NEWS
REPEAT PERFORMANCES:
Several more performances of 'Cwmdonkin Songs' (to poems by Dylan Thomas) are coming up in the next few months. One, already announced, will be by James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook at the Wigmore Hall in July, 2025; others will be announced shortly; also the CD containing the songs, issued by the Dylan Thomas Project, will appear soon. 'Love bade me welcome' will be sung again by New College Choir, on 1st March at Evensong, and 'The Tender Branch' will be played by David Pipe at Huddersfield Town Hall on 24th March after its performance by Tom Winpenny at St Paul's Cathedral, London last October.
There were numerous performances of Rhian's songs and song-cycles in autumn, 2024: Cwmdonkin Songs by tenor Chris O'Gorman & pianist David Pipe at Worcester College, Oxford, and also by contralto Jess Dandy with pianist Ceri Owen at the Llandeilo Festival; The Gaze (Shakespeare) at St Laurence's Church, Catford by Francesa Chiejina, soprano, and Jocelyn Freeman, piano, and three songs from Spring Dairy by baritone, James Atkinson with Ian Tindale, piano, at the Shipston-on-Stour Festival.
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| The combined orchestras before the concert at the Dora Stoutzker Hall, Cardiff. |
A lovely event at the British Library on 1st May, 2024: the celebration of the acquisition of the archives of Jane Manning and Anthony Payne, hosted by Chris Scobie for the BL and presented by Steph Power. Many old friends there! Rhian's Trois chansons de Francois Villon, written years ago when she was a graduate student at Washington University, St Louis, USA, was performed impressively by Patricia Auchterlonie, soprano, and Robert Manasse, flute & piccolo.
Recent Publications
- Cwmdonkin Songs, three songs to texts by Dylan Thomas, pub. Tŷ Cerdd, Feb. 2024. Two versions now published: (1) for medium voice; (2) for high voice.
- The Tender Branch for organ, pub. Stainer & Bell, Feb. 2024.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sarabande from Isolation Suite, arr. for harpsichord, on Julian Perkins's CD, From Handel's Home (Delphian).
- 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).
- 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.