"Cofio" is the Welsh word for "Remembering". This classical concert project - the first in over a year in Rhondda - marks the 110th anniversary of the infamous Tonypandy Riots & strike of 1910-11, and the 10th anniversary of the passing of the legendary Rhondda pianist, Bryan Davies
To mark the occasion, with the support of the Arts Council of Wales and Colwinston Trust, RAFT has commissioned two major new works by Welsh composers which will receive their world premiere performances at this event: Chris Marshall's "Cantata for the Rhondda - Fulling Mill Lea", and a new "Concerto for Piano" by Royal Wedding Military Wives Christmas Number One composer Paul Mealor, commissioned in memory of Bryan Davies
An outline of the works, which will feature piano soloist, brass band and male choir, can be found below
To mark the occasion, with the support of the Arts Council of Wales and Colwinston Trust, RAFT has commissioned two major new works by Welsh composers which will receive their world premiere performances at this event: Chris Marshall's "Cantata for the Rhondda - Fulling Mill Lea", and a new "Concerto for Piano" by Royal Wedding Military Wives Christmas Number One composer Paul Mealor, commissioned in memory of Bryan Davies
An outline of the works, which will feature piano soloist, brass band and male choir, can be found below
Chris Marshall - Cantata for the Rhondda: Fulling Mill Lea
"Fulling Mill Lea" is the exciting new work from composer Chris Marshall. Internationally renowned composer, percussionist and commercial arranger, Chris has crafted a cantata for the Rhondda in commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the 1910 Tonypandy Riots
Scored for brass, percussion and male voices, the work will be premiered at the 2021 Rhondda Arts Festival (RAFT), 110 years to the very day that the miners of Tonypandy returned to the colliery - Saturday September 5th 2021
Background - Tonypandy 1910-11
"Fulling Mill Lea" is the literal translation of Tonypandy. Commissioned by Rhondda's Lewis Merthyr Band, with the support of the Arts Council of Wales, the work is built around the story of the 1910-11 Tonypandy (Rhondda) Riots
The industrial strike of 1910-11 was an attempt by miners and their families to improve wages and living conditions in parts of Wales where wages had been kept deliberately low by a cartel of mine owners. The riots were a resultant series of confrontations between striking miners and police which took place at various locations in and around the Rhondda mines of the Cambrian Combine
The term "Tonypandy riot" initially applied to specific events on the evening of Tuesday 8 November 1910, when strikers smashed windows of businesses in Tonypandy. The strikers were impassioned by extended hand-to-hand fighting with the Glamorgan Constabulary, which had been reinforced by the Bristol Constabulary
Home Secretary Winston Churchill's decision to then allow members of the British Army to be sent to the area to reinforce the police shortly after 8 November riot caused much ill feeling in South Wales. The future Prime Minister's responsibility for this remains a strongly disputed topic to this day
The Music
"Fulling Mill Lea" opens with the sounds of industry. Dramatic drums set the scene, followed by expansive statements depicting the majesty of the Cambrian Cable Tower.
The sounds of the working mine follow (C), which progress well until the Tonypandy miners hit the controversial "difficult shelf" (G). The frustration of the workers is evident (H), and are compounded when the owners' complaints about productivity arise (H). Work slows (K), the miners exhibit solidarity (L), production ceases and the colliery closes (M)
A hard winter follows (N) but the miners remain resolute. News of the strike reaches Churchill (Q) and negotiations are held (R) but talks break down. An aleatoric section follows, where murmured voices are heard (S). Out of the dissent, the riot ensues (S). A martial theme, based on strains of Cwm Rhondda, depicts the determination action of the miners, who move through the town of Tonypandy (U). Churchill digs in and troops are deployed (V). The British Grenadiers theme is heard, juxtaposed against the music of the miners, then a reprise of earlier material represents conflict (X). The miners' promised solidarity however, remains resolute (Y)
The strike continues, but one year on, the reality of another hard winter ahead sinks in (Z). A beautiful, heartwarming theme, subtitled "We Will Always Have Each Other", represents the spirit and continued solidarity of the community (AA) as the reality of the necessity to return to work sets in.
