Cantata Memoria: For the Children of Aberfan, Er Mwyn Y Plant
Libretto 2016, Mererid Hopwood. Boosey & Hawkes, London ISBN978-1-78454-284-9
Recording 2016, Deutsche Gramophone CD, October 2016.
A collaboration with Sir Karl Jenkins, Cantata Memoria’ commemorates through new music the Aberfan tragedy of 21 October 1966.
- Submitting institution
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University of Wales Trinity Saint David / Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant
- Unit of assessment
- 23 - Education
- Output identifier
- MH06
- Type
- J - Composition
- Month
- October
- Year
- 2016
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
- 26 - Modern Languages and Linguistics
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
-
- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- Research process.
The research had three strands: i) the history of the Aberfan disaster itself, ii) the nature of commemoration, including how to: express a shared sense of tragedy, loss and lament; acknowledge a community’s dignity in the face of disaster; offer some sense of hope, iii) the creative potential of a bilingual libretto. This included: studying radio and television archives, newspaper cuttings, autobiographical accounts; visits to Aberfan and the area; meetings with survivors and representatives of the bereaved; collaboration with the Aberfan Memorial Charity; dialogue with the composer (Karl Jenkins), soloists, chorus directors and production crew.
Research insights.
Conceived as 11 movements, the work was able to journey from darkness to light. Inspired by traditional ‘penillion telyn’, nursery rhymes, lullabies, hymns and the Requiem Mass, duets and solos for bass-baritone (Bryn Terfel) and soprano (Elin Manahan Thomas) voice the parents’ experience, while two children’s choir (children’s and SATB) represent the wider community. From horror, betrayal to hope, back to a sense of overwhelming loss and onwards to a multilingual celebration of the word ‘light’ (ending in a whisper), the structure accepts that grief is not linear. A difficult, but ultimately effective, decision was to include each victim’s name in a ‘cortege’ movement. The bilingual fusion adapts the Welsh ‘strict metres’ into English and experiments with the onomatopoeic power of words such as ‘pitran-patran’. ‘bwrw’ and ‘twrw’. Transcending language this provides a rhythmic base for the music.
Dissemination.
Libretto, published by Boosey &Hawkes. (2017) ISBN 978-1-78454-284-9
Wales Millennium Centre performance, 2016; audience 1800 (+ video-link to the Sports Centre in Aberfan;
First televised S4C, October 2016
Deutsche Gramophone CD, October 2016 (ASIN : B01I4CK60E)
USA premier New York, (2017); New Zeeland premier Wellington (2017).
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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