh Music Guild Awards 2018 are:

  1. The 2018 John Edwards Memorial Award, the most prestigious non-competitive award given in Wales for services to the nation’s music, was awarded to Dr Lyn Davies, former Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
  2. The 2018 Sir Geraint Evans Award for a significant contribution to Welsh Music was awarded to Geraint Lewis, Artistic Director of the Lower Machen Festival
  3. The 2018 Glanville Jones Award for an outstanding achievement in music in Wales was awarded to Gillian Green MBE, Artistic Director of the Fishguard International Music Festival
  4. The 2018 Joseph Parry Award for an exceptional contribution to musical education in Wales was awarded to Suzanne Hay, Head of Partnerships and Learning, BBC National Orchestra of Wales
  5. The 2018 J. Mervyn Williams Award for a contribution to the communication of Welsh music through media production was awarded to Mark Wilkinson, Senior Vice President, International Marketing and Artists & Repertoire at Universal Music, Global Classics
  6. The 2018 Geraint Stanley Jones Award for a contribution to music communication through broadcasting in Wales was awarded to soprano Shân Cothi, presenter of the daily BBC Racio Cymru programme, ‘Bore Cothi’
  7. The 2018 Paul Mealor Award for Young Composers was awarded to Luciano Williamson, recently graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
  8. The 2018 Paul Mealor Bursary for Student Composers was awarded to Jasper Dommett, who has recently completed his first year of studies at the Royal Welsh College and Music and Drama

Composition Awards Evening

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At The Royal Welsh College yesterday, Sir Norman presented a joint composition award on behalf of the Welsh Music Guild to Daniel Lewis (Hetaera Esmerelda is inspired by Dr Faustus (1947) by the German Novelist Thomas Mann) and Tomos Nicholls (A Pronounced Addiction to Reciptocal Ononism is based on the semi-autobiographical novel Christopher and His Kind (1977) by Christopher Isherwood) two very young superb composers!

Obituary – Wyn Morris

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WYN MORRIS (1929-2010)

by A. J. Heward Rees

The once-celebrated Llanelli conductor Wyn Morris died in comparative obscurity near Slough on February 24th, a few days after his 81st birthday. His death has brought deep sadness to a great many people and a quite special regret to numerous friends and acquaintances who witnessed how his meteoric rise to prominence in the musical world was all too frequently marred by bouts of controversial behaviour and a curious instinct for self-destruction. The London press in quite lavish obituary columns duly noted his evident triumphs and achievements, but used terms like “his own worst enemy”, “unmanageable”, “arrogant”, “cantankerous” (and mentioned a “a philandering and bibulous lifestyle”- surely common enough in the profession?) to explain his prolonged absences from the public eye. Nevertheless there is enough ground for legitimate local pride in his extraordinary career and in the adventurous quality of his personality.  Continue reading →