A reprise of the music from the opening illustrates the reopening of the mine (BB). The community theme also returns however and, interrupting the industrial reprise, builds to a majestic, triumphant conclusion. Brief echoes of the Westminster themes are heard, but the spirit of the community theme overcomes them and the pieces closes in grand, triumphant fashion
Brilliantly crafted in a cinematic style, Chris Marshall's composition is a fitting tribute to the events of 1910 and the enduring spirit of Tonypandy and the Rhondda
Digital Realisation
A digital realisation of the work is featured below. The work will be premiered live in Rhondda, as part of the 2021 Rhondda Arts Festival Treorchy (RAFT) on Saturday, September 5th, 110 years to the day since the community of Tonypandy returned to the colliery
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Timeline
00:00 Opening 00:16 Cambrian Cable Tower 01:14 The Working Mine 02:04 The Difficult Shelf 02:15 The Miners' Frustration 02:28 Productivity Complaints 02:45 Work Ceases 03:08 The Miners' Solidarity 04:10 The Mine Is Closed 04:15 A Hard Winter Ahead 05:15 Churchill 05:40 Negotiations 07:50 Dissent |
08:20 The Riot Ensues
09:10 Moving Through the Town 09:25 Churchill Digs In 09:40 Deployment of Troops 10:15 Conflict 10:50 Solidarity 11:15 A Second Winter Lies Ahead.... 11:50 The Community Spirit "We Will Always Have Each Other" 13:15 The Mine Reopens 14:10 Transition 14:18 Community Spirit Reprised 15:19 Westminster | Mineowners Reprise 15:35 Final Community Spirit Reprise 16:22 Close |
Paul Mealor - Concerto for Piano
In 2019, the Kent based JAM On The Marsh and North Wales International Music Festival co-commissioned a Concerto for Piano and Strings from Professor Paul Mealor. Due to be premiered at both events in 2020, the performances with live audience were regrettably cancelled, due to the covid-19 pandemic. JAM On The Marsh however realised a virtual performance, a recording of which is featured below
With the support of the Colwinston Trust, RAFT will commission a new transcription of the Concerto for Piano and brass, which will be premiered in the Rhondda, in memory of Bryan Davies, at the Cofio performance
Paul Mealor - Composer
Paul Mealor is one of the world’s most ‘performed’ living composers and has been described as, ‘the most important composer to have emerged in Welsh choral music since William Mathias’ (New York Times, 2001) and his music is, ‘marked by something outside of himself that is beautifully spatial and evocative of landscape… it illuminates both our past and our future’ (The Guardian, 2011)
Topping the Classical Charts for six weeks with his bestselling album, ‘A Tender Light’ (featuring Tenebrae Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) in November 2011, he also broke records by being the first classical composer to hold both the classical and pop chart No 1’s at the same time in December 2011, securing the UK Christmas No 1 with his piece for The Military Wives Choir and Gareth Malone, ‘Wherever You Are’. ‘Wherever You Are’ entered the UK Pop Singles Chart at number 1 on 19th December, selling over 556,000 copies in one week, more than the rest of the Top 12 combined, and was nominated for Best British Single in the 2012 BRIT Awards. It has been named, by the Official Charts Company as, the fastest selling single since Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’. Also, in April of 2012 Mealor was voted the nation’s favorite living composer during the UK Classic FM Hall of Fame
Born in St Asaph, North Wales in 1975, Paul Mealor studied composition privately as a boy with William Mathias and later with John Pickard, and at the University of York (BA Hons, 1997, PhD, 2002) and in Copenhagen with Hans Abrahamsen and Per Nørgård. His music has been commissioned and performed at many festivals and by many orchestras and choruses and has been broadcast on every major TV and Radio station throughout the world. Since January 2003 he has taught in the Music Department at the University of Aberdeen where he is Professor of Composition
Mealor was catapulted to international stardom in April 2011, when 2.5 billion people (the largest audience in broadcasting history) heard his Motet, Ubi caritas performed by the choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, conducted by James O’Donnell at the Royal Wedding Ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton (now TRH The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge) at Westminster Abbey. It since topped the Classical singles charts in the USA, UK, Australia, France and New Zealand
In July 2011, Mealor signed to Decca Records and signed a publishing deal with Novello & Co. His first album for Decca, A Tender Light – a collection of sacred anthems recorded by Tenebrae and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – spent six weeks at No 1 of the Specialist Classical Charts. He is currently preparing his second album for Decca and has contributed new works to a number of other Decca albums, including his song In My Dreams for X factor star Jonjo Kerr, which entered the pop charts at number one, knocking Bruce Springsteen off the top spot; De Profundis for the St Petersburg Chamber Choir on the album Tranquillity (which also made No 1 in the Classical Charts in August 2012), and the first ever musical setting of St Francis’ prayer, You Are The Holy Lord God for Friar Alessandro’s debut album.
