National Eisteddfod Prize winning composition published: ‘Cariad’ by Ieuan Wyn

Date: October 2013

Catalogue no. 3128. Price £1.95

Cwmni Gwynn is honoured to publish the winning composition of the Composers` Medal at this year’s National Eisteddfod at Denbigh: an a cappella piece by Ieuan Wyn for SATB choirs, set to words by Myrddin ap Dafydd entitled ‘Cariad’ (Love).

According to the judges of the competition, Sioned James and Owain Llwyd, Ieuan Wyn had chosen a simple and sweet melody, interweaved with melodious and enchanting harmonies. “The nature of the piece will suit any contemporary amateur choir and it is a gripping work from the first bar. It may seem simple at first glance, but the rich harmonies and the variation in dynamics calls for a great degree of vocal control.”

In addition to the Medal itself, Ieuan Wyn also received a £2,000 financial prize to further his musical career.

Ieuan said:
“ The first thing that is needed in preparation for a competition such as this is to find good words. I’m a firm believer in a strong relationship between words and music. If I’m unhappy with the words I have chosen for a particular work, that work seldom sees the light of day. For this reason I spent a lot of time looking through volumes of poetry belonging to my grandfather and parents.

“When I came across the poem ‘Cariad’ by Myrddin ap Dafydd in the volume ‘Geiriau Gorfoledd a Galar’, I knew for certain right from the start that I had found the right words. Immediately when I read them I could hear the melody forming in my head. Other elements fell into place soon after. I have a great debt to Myrddin therefore!”

Ieuan Wyn was born in Whitchurch, Cardiff, received his higher education in Plasmawr and Glantaf schools, and then studied music at Bangor University. He then took an MSc course in Music Engineering and Production in the Atrium, University of Glamorgan. Since then he has worked as a sound recordist for the ‘Gorilla’ resource company in Cardiff. Through his work he has composed and arranged a number of songs for the S4C television programmes Cyw and Stwnsh.

Over the years, Ieuan has also reached the finals round of the Cân i Gymru (Song for Wales) competition three times, winning the third prize in 2008.

For several years he has been a member of Côr Caerdydd, where he was given his first opportunity to compose and arrange choral pieces. Recently he was commissioned to write an original piece for the choir; the piece ‘Caerdydd’ can now be heard on the choir’s new CD and was performed by Aelwyd Waun Ddyfal choir in the Côr Cymru Competition in 2013.

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