Mapping Wales (Endless Song)

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Buy the Mapping Wales, Plain Chants, Cello Symphony CD

Length / year

18' - 2000

Instrumentation

harp with string quartet

Performance history

First Performance (Quartet version)
University of Wales, Lampeter, Wales
17th October 2000
Maggini String Quartet
Elinor Bennett - harp

First Performance (Orch. version)
Vale of Glamorgan Festival, Cowbridge Leisure Centre, Wales
11th September 2001
English String Orchestra
William Boughton - conductor
Marshall McGuire - harp

European Premiere (Orch. version)
Music Academy Hall, Daugapils, Latvia
21st September 2001
Rigas Kammermusiki
Normunds Sne - conductor
Catrin Finch - harp

World Premiere (version with piano)
Theatr Ardudwy, Harlech, Wales
25th April 2003
Celticana String Quartet
Iwan Llewelyn Jones - piano

Programme note

'Mapping Wales (Endless Song)' is a set of variations played continuously. The theme is the short original piano work entitled 'Endless Song'. Aspects of the theme are heard throughout the work and the song is first heard in entirety at the end of the piece.

The title refers to the journeyings and paintings of Welsh artist Catrin Webster and draws similar inspiration from the landscape of Wales and from metaphysical ideas connected with travelling. The piece is just under 20 minutes in length. Some of my other works around this time, like 'Dances from Forgotten Places' for String Orchestra, have explored aesthetic areas not commonly associated with contemporary art. Similarly, the mood of 'Mapping Wales' is both tender and joyful.

This piece was commissioned to mark the Millennium by Lampeter Music Club, my local music society, with funds made available in part by the Arts Council of Wales. It received its premiere on October 17th, 2000. The harpist Elinor Bennett, who gave the premiere, assisted with the preparation and editing of the solo part. Early in 2001 I prepared a version for harp and string orchestra.