Mealor wrote a number of works for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. He has composed an opera, ‘74 Degrees North’ (2010) for Scottish opera and three symphonies – No 1 ‘Passiontide’ is for choir, soloists and orchestra (2009-2015); No 2 ‘Sacred Places’ (2016) for the NEW Sinfonia and, No 3 ‘Illumination’ (2018) for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. His Euphonium Concerto (2017) was commissioned and premiered by David Childs and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Last Night of the Welsh Proms, 2017, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE and recorded by Childs and the BBC Philharmonic (Chandos; 2019) and he composed a special work ‘Twilight Falls on Temple View’ to mark the 25th birthday of Classic FM and the 10th anniversary of the founding of Dumfries House in August 2017. His short, Requiem was featured at the Welsh National Eisteddfod in 2017 by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. His ’Requiem: The Souls of the Righteous’ was premiered by the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, September 2018 in Edinburgh prior to its USA premiere by DCINY at Carnegie Hall, New York on November 11th 2018
Mealor is the first President of Ty Cerdd – Wales’s National Centre for music making and Patron of the Welsh Music Guild. He is Vice-President of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and the North Wales International Music Festival and was the Curator of JAM on the Marsh in Kent (2015-17) and Composer in Residence with Canada’s top professional choir, Pro Coro Canada. He has received many awards and honours for his music including Honorary Fellowships from Bangor University (2013) and Glyndwr University (2012) in Wrexham and the Glanville Jones Award, from the Welsh Music Guild, for his outstanding contribution to music in Wales (2013). He was appointed a Free Burgess of The City of Aberdeen in 2012 by The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, and is President and Patron of many organisations. In January 2018, HM Queen Elizabeth II appointed him an Officer of the Venerable Order of St John (OStJ). In May 2019 he was appointed to the Order of the Samurai (OSS) at Great Shogun Level and in March 2020 he was admitted as a Commander of the Catholic Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem (CLJ). In November 2020, The Saltire Society of Scotland presented him with The Fletcher of Saltoun Award for outstanding contribution to the arts and humanities in Scotland. Mealor is only the second composer, after Sir James MacMillan, to be given this award
Topping the Classical Charts for six weeks with his bestselling album, ‘A Tender Light’ (featuring Tenebrae Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) in November 2011, he also broke records by being the first classical composer to hold both the classical and pop chart No 1’s at the same time in December 2011, securing the UK Christmas No 1 with his piece for The Military Wives Choir and Gareth Malone, ‘Wherever You Are’. ‘Wherever You Are’ entered the UK Pop Singles Chart at number 1 on 19th December, selling over 556,000 copies in one week, more than the rest of the Top 12 combined, and was nominated for Best British Single in the 2012 BRIT Awards. It has been named, by the Official Charts Company as, the fastest selling single since Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’. Also, in April of 2012 Mealor was voted the nation’s favorite living composer during the UK Classic FM Hall of Fame
Born in St Asaph, North Wales in 1975, Paul Mealor studied composition privately as a boy with William Mathias and later with John Pickard, and at the University of York (BA Hons, 1997, PhD, 2002) and in Copenhagen with Hans Abrahamsen and Per Nørgård. His music has been commissioned and performed at many festivals and by many orchestras and choruses and has been broadcast on every major TV and Radio station throughout the world. Since January 2003 he has taught in the Music Department at the University of Aberdeen where he is Professor of Composition
Mealor was catapulted to international stardom in April 2011, when 2.5 billion people (the largest audience in broadcasting history) heard his Motet, Ubi caritas performed by the choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, conducted by James O’Donnell at the Royal Wedding Ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton (now TRH The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge) at Westminster Abbey. It since topped the Classical singles charts in the USA, UK, Australia, France and New Zealand
