Agoriad

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Length / year

4' - 2000

Instrumentation

SA with harp or piano

Performance history

Version in Welsh
Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion, Wales (date TBC)
2000
Cond. Islwyn Evans
Elinor Bennett - Harp

Version in Irish
Cór na n-Og RTÉ (date TBC)
2000
Cond. Blanaid Murphy
Elinor Bennett - Harp

World Premiere
St Ann's Church, Dublin
21st October 2000

Programme note

The chapel of Sant Govan in Pembrokeshire and stories about the Saint have inspired this short poem by Menna Elfyn. The words speak for themselves, gentle, crystalline and concentrated - a gift for any composer. The collaboration was a delight. Subsequently, I also had the pleasure of corresponding and working with the Irish poet Michael Coady and I thank him for preparing the Irish version - 'Oscailt'. A quote from the last stanza of Menna Elfyn's poem seems appropriate: "Croeso rhwng dwy ynys . . ."

Grateful thanks finally to Myles Pepper who initiated these collaborations and to Celtic Connections who commissioned the work.