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ISCM

World New Music Days

2024

Welsh Section

shortlisted composers

Quietening by Eloise Nancie Gynn has been selected by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) to represent Wales at this year's World New Music Days. The piece will be performed as part of the ISCM's festival which takes place in the Faroe Islands between 22-30 June 2024. Quietening will be performed by Zoë Martlew, 11.30am Saturday 22 June at Havnar Kirkja (Tórshavn Cathedral).

Quietening (2020) for solo cello

This piece was written during lockdown, as a reflection of the quietening of the human world. It’s inspired by our daily walks along a woodland path, seeing the bluebells and oak leaves unfurling day by day, butterflies dancing, and our baby daughter pointing to everything in sight. It’s also inspired by the arrival of migrant birds like the willow warbler and chiffchaffs whose songs make an appearance in the piece. 
▶ Listen to Quietening

Eloise Nancy Gynn was one of six composers short-listed by the Welsh panel for consideration by the ISCM. The other composers were:

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Leona Jones in(ex)teriors (2020) 

A multi-channel sonic imagining of influential Gothic writer Arthur Machen's (1863-1947) semi-autobiographical novel The Hill of Dreams. Machen’s writings abound with sound, descriptively and stylistically, and probe the liminal spaces between ir/rationality and un/realities. Exploring these fascinations, in(ex)teriors includes field recordings from Machen’s birthplace (Caerleon, South Wales) and Voice that speaks his Written.

The novel was written in the late 19th century, a period of major societal and technological changes in Britain. Leona's sonic journey embraces Machen’s depictions of the unlimited potential of human minds - the creation of beauty and horror within struggles to make sense of profound disturbances. 

 

▶ Listen to in(ex)teriors

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Andrew Lewis Fantazia Upon One Note (2021) for solo violin with fixed-medium electronics


Composed in 1680, Henry Purcell’s famous Fantazia Upon One Note has inspired a number of works by modern composers, including Elliot Carter, Peter Maxwell Davies, Oliver Knussen and George Benjamin. This piece continues that fascination, and the combination of electronics and solo violin also pays homage to the many composers of electroacoustic music who have explored the endless possibilities offered by one note, especially Bernard Parmegiani in his Incidences/Résonances. Fantazia Upon One Note was composed in 2021 and premiered by Darragh Morgan on February 11 2022 in the Studio Theatre, Pontio, Bangor, as part of the Bangor New Music Festival. 

 

Listen to Fantazia Upon One Note

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John Metcalf Towards Silence (2020) for string quartet

Carol Nixon the commissioner of Towards Silence gave one stipulation - that it reflect the crisis of the extinction of species on Earth. The core of the piece is the second movement, where the same musical material is played three times, the musical texture thinned out with each repetition. On either side are two ‘journeys’ characterised by a walking pulse, finally a brief Epilogue: Winter Journey I; Towards Silence; Winter Journey II; Epilogue – ‘With Stars’. The music is quiet and spare, using ‘practice’ as well as standard mutes with long silences within, as well as between, sections. 

 

Listen to Towards Silence

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David John Roche A Prayer at the Edge of Silence (2021) for string quartet

A Prayer at the Edge of Silence is a 5-movement string quartet about hope. Each movement – each prayer – has a different character and is a meditation on a way of feeling, a wish, or a contemplation. The work is a call for clearer, happier, calmer times ahead. The five prayers are titled as follows: A Prayer for Good Times; A Prayer at the Edge of Silence; A Prayer for Clear Thought; A Second Prayer at the Edge of Silence; A Prayer of Warmth and Happiness. 

 

Listen to A Prayer at the Edge of Silence

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Andrew Wilson-Dickson String Quartet no. 2 (2020) 

This is my second quartet and completed in the 2020 lockdown (the first was commissioned by the BBC in 1981). It displays my delight in the gift of life: its richness and its rhythmic complexity. From the opening point of peace, the music evolves until its progress is thwarted by a sudden evaporation and repeated chords. These send the music back to start another evolution. Altogether there are four attempts at this process and after a particularly ferocious outburst, the tension is gradually resolved into memories of the tranquillity with which the quartet began. 