In July 2011, Mealor signed to Decca Records and signed a publishing deal with Novello & Co. His first album for Decca, A Tender Light – a collection of sacred anthems recorded by Tenebrae and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – spent six weeks at No 1 of the Specialist Classical Charts. He is currently preparing his second album for Decca and has contributed new works to a number of other Decca albums, including his song In My Dreams for X factor star Jonjo Kerr, which entered the pop charts at number one, knocking Bruce Springsteen off the top spot; De Profundis for the St Petersburg Chamber Choir on the album Tranquillity (which also made No 1 in the Classical Charts in August 2012), and the first ever musical setting of St Francis’ prayer, You Are The Holy Lord God for Friar Alessandro’s debut album.
Mealor wrote a number of works for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. He has composed an opera, ‘74 Degrees North’ (2010) for Scottish opera and three symphonies – No 1 ‘Passiontide’ is for choir, soloists and orchestra (2009-2015); No 2 ‘Sacred Places’ (2016) for the NEW Sinfonia and, No 3 ‘Illumination’ (2018) for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. His Euphonium Concerto (2017) was commissioned and premiered by David Childs and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Last Night of the Welsh Proms, 2017, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE and recorded by Childs and the BBC Philharmonic (Chandos; 2019) and he composed a special work ‘Twilight Falls on Temple View’ to mark the 25th birthday of Classic FM and the 10th anniversary of the founding of Dumfries House in August 2017. His short, Requiem was featured at the Welsh National Eisteddfod in 2017 by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. His ’Requiem: The Souls of the Righteous’ was premiered by the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, September 2018 in Edinburgh prior to its USA premiere by DCINY at Carnegie Hall, New York on November 11th 2018
Mealor is the first President of Ty Cerdd – Wales’s National Centre for music making and Patron of the Welsh Music Guild. He is Vice-President of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and the North Wales International Music Festival and was the Curator of JAM on the Marsh in Kent (2015-17) and Composer in Residence with Canada’s top professional choir, Pro Coro Canada. He has received many awards and honours for his music including Honorary Fellowships from Bangor University (2013) and Glyndwr University (2012) in Wrexham and the Glanville Jones Award, from the Welsh Music Guild, for his outstanding contribution to music in Wales (2013). He was appointed a Free Burgess of The City of Aberdeen in 2012 by The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, and is President and Patron of many organisations. In January 2018, HM Queen Elizabeth II appointed him an Officer of the Venerable Order of St John (OStJ). In May 2019 he was appointed to the Order of the Samurai (OSS) at Great Shogun Level and in March 2020 he was admitted as a Commander of the Catholic Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem (CLJ). In November 2020, The Saltire Society of Scotland presented him with The Fletcher of Saltoun Award for outstanding contribution to the arts and humanities in Scotland. Mealor is only the second composer, after Sir James MacMillan, to be given this award
Chris Marshall - COMPOSER
Chris Marshall is a highly accomplished composer, commercial arranger and soloist. He balances his busy performance schedule with a flourishing career as a composer and arranger. His works have been performed by some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Ulster Orchestra and Welsh National Opera Orchestra
In 2018 , to mark the 100 year anniversary of the end of the First World War, the Welsh Proms commissioned Chris to write a new work entitled ‘’Homecoming’’, which was premiered at the Last Night of the Welsh Proms by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE. A transcription of the work for brass was then prepared by the composer for Lewis Merthyr in 2020
