In September 2019, a trio of Peryn Clement-Evans (clarinet), Nicola Pearce (cello) and Richard Ormond (piano) started an initial week-long residency with students from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Alongside Lynne Plowman they led three composition workshops for 400 GCSE and A level students.
In these workshops the students performed a wide range of well-chosen and stimulating repertoire to a high standard – raising the young people’s awareness of the potential of this trio, and the instruments within it. The repertoire they performed included a newly commissioned piece from Lynne Plowman, and new repertoire written for the workshops by two composition students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In addition to performing, the trio also gave effective and well communicated individual presentations about the potential of their instrument, and how to write for each instrument. The workshops were very well received by the students and music teachers present.
The trio also gave two highly interactive workshops at a special school for children with profound physical and learning disabilities, and a further matinee concert for primary school children.
Once again, the repertoire was well chosen and excellently performed, and the nature and content of these events was well-pitched at the audience present. Those pupils present had fun and were fully engaged with the workshop throughout.
The trio were due to return at the end of the Spring Term 2020 for further residency work. They were due to perform and record each of the 67 compositions that had been submitted by the young composers with Lynne Plowman present. They were then to perform a selection of these pieces at a closing public concert at Rhos-y-Gilwen, due to Covid19 restrictions alternate arrangements had to be made.
All 67 pieces were performed and recorded at a North Wales venue by a different trio of Peryn Clement-Evans (clarinet), Amy Jolly (cello) and Iwan Llewelyn-Jones (piano), 20 of these pieces were workshopped with the young composers and Lynne Plowman present and playing a fully interactive role over Zoom.
This could not have been achieved without the meticulous approach in securing an excellent venue, a sound technician, videographer, and a Covid-safe environment for the performers. The outcome of this process is that every participating student is about to receive a recording of their composition, and 20 of the most promising will have benefitted from an interactive workshop.
Comments from Young Composers September 2020
Eleanor Nicholas
Gwnaeth y offerynnwyr esbonio ei offeryn yn effeithiol.
The trio gave very clear explanations about their instruments.
Catrin Edwards
I thought that the members of Ensemble Cymru Trio played my piece very beautifully and it was really lovely for me to hear my piece being played by real instruments. The members of Ensemble Cymru Trio were very friendly and helpful and played my piece just as I imagined it being played. It was very exciting to hear Ensemble Cymru Trio playing my piece and talking to me about my piece after the performance, it was a very special experience.
Gwenllian Hunting Morris
Chwaraeodd yr Ensemble yn sensitive iawn i’r darnau. Teimlais fel wnaethon nhw portreadu naws pob ddarn yn arbennig trwy grwando’n union ar cyfarwyddiadau y cyfansoddwr , gofyn cwestiynau a bod yn agored i unrhyw awgrymiadau. Diolch yn fawr am berfformiad a recordiad ffantastig!
The trio performed my piece with great sensitivity. They portrayed the feeling and atmosphere of the piece very well and paid detailed attention to the instructions on the score. They asked me really good questions, and also openly made useful suggestions. Thank you for a fantastic performance!
Florence Gunn Wilson
I really enjoyed writing for the ensemble as they are all so talented and brought my piece to life in a really beautiful way.
Emily Hunsnjak
I liked the trio very much this year. I think they sounded very nice together and I was very pleased with the way in which they performed my piece.
Diolch o galon i Ensemble Cymru!
Emyr Wynne Jones (Cadeirydd/Chair)
Young People’s Comments
Gwnaeth y offerynnwyr esbonio ei offeryn yn effeithiol.
The trio gave very clear explanations about their instruments.
