Agoriad / Oscailt

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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

Irish version by Michael Coady

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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.