Grace Williams
Composer of the Week's 80th anniversary celebrations continue as Donald Macleod delves in to the little-known riches of Grace Williams's orchestral music with Rhiannon Mathias.
Composer of the Week's 80th anniversary celebrations continue as Donald Macleod delves in to the largely unknown riches of Grace Williams's orchestral music with Rhiannon Mathias.
Composer of the Week has been produced in Cardiff since 1999, so it's fitting that Donald is celebrating Welsh composers in this anniversary series. Following on from a live concert given in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay, with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Singers, Donald continues the story of Welsh music with programmes featuring music by Grace Williams, Hilary Tann, Morfydd Owen, Dilys Elwyn-Edwards and Rhian Samuel. This quintet of composers were all born in Wales, and much of their music finds inspiration in their Welsh roots. Collectively, their stories will take us from the 1890s to the present day.
Today Donald's guest is Rhiannon Mathias, a musician and the biographer of Welsh composer Grace Williams. Their survey takes in Williams's much loved Fantasia on eight Welsh Nursery Tunes, but they also consider Williams as a symphonist, and Donald discovers one of Williams; earliest orchestral compositions which has been recorded by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales as part of their ongoing project to record Williams' symphonic output.
Grace Williams: Symphony no. 2 (excerpt)
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Welsh Symphony Orchestra
Vernon Handley, conductor
Grace Williams: Ballads
IV: Allegro furioso
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Welsh Symphony Orchestra
Vernon Handley, conductor
Grace Williams: Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
London Symphony Orchestra
Charles Groves, conductor
Grace Williams: Sea Sketches
I: High winds
III: Channel Sirens
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka, conductor
Grace Williams: Elegy
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft, conductor
Grace Williams: Symphony no. 2
I: Allegro marciale
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Welsh Symphony Orchestra
Vernon Handley, conductor
Last on
Music Played
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Grace Williams
Symphony No 2 (excerpt)
Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.- Grace Williams: Symphony.
- Lyrita.
- 8.
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Grace Williams
Ballades, IV: Allegro furioso
Performer: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.- LYRITA : SRCD-327.
- LYRITA.
- 16.
-
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Grace Williams
Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
Performer: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Charles Groves.- LYRITA RECORDED : SRCS-323.
- LYRITA RECORDED.
- 1.
-
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Grace Williams
Sea Sketches, I, High Winds; III. Channel Sirens
Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tadaaki Otaka. -
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Grace Williams
Elegy
Conductor: Ryan Bancroft. Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ National Orchestra of Wales. -
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Grace Williams
Symphony No 2 (Allegro marciale)
Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.- Grace Williams: Symphony.
- Lyrita.
- 8.
Broadcast
- Wed 27 Sep 2023 12:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
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