Cantilena

The tracks in the video are all samples and excerpts taken from my new CD release, Cantilena.

With:
Susan Brown -- Flute
Chris Gillat -- Clarinet
Eleri Darkins -- Harp
Siôn Owen -- Tenor
Richard Williams -- Violin/Viola
Alisa Hughes -- Cello

Marion Carlise - Piano [The Teifi Piano trio]
Nick Heath - Cello [The Teifi Piano trio]
Delyth Evans - Harp on David of the white rock

The CD or MP3's for download are available to buy at www.softhandling.com

Tracks:
01 Cantilena
02 Ardnamurchan
03 Little Prelude
04 Carol
05 Variation on a carol
06 David of the white rock
07 Theme and variations
08 Reeds and Strings - 1
09 Reeds and Strings - 2
10 Concertina Toccata
11 Ymwelwyr
12 Song
13 Sonatina
14 Suair Gwynt
15 Piano trio in A - 1
16 Piano trio in A - 2
17 Piano trio in A - 3

Cantilena (Noun) a vocal melody or instrumental passage in a smooth, lyrical style

CANTILENA- I have used this title as most of my pieces are in a singing style.

1 Cantilena. This is my take on the Italian 'baroque'. I hope you find it an exhilarating piece. It started off as one of 9 voluntaries for organ.

2 Ardnamurchan Point. The most westerly point on mainland Scotland and not too far from Fingal's Cave. It's my miniature version of that piece in Victorian style. Depicted are the waves crashing on to the cliff below the Egyptian style lighthouse.

3 Little Prelude has an obvious reference to J.S. Bach (one of the Brandenburg concertos).

4 The carol is 'Christ was born on Christmas day' - in medieval style-I can't remember if the tune is mine or traditional.

5 These variations got me a prize at the Welsh National Eisteddfod.

6 'David of the white rock' is probably the best known Welsh folksong. The dying harper wants one final play on his beloved instrument.

7 Theme and variations was my first piece which got a performance This was at a college concert at Aberystwyth .

8/9 Reeds and Strings. My concertina pieces were written as a result of being commissioned for a piece by the International Concertina Society to mark the centenary of Wheatstone's invention of the instrument.

10 This Toccata is a seriously virtuosic piece starting in fairly modern style and then looking back (possibly to Schumann) then ending in the present with a flourish. It's my favourite piece on the disk.

11 'Ymwelwyr' contrasts living in the mining region of South Wales with the joy of a visit to Aberystwyth with it's swooping gulls, rippled sand and historic castle ruins which tell of past history.

12 'Poem'. James Thompson is best known for 'Rule Britannia'

13'Sonatina' is in a somewhat French style. Since the French invented the modern harp this is not inappropriate.

14 'Suai'r Gwynt' is the centrepiece of a Christmas cantata. I have used it again with a connecting central section in the Piano Trio.

15 - 17 This was written 2010 and we played it at Cardigan Town Hall where it received a rapturous reception ( well no one walked out anyway).

As you'll have gathered tracks 1,2,7,8,and 9 are multi-tracked so you have string quartets played by 2 people; I was lucky to find Ailsa [Alisa Hughes -- Cello] who instinctively played just as I wanted. It was wonderful finding all my performers virtually on the doorstep and my recording studio too. Many thanks to Branwen for her infinite patience and invaluable musical judgement.

The CD or MP3's for download are available to buy at www.softhandling.com

Category:

Music

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• Cantilena
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• clarinet
• tenor
• piano
• concertina
• vocal
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