Small World Theatre presents ‘Lament’ a brilliant and haunting moving image piece by artist filmmaker Sean Vicary, with music by Ceri Rhys Matthews and others…
‘Lament’ interweaves animation, poetry and music to explore a personal narrative and examine ideas of loss, longing and belonging in the Welsh border landscape.
A film by: Sean Vicary
Musical co-ordinator: Ceri Rhys Matthews
Technical assistant: Steve Knight
Musicians: Ceri Rhys Matthews, Ceri Jones, Christine Cooper
Spoken word: Beverley Evans
An exclusive event on Friday 24 February, 8pm at Small World Theatre includes the artist and renowned musicians, Ceri Rhys Matthews, Christine Cooper and Ceri Jones in an innovative performance with live projection and improvised music. At the end of this performance there will be an opportunity to explore the ideas and making of the work in a discussion chaired by cultural activist Osi Rhys Osmond.
This unique evening is also supported by the Arts Council of Wales Night Out scheme and continues with an intimate acoustic concert where the musicians will further develop the themes.
Tickets are being sold via our ‘what’s on’ website whatevertheweatherwales.co.uk and by calling us on 01239 615 952.
‘Lament’ is running at Oriel Davies: 11 February - 18 April 2012, orieldavies.com. There is site-specific smart phone content to this exhibition which can be accessed via the QR code appearing in Small World Theatre’s brochure and allows the viewer to experience some of the animated objects in ‘Lament’ while walking in the Welsh border landscape.
yscolan music retreat at pentre ifan, west wales. october 21 to october 23, 2011. clickhere for details. pictures of last autumn’s retreat here
mythologyofblue: Thank you.
You're Welsh or Scottish? And play the bagpipes? I was in Scotland and Wales in the past year, twice, both places are quite enchanting.
welsh :) yes, both places are enchanting - as is england too!
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i recorded this in what seems like another lifetime. the tunes are slip jigs. the instrument was made by john glennydd of llanfihangel-ar-arth a couple of years ago and is called pibe cyrn. hornpipe. i made a cd of music on this instrument here http://www.fflach.co.uk/cms/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=101
there’s a bit of background on the music here http://www.pibaupencader.info/
my contribution to the holy hiatus symposium in cardigan last year
http://www.holyhiatus.co.uk/symposium.html
A two-day interdisciplinary symposium took place at the Small World Theatre, Cardigan, west Wales in September 2010 organised in conjunction with PlaCe Research Centre, The University of West England, exploring the vital role that ritual plays in creatively re-imagining places and our relationships to them. The event featured illustrated talks, performative lectures and workshops led by specialists in the creative arts, humanities and social sciences.
Holy Hiatus refers to the crossing of the boundary between inner and outer consciousness and the conference explored the vital role that ritual plays in social interaction, stressing the importance of liminal or ‘inbetween’ spaces where personal and social identities may be creatively transformed. The programme included speakers from visual and performing arts, sociology, cultural geography, religious studies, ritual studies and anthropology. The event explored the practice and lived experience of ritual activity in different aspects of cultural life and combined illustrated talks with performative lectures and workshop opportunities as well as screenings of related films.
froots review of ‘canu rhydd’
It’s only when a bright shiny new CD comes flying through the letterbox that you remember not only how good fernhill are, but how monstrously underrated they are too. Few have been so committed to bringing Welsh music to the forefront, yet - or maybe because of that - they vary rarely seem to be invited on the annual festival bandwagon. As soon as Julie Murphy’s crystal clear voice shimmers out of the speakers with the melting opening lines of the first track Adar, you just gowowwwwwww.
The other thing that hits you instantly is the clarity of the actual recording and the impact the sound of the album - recorded at Dartington College of Arts - accordingly makes. The purity of Murphy’s singing, the uncluttered and sparing accompaniments (Ceri Rhys Matthews on guitar and flute, Tomos Williams, trumpet and flugelhorn, and fiddle player Christine Cooper making her fernhill recording debut) all enhance it, of course, but there is an exceptional sound quality here.
The title is translated as “free poetry” and the mix of English and Welsh language songs contain liberal extracts from music and poetry of other traditions, influences and styles… Breton poetry, Dutch music, an extract from Benjamin Britten’s Corpus Christi Carol, Sidney Carter’s Like the Snow… all creep into the wonder of this striking collection highlighted by the inspired trumpet of Tomos Williams which gives the music such a different dimension.
Amid the French influences of Diddan Murphy almost sounds like a fado singer, such is the passion buried deep within her vocals while - chaperoned by a mesmerising lone trumpet - her delivery of Down in yon forest is remarkable in itself even before it gives way to Corpus Christi Carol, to create a real hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck moment. Glyn Cynon opens like a smoky bossa nova, Glyn Tawe meanders gently into a charmingly nostalgic spoken-word poem and Y Fwynlan o Serch features a lively vocal duet with Matthews.
Many people are put off fernhill because they imagine they are worthy. They are certainly that but, more importantly, they are bloody good and hugely entertaining too.
Colin Irwin
Immediate download of yscolan by ceri rhys matthews & beverley evans, with christine cooper, in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire. “The album is a delicious mix of traditional melodies, ambient sounds and spoken word” Verity Sharp - Late Junction - BBC radio 3
Or buy the CD. The CD comes in a beautiful card cover with card insert. Just like a tiny old record!
Or just listen for free…
http://yscolan.bandcamp.com/
trâth bach y morfa from carreg y ty. just got back from here
