Carnival of the Animals in Criccieth Memorial HallCarnifal yr Anifeiliaid yn Neuadd Goffa Cricieth

Hello everyone! My name is Elin Roberts. Currently I am a student at Birmingham Conservatoire but I am originally from Caernarfonshire. I am home for the summer and on work experience with Ensemble Cymru this week. I am a flautist who enjoys learning about every aspect of the musical world.

On June 20th we were treated to a day of ‘animal’ music that ranged from an elephant to an earthworm! Three schools (Ysgol Llanystumdwy, Ysgol y Gorlan Tremadog and Ysgol Treferthyr Criccieth) joined Ensemble Cymru in a series of interactive workshops at the theatre of the Criccieth Memorial Hall.

 The pupils joined the string quintet in a unique version of the ‘Trout’ Quintet by Schubert, including body movements and sound effects that contributed to an exciting interpretation, certainly reflecting the local schoolchildren’s personalities. Also, every school was given the opportunity to perform their individual pieces that included music and poetry, composed in the previous workshops with Aled Lewis Evans and Sioned Roberts. The audience members were given a taste of every kind of animal, including; dogs, cats, foxes and a special individual called Peter Parrott from the Caribbean! The day came to a close after some of the children interviewed Sioned regarding her career as a clarinettist and teacher.

 The following evening, Friday June 21st, the poet Twm Morys made an appearance as a guest narrator alongside a selection of the schoolchildren from the previous day in a wonderful version of Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. Many animals from the previous day’s workshops made an appearance (although I am not too sure about the earthworm!), joining everyone in an experience that was full of fun and energy. The evening came to an end with a performance of the Suite for Nine Instruments by Grace Williams and an intense and colourful performance of the ‘Trout’ Quintet by Schubert.

Helo bawb a chroeso i fy mlog! Fy enw i yw Elin Roberts. Ar hyn o bryd rwyf yn astudio yn Birmingham Conservatoire, ond rwyf yn wreiddiol o sir Gaernarfon, ac ar brofiad gwaith gyda Ensemble Cymru am wythnos. Rwyf yn ffliwtydd, ac yn mwynhau dysgu am bob agwedd o’r byd cerddoriaeth.

Ar Mehefin 20fed cawsom wledd o gerddoriaeth ‘anifeiliaid’ oedd yn amrywio o eliffant i bry genwair! Daeth tair ysgol (Ysgol Llanystumdwy, Ysgol y Gorlan Tremadog  ac Ysgol Treferthyr Criccieth) i ymuno â Ensemble Cymru mewn cyfres o weithdai rhyngweithiol yn theatr gogoneddus Neuadd Goffa Criccieth.

Cafodd y plant gyfle i ymuno gyda’r pumawd llinynnol mewn fersiwn unigryw o’r pumawd ‘Brithyll’ gan Schubert, yn cynnwys symudiadau corfforol ac effeithiau swn oedd wir yn ddehongliad cyffrous ac yn adlewyrchu personoliaethau plant yr ardal. Yna, cafodd pob ysgol yn eu tro y cyfle i berfformio eu darnau unigol, oedd yn cynnwys cerddoriaeth a barddoniaeth â gyfansoddwyd gan y plant mewn gweithdai blaenorol  gyda Aled Lewis Evans a Sioned Roberts. Cafodd y gynulleidfa flas ar bob math o anifeliaid yn cynnwys cathod, cwn, llwynog, ieir, ac unigolyn arbennig iawn sef Peter Parrott o’r Caribi! Daeth y diwrnod i ben ar ol i rai o’r plant gyfweld â Sioned ynglyn a’i gyrfa fel clarinetydd ac athrawes.

Buan iawn daeth y cyngerdd ar Nos Wener Mehefin 21ain lle roedd Twm Morys yn wr gwadd yng Ngharnifal yr Anifeiliad (Saint-Saens) yn adrodd barddoniaeth ei hun wrth i rai disgyblion o’r tair ysgol ymuno yn y llefaru. Yma, daeth yr holl anifeiliaid o’r diwrnod blaenorol (er nid wyf yn hollol siwr am y pry genwair!) ar daith gyda cerddorion Ensemble Cymru, y disgyblion, a’r gynulleidfa, oedd yn llawn hwyl a egni. Daeth y noson i ben gyda perfformiad o’r Suite for Nine Instruments gan Grace Williams a perfformiad lliwgar ac angerddol o Pumawd y Brithyll gan Schubert.