Ensemble Cymru, along with Fflic Cyf television, hosted an exclusive preview of ‘Pedr a’r Blaidd’ (Peter and the Wolf) at Venue Cymru Llandudno this month, featuring Rhys Ifans’s narration of bard Professor Gwyn Thomas’s Welsh language translation of the classic tale.
Mr and Mrs Evans, Rhys’s parents, attended a special reception ahead of the preview and received a commemorative frame on behalf of their son, as an official ‘thank you’ to Rhys for his valuable contribution;
“Rhys would love to be here himself but we are very pleased to be here on his behalf…we cannot wait to tell him all about it!” said Mrs Beti Evans.
An orchestra of 28 Ensemble Cymru musicians and illustrations by Marc Vyvyan Jones gripped the imagination of special guests Ysgol Pentrecelyn, where Rhys was a pupil and where Mrs Evans herself was once a teacher. They were thrilled to be involved in such a momentous occasion, one pupil told us “It was a great show, I loved ALL of it!”
‘Peter and the Wolf’ was composed by Sergei Prokofiev whose aim with this piece was similar to that of Ensemble Cymru; to introduce children to the orchestra for the first time.
Peryn Clement-Evans, Artistic Director of Ensemble Cymru said “We’re thrilled at the positive response from children, parents and guests to our preview. I’m looking forward to hearing the responses of the children and schools that came to the performance this week so we can bring their ideas into the Peter and the Wolf production ready for the national tour in 2014”
It is thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, S4C and several trusts that this production will tour Wales in March 2014, bringing live orchestral music to families and children across the country.
You can watch the filmed performance of ‘Pedr a’r Blaidd’, Christmas Day on S4C.