 

Listen to String Quartet no. 2

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ISCM Welsh Section
ISCM Welsh exists to promote the aims of the ISCM, both within Wales, and in co-operation with the British, Irish, Scottish and other, international Sections. The Society aims to promote contemporary music and raise its public profile, through effective global networking, communication and facilitation of multilateral activities between the members.

Its mission is to:

  • Raise the profile of contemporary music through the collective strength of the Society’s global network and  membership makeup.

  • Pursue exposure, research and performance of contemporary music through initiatives by its membership, as well as collaboration with affiliated bodies.

  • Showcase the diversity of contemporary music worldwide through the World New Music Days Festival.

CYM
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Diwrnodau Cerddoriaeth 

Newydd y Byd

ISCM 2024

Cyfansoddwyr ar restr fer

yr Adran Gymreig

Mae Quietening gan Eloise Nancie Gynn wedi’i dewis gan y Gymdeithas Ryngwladol Cerddoriaeth Gyfoes (ISCM) i gynrychioli Cymru yn Niwrnodau Cerddoriaeth Newydd y Byd eleni. Bydd y darn yn cael ei berfformio fel rhan o ŵyl yr ISCM a gynhelir yn Ynysoedd y Faroe rhwng 22-30 Mehefin 2024. Bydd Quieting yn cael ei berfformio gan Zoë Martlew, 11.30am ddydd Sadwrn 22 Mehefin yn Havnar Kirkja (Cadeirlan Tórshavn).

Quietening (2020) for solo cello

Ysgrifennwyd y darn hwn yn ystod cyfnod clo COVID-19, gan adlewyrchu’r tawelu ar y byd dynol. Cafodd ei ysbrydoli gan ein teithiau cerdded bob dydd ar hyd llwybr coetir, yn gweld clychau’r gog a dail y dderwen yn agor o ddydd i ddydd, gloÿnnod byw yn dawnsio, a’n merch fach yn pwyntio at bopeth o’n cwmpas. Mae hefyd wedi’i ysbrydoli gan ddyfodiad adar mudol fel telor yr helyg a’r siff-siaff ac y mae eu caneuon yn ymddangos yn y darn. ▶ Gwrandewch ar Quietening

Roedd Eloise Nancy Gynn yn un o chwe chyfansoddwr ar restr fer y panel Cymreig i’w hystyried gan yr ISCM. Y cyfansoddwyr eraill oedd:

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Leona Jones in(ex)teriors (2020) 

Dyma ddychmygiad, mewn ffurf sonig aml-sianel, o The Hill of Dreams sef nofel lled-hunangofiannol yr awdur Gothig dylanwadol, Arthur Machen (1863-1947). Mae ysgrifennu Machen yn gyforiog o sain, yn ddisgrifiadol ac yn arddulliadol, ac yn archwilio trothwy’r bylchau rhwng af/resymoldeb ac af/realiti. Gan archwilio’r diddordebau hyn, mae’r mewnol/allanol yn cynnwys recordiadau maes ym man geni Machen (Caerllion, De Cymru) a llais sy’n siarad yr hyn a ysgrifennwyd ganddo. Ysgrifennwyd y nofel ar ddiwedd y 19eg ganrif, sef cyfnod o newidiadau cymdeithasol a thechnolegol mawr ym Mhrydain. Mae taith sonig Leona yn cofleidio darluniau Machen o'r potensial diderfyn y meddwl dynol – creu harddwch ac arswyd ill dau yn y frwydr i wneud synnwyr o aflonyddwch llwyr. 

