NEWS
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| Donald & RS |
Rhian's music was featured on 'Composer of the Week' on Thursday, 28 September, 2023, on BBC Radio 3. Rhian was one of the five Welsh women composers (although the only one living) presented as the 'Welsh Quintet'. Eight pieces were included, together with her very pleasant interview by Donald Mcleod. She was happy that her choral work, 'Love bade me welcome', sung by New College Choir, was aired. The programme will be available for about 3 weeks at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qmxk
Then at the Machynlleth Festival, the four-movement song-cycle, The Moon and I, was presented by Lotte Betts-Dean, mezzo, and Jâms Coleman, piano. Great performances!
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| RS & Lott |
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| Jâms & RS |
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| BBC Singers, Nicholas Kok |
Rhian's BBC SIngers' commission, Earth Newborn to four poems of Edward Thomas, was premiered on 28th April at St Paul's, Knightsbridge, London, conductor, Nicholas Kok. The performance by the inimitable BBC Singers was fantastic and quite a celebration! The 4 pieces, pub. Stainer & Bell, are immensely descriptive of the natural world and contain many beautiful and evocative images.
Recent Publications
- Earth Newborn, a set of four pieces pub. separately by Stainer & Bell: 'The Trumpet', 'Lights Out', 'Bright Clouds of May' and 'After Rain'.
- My Heart Beside for medium/high voice, viola and piano, three pieces to poems by Emily Dickinson, pub. Tŷ Cerdd. The first of these was premiered at the Wigmore Hall in October 2022.
- Rhyfedd, rhyfedd / Wonder, wonder (2020) for SATB chorus and organ, pub. Vol. 3, Multitude of Voyces, ed. Louise Stewart, the Welsh text by the renowned 18th-century poet, Ann Griffiths, and the English translation by the composer. This work has now also been published separately by Stainer & Bell in their series, Choral Now.
- Rejoice: Fantasia on 'Victimae Paschali Laudes' for solo organ. In Gregoriana, ed. Anna Lapwood, pub. Stainer & Bell.
- Just out: Ad Lucem, a 3-movement work for solo organ, played by Tom Winpenny on the organ of St Alban's Cathedral: St Albans Experience (Willowhayne Records). Launch concert there on 10th Sept!
- LIttle Duos for oboe and cor anglais, played by Penelope Smith and Nicola Hands, on the Tailleferre Ensemble's CD, There are Things to be Said (UA) (see above).
- Songs of Earth and Air: the vocal works of Rhian Samuel (Lorelt). A CD made by Jeremy Huw Williams, baritone, Paula Fan, piano, and instrumentalists on the Faculty of The University of Arizona. Works on the disc are Songs of Earth & Air, Spring Diary, Moon over Maenefa, Summer Songs, A Swift Radiant Morning and Rondeau. A total of 18 songs. Many thanks to Jeremy for his initiative in creating this CD, and to all who supported it, including a number of British trusts.
- Rhian's Violin Sonata, played by Mary Hofman and Richard Ormrod, on Tŷ Cerdd's disc, Unbroken Threads, launched at Powis Hall, Bangor, on 5th September, 2022.