It is not an overstatement to say that the 21st century so far, in the world of popular classical music in Britain, has been dominated by singers and instrumentalists from Wales, a small country which punches far above its weight when it comes to music. The towering figure of bass-baritone Bryn Terfel is world-renowned, and the first BBC TV series Last Choir Standing saw two choirs from Wales coming to the fore: Only Men Aloud and Ysgol Glanaethwy; all three can be heard on this compilation, which celebrates the best of Welsh classical performers. Joining them on this album are other successful singers who have caught the imagination of the public far and wide: Katherine Jenkins, Aled Jones and Elin Manahan Thomas, and the extraordinary talent of harpist Catrin Finch and pianists Llŷr Williams and Annette Bryn Parri. The outstanding tradition of Welsh tenors is represented here by Dennis O Neill, Gwyn Hughes Jones and Rhys Meirion, and they are joined by sopranos Shân Cothi and Gwawr Edwards and the versatile treble from Clwyd Steffan Rhys Hughes. The new choirs already mentioned are supported by the female choir from Bangor Côr Seiriol, one of Karl Jenkins favourite vocal ensembles, and the male choirs of Godre r Aran from Meirionnydd and Morriston Orpheus. Serendipity is another of conductor Tim Rhys Evans creations, of which Only Men Aloud are the male section, and David Kempster is a baritone who is rapidly making a name for himself on the concert and opera stage. This unique compilation of talent is made complete by one of Europe s leading brass bands, the Cory Band. 2
BRYN TERFEL & RHYS MEIRION 1 Benedictus 3 33 Music by Robat Arwyn arr. Chris Hazell. Words: Traditional. Cyhoeddiadau Curiad. From the album Benedictus ABC CLASSICS 476 3628 CÔR SEIRIOL 2 Adiemus from Songs of Sanctuary 3 41 Music by Karl Jenkins. Electronic percussion programmed by Mike Ratledge. Boosey & Hawkes Music Publ. (Jenkins Ratledge Ltd). From the album Cantus Triquetrus SAIN SCD2404 KATHERINE JENKINS WITH STEFFAN RHYS HUGHES 3 Pie Jesu from Requiem 3 44 Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Words: Traditional. Universal Music Publishing. From the album Sacred Arias UMA 476 6972 CATRIN FINCH 4 Bugeilio r gwenith gwyn (Watching the White Wheat) 3 54 Music by John Thomas. Public Domain. From the album Carnaval de Venise SAIN SCD2280 ALED JONES 5 Ave Maria 4 05 Music by Franz Schubert. Words: Traditional. Public Domain. From the album Hear My Prayer ABC CLASSICS 476 3685 MORRISTON ORPHEUS CHOIR 6 Myfanwy 3 13 Music by Joseph Parry arr. Alwyn Humphreys. Words by Mynyddog. Patterdale Music Ltd. From the album One Thrilling Combination SAIN SCD2544 RHYS MEIRION 7 Suo gân (Lullaby) 3 13 Traditional arr. Brian Hughes. Cyhoeddiadau Sain. From the album Celticae SAIN SCD2490 3
ANNETTE BRYN PARRI 8 Moonlight Sonata: First movement (Adagio sostenuto) 6 04 Music by Ludwig van Beethoven. Public Domain. From the album Un mondo a parte SAIN SCD2368 DAVID KEMPSTER 9 My Little Welsh Home 2 58 Music and words by W.S. Gwynn Williams. Chappell Recorded Music Library. From the album David Kempster SAIN SCD2589 CÔRDYDD & ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS 0 Iesu Annwyl (Pie Jesu) from Requiem 4 24 Music by John Rutter. Words: Traditional. Welsh translation by Emyr Davies. Oxford University Press. From the album Caneuon John Rutter SAIN SCD2546 GWYN HUGHES JONES! Elen Fwyn (Fair Elen) 4 59 Music by R.S. Hughes. Words by Hiraddug. Hughes a i Fab (EMI). From the album The Power and the Passion SAIN SCD2593 SERENDIPITY @ Benedictus from The Armed Man Mass for Peace 4 02 Music by Karl Jenkins. Words: Traditional. Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishing (Karl Jenkins Music Ltd). From the album Ad majorem Dei gloriam SAIN SCD2503 DENNIS O NEILL I ll Walk Beside You 2 42 Music by Alan Murray. Words by Edward F. Lockton. Chappell Music Ltd. From the album Caro mio ben SAIN SCD8050 SHÂN COTHI & ONLY MEN ALOUD $ Lisa Lân (Fair Lisa) 3 43 Traditional arr. John Quirk and Shân Cothi. John Quirk. From the album Passione SAIN SCD2520 4
BRYN TERFEL % Ora pro nobis (Pray For Us) 3 55 Music by Meirion Williams. Words by Eifion Wyn. Cwmni Cyhoeddi Gwynn Cyf. From the album Caneuon Meirion Williams SAIN SCD2013 GWAWR EDWARDS ^ Nant y mynydd (The Mountain Stream) 3 40 Music by W. Davies. Words by Ceiriog. Public Domain. From the album Tu hwnt i r sêr SAIN SCD2528 CÔR GODRE R ARAN & Byd o heddwch (World in Union) 4 25 Music by Gustav Holst. Words by Charlie Skarbek, trans. Penri Jones. Standard Music Ltd. From the album Byd o heddwch / World in Union SAIN SCD2394 PAUL CAREY JONES & LLŶR WILLIAMS * Der Schiffer (The Boatman) 2 00 Music by Franz Schubert. Words by Johann Mayrhofer. Public Domain. From the album Enaid SAIN SCD2537 CORY BAND ( Where Eagles Sing 3 49 Music by Paul Lovatt-Cooper. Prima Vista Musikk Limited. From the album The Power and the Passion SAIN SCD2593 YSGOL GLANAETHWY ) O fortuna from Carmina burana 1 41 Music by Carl Orff. Words: Anonymous medieval. Schott Music Ltd. From the album O Fortuna SAIN SCD2597 Total Playing Time 73 45 5
Digitally mastered by Siwan Lisa Evans at Sain Studios, January 2009. For ABC Classics Executive Producers Martin Buzacott, Robert Patterson Editorial and Production Manager Hilary Shrubb Publications Editor Natalie Shea Cover Concept Bedwyr ap Iestyn Booklet and Cover Design Imagecorp Pty Ltd ABC Classics thanks Gwenan Gibbard, Laura Bell and Virginia Read. 1, 2, 4-) licensed from Sain (Recordiau) Cyf. 3 licensed from Universal Music Australia Pty Limited. 1993 %; 2001 4; 2003 5, &; 2004 2, ; 2005 1, 8, $; 2006!, @, ^; 2007 6, 7, 0, *; 2008 9, (, ) Sain (Recordiau) Cyf. 2008 3 Universal Classics and Jazz. This compilation was first published in 2009 and any and all copyright in this compilation is owned by Sain (Recordiau) Cyf. 2011 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Universal Music Group, under exclusive licence. Made in Australia. All rights of the owner of copyright reserved. Any copying, renting, lending, diffusion, public performance or broadcast of this record without the authority of the copyright owner is prohibited. 6
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