▶ Gwrandewch ar in(ex)teriors

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Andrew Lewis Fantazia Upon One Note (2021) ar gyfer ffidil unawdol gydag electroneg cyfrwng sefydlog


Cyfansoddwyd Fantazia Upon One Note enwog Henry Purcell yn 1680, ac ers hynny mae wedi ysbrydoli nifer o weithiau gan gyfansoddwyr modern, gan gynnwys Elliot Carter, Peter Maxwell Davies, Oliver Knussen a George Benjamin. Mae’r darn hwn yn parhau â’r diddordeb hwnnw, ac mae’r cyfuniad o electroneg a ffidil unawdol hefyd yn talu teyrnged i gyfansoddwyr niferus cerddoriaeth electroacwstig sydd wedi archwilio’r posibiliadau diddiwedd a gynigir gan un nodyn, yn enwedig Bernard Parmegiani yn ei Incidences/Résonances. Cyfansoddwyd Fantazia Upon One Note yn 2021 a pherfformiwyd  am y tro cyntaf gan Darragh Morgan ar 11 Chwefror 2022 yn Theatr y Stiwdio, Pontio, Bangor, fel rhan o Ŵyl Cerddoriaeth Newydd Bangor. 


Gwrandewch ar Fantazia Upon One Note

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John Metcalf Towards Silence (2020) ar gyfer pedwarawd llinynnol

Un amod oedd gan Carol Nixon wrth gomisiynu Towards Silence, sef ei fod yn adlewyrchu argyfwng difodiant rhywogaethau ar y Ddaear. Craidd y darn yw’r ail symudiad, lle caiff yr un deunydd cerddorol ei chwarae deirgwaith, y gwead cerddorol yn gwanhau bob tro y caiff ei ailadrodd. Ar y naill ochr mae dwy ‘daith’ a nodweddir gan guriad cerdded, ac yn olaf Epilog byr: Winter Journey I; Towards Silence; Winter Journey II; Epilog – ‘With Stars’. 

Mae’r gerddoriaeth yn dawel ac yn gynnil, gan ddefnyddio mudyddion ‘ymarfer’ yn ogystal â rhai arferol, gyda distawrwydd hir o fewn, yn ogystal â rhwng, adrannau.

 

▶ Gwrandewch ar Towards Silence

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David John Roche A Prayer at the Edge of Silence (2021) ar gyfer pedwarawd llinynnol

Pedwarawd llinynnol 5 symudiad yn sôn am obaith yw A Prayer at the Edge of Silence. Mae gan bob symudiad – pob gweddi – gymeriad gwahanol ac mae’n gynhemlad ar ffordd o deimlad, dymuniad, neu fyfyrdod. Mae'r gwaith yn alwad am gyfnod hapusach, cliriach, a thawelach o’n blaenau. Dyma deitlau’r pum gweddi: 

A Prayer for Good Times; A Prayer at the Edge of Silence; A Prayer for Clear Thought;
A Second Prayer at the Edge of Silence; A Prayer of Warmth and Happiness. 

 

Gwrandewch ar A Prayer at the Edge of Silence

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Andrew Wilson-Dickson Pedwarawd Llinynnol rhif 2 (2020) 

Dyma fy ail bedwarawd ac fe’i cwblhawyd yn ystod y cyfnodau clo yn 2020 (comisiynwyd y cyntaf gan y BBC yn 1981). Mae’n dangos fy llawenydd o gael rhodd bywyd: ei gyfoeth a’i gymhlethdod rhythmig. Ar ôl ychydig o ddechreuadau ffug a phwynt agoriadol sy’n heddychlon, mae’r gerddoriaeth wedyn yn esblygu nes bod ei chynnydd yn cael ei llesteirio gan edwino a gwanhau sydyn a chordiau ailadroddus. Mae’r rhain yn anfon y gerddoriaeth yn ôl i ddechrau esblygiad arall. At ei gilydd mae pedwar ymgais ar y broses hon ac ar ôl ffrwydrad arbennig o ffyrnig, mae’r tensiwn yn dadelfennu yn raddol i fod yn atgofion o’r llonyddwch ar ddechrau’r pedwarawd. 

 

Gwrandewch ar Pedwarawd Llinynnol rhif 2

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