Chris's portfolio of additional compositions includes the music for "Heartstrings" (no 1 download on iTunes) which was recorded for Classic FM / Decca in 2012, and featured on former Royal harpist Claire Jones’ best selling album "The Girl With The Golden Harp". He also composed "Bluestone" for Claire and arranged numerous additional tracks for her chart topping album "Journey"
Chris has also composed a wealth of commercial music for television advertisements, including a track for "Clogau" Gold, screened internationally, and for "Fishermans Friends" in the USA. In 2017, Chris was also commissioned to arrange and conduct a new album with the Portuguese singing sensation, Yolanda Soares, with whom he has also performed at the Tivoli Theatre, Lisbon and Colisseum in Porto
Chris's career highlights as a percussionist include appearances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Ballet, London Mozart Players, The Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He has also worked on many productions in London's West End, as well as international touring shows in the UK, Europe and China, including "We Will Rock You", "Wizard of Oz", "Zorro", "Carousel", "West Side Story", "Evita", "Love Beyond", "Big", "Bat Out of Hell" and "Elf the Musical"
Chris has a passion for playing instruments from all around the world, which he has in turn performed on for numerous recording sessions on television and film. Chris also performs as "Deuos" together with his wife Claire Jones, the world renowned former Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales. Deuos have toured extensively throughout the UK and USA, and in April 2019, performed together the premiere of Chris’ "Double Concerto for Harp and Percussion" in Richmond, Virgina. In 2021, Deuos plans to again tour across the USA, and undertake the UK premiere of the Concerto soon after
Further information on Chris Marshall, his works and current projects are available at www.marshallmusic.co.uk
In 2018 , to mark the 100 year anniversary of the end of the First World War, the Welsh Proms commissioned Chris to write a new work entitled ‘’Homecoming’’, which was premiered at the Last Night of the Welsh Proms by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE. A transcription of the work for brass was then prepared by the composer for Lewis Merthyr in 2020
Chris's portfolio of additional compositions includes the music for "Heartstrings" (no 1 download on iTunes) which was recorded for Classic FM / Decca in 2012, and featured on former Royal harpist Claire Jones’ best selling album "The Girl With The Golden Harp". He also composed "Bluestone" for Claire and arranged numerous additional tracks for her chart topping album "Journey"
Chris has also composed a wealth of commercial music for television advertisements, including a track for "Clogau" Gold, screened internationally, and for "Fishermans Friends" in the USA. In 2017, Chris was also commissioned to arrange and conduct a new album with the Portuguese singing sensation, Yolanda Soares, with whom he has also performed at the Tivoli Theatre, Lisbon and Colisseum in Porto
Chris's career highlights as a percussionist include appearances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Ballet, London Mozart Players, The Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He has also worked on many productions in London's West End, as well as international touring shows in the UK, Europe and China, including "We Will Rock You", "Wizard of Oz", "Zorro", "Carousel", "West Side Story", "Evita", "Love Beyond", "Big", "Bat Out of Hell" and "Elf the Musical"
Chris has a passion for playing instruments from all around the world, which he has in turn performed on for numerous recording sessions on television and film. Chris also performs as "Deuos" together with his wife Claire Jones, the world renowned former Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales. Deuos have toured extensively throughout the UK and USA, and in April 2019, performed together the premiere of Chris’ "Double Concerto for Harp and Percussion" in Richmond, Virgina. In 2021, Deuos plans to again tour across the USA, and undertake the UK premiere of the Concerto soon after
Further information on Chris Marshall, his works and current projects are available at www.marshallmusic.co.uk
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