Vita Davidis

TCR064

dyddiad rhyddhau 29 Mai 2026

Daw Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC a’r delynores feistrolgar Catrin Finch at ei gilydd yn y recordiad byw hwn o Vita Davidis gan Gareth Glyn.

Perfformiwyd Vita Davidis yn wreiddiol fel rhan o ddathliadau Dydd Gŵyl Dewi'r gerddorfa yn 2019. Daw'r teitl o waith o’r un enw, sef Vita Davidis (Bywyd Dewi), a ysgrifennwyd gan Rhygyfarch ap Sulien tua’r flwyddyn 1090, hanner mileniwm ar ôl marwolaeth nawddsant Cymru.

Eglura Gareth Glyn fod “y concerto yn cyfeirio’n gerddorol at rai elfennau penodol yn y Vita, gan ddechrau gyda phroffwydoliaeth Sant Padrig am ddyfodiad ei olynydd (dyma’r alwad corn unigol sy’n cyflwyno prif thema’r gwaith), ac yna’r storm ffyrnig a rwygai’r awyr wrth i fam Dewi, Non, esgor mewn coedwig. Mae’r gerddorfa lawn yn darlunio’r pelydr o heulwen a ddaeth i ddisgleirio ar Non ar adeg yr enedigaeth, ac mae cân y golomen (wedi’i chwarae gan ffliwt alto) yn nodi dechrau adran araf y concerto, lle datblygir y brif thema. Mae darn cerddorfaol sy’n araf ddringo yn portreadu’r bryn a dyfodd o dan draed Dewi er mwyn i’w ddilynwyr fedru ei weld a’i glywed yn pregethu’n well, ac yna ceir darn, yn bennaf ar gyfer telyn unigol, sy’n adlewyrchu’r disgrifiad o lais Dewi o’r bryn fel llais a oedd ‘mor uchel â thrwmped’. Mae thema newydd, ysgafn, yn cyfateb i gyfeiriad y sant yn ei bregeth at y ‘pethau bychain’, ac mae’r adran olaf fywiog yn ymateb i ran arall, llai adnabyddus, o’r bregeth, sef y cyfarwyddyd i’w ddilynwyr ‘fod yn llawen’.

Mae Gareth Glyn yn ychwanegu: "er gwaethaf y teitl Lladin a’i ffynhonnell grefyddol, nid yw’r darn yn cymryd ei hun yn rhy ddifrifol. Gwaith dathliadol ydyw yn ei hanfod, ac yn ddarn, yn nwylo medrus Catrin Finch, sy’n caniatáu iddi arddangos holl rinweddau amrywiol y delyn – o’r mynegiannol a’r cain i’r tymhestlog a’r deheuig.”

Meddai Catrin Finch bod "hi wastad mor wych cael y cyfle i berfformio gweithiau newydd. Bydd y darn gwych hwn gan Gareth yn ychwanegiad ardderchog at repertoire'r delyn, a bydd yn eistedd ochr yn ochr â'i weithiau telyn eraill yn barod i delynorion y dyfodol eu dysgu a'u mwynhau."

Vita Davidis digital square DRAFT 1 (1).jpg

RHESTR TRAC (cyfanswm hyd: 13:49)

I. St Patrick’s prophecy (0:36)

II. Born in a storm (2:45)

III. Dazzling sun marked his birth (0:49)

IV. Taught by a white dove (3:41)

V. A hill grew beneath his feet (1:00)

VI. He preached (0:49)

VII. The little things (0:46)

VIII. Be joyful (3:23)

Gareth Glyn

Catrin Finch (telyn), Grant Llewellyn (arweinydd), Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC

GWRANDEWCH

Vita Davidis

TCR064

released 29 May 2026

BBC National Orchestra of Wales and virtuoso harpist Catrin Finch come together on this live recording of Gareth Glyn’s Vita Davidis.

Vita Davidis was originally performed as part of BBC National Orchestra of Wales's St David’s Day celebrations in 2019 and the work’s namesake, (transl. 'A Life of St David'), was written by Rhygyfarch ap Sulien in about 1090, half a millennium after the death of Wales’s patron saint.

Gareth Glyn explains that “[the] concerto makes musical reference to certain elements in the Vita, beginning with a prophecy by St Patrick of the coming of his successor (a solo horn call, giving out the main theme of the work), followed by the fierce storm which raged as David’s mother, Non, was in labour in a forest. The full orchestra depicts the blaze of sunshine which shone on her at the moment of birth, and the dove’s song (played by an alto flute) marks the start of the concerto’s slow section, in which the main theme is developed. A slowly climbing orchestral passage portrays the hill which grew under David’s feet so that his followers could better see and hear him preach, and this is followed by a passage, mostly for solo harp, reflecting the description of his voice from the hill being ‘as loud as a trumpet’. A new, delicate, theme corresponds to the saint’s reference to the ‘little things’, and the closing, lively, section is a response to another, less familiar, part of the sermon, namely the instruction for his followers to ‘be joyful’.

Glyn adds: “despite its Latin title and religious source, the piece doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is essentially a celebratory work and showpiece for the harp, in the skilful hands of Catrin Finch, allowing it to display all its varied qualities from the expressive and delicate, to the tempestuous and virtuosic.”

Catrin Finch says that "it’s always so wonderful to have the opportunity to perform new works. This fantastic piece by Gareth will be a superb addition to the harp’s repertoire, and will sit alongside his other harp works ready for future harpists to learn and enjoy."

TRACK LIST (total time: 13:49)