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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 ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay, with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales as part of their ongoing project to record Williams' symphonic output.

Grace Williams: Symphony no. 2 (excerpt)
´óÏó´«Ã½ Welsh Symphony Orchestra
Vernon Handley, conductor

Grace Williams: Ballads
IV: Allegro furioso
´óÏó´«Ã½ 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
´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka, conductor

Grace Williams: Elegy
´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales
Ryan Bancroft, conductor

Grace Williams: Symphony no. 2
I: Allegro marciale
´óÏó´«Ã½ Welsh Symphony Orchestra
Vernon Handley, conductor

59 minutes

Music Played

  • Grace Williams

    Symphony No 2 (excerpt)

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • Grace Williams: Symphony.
    • Lyrita.
    • 8.
  • Grace Williams

    Ballades, IV: Allegro furioso

    Performer: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • LYRITA : SRCD-327.
    • LYRITA.
    • 16.
  • Grace Williams

    Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes

    Performer: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Charles Groves.
    • LYRITA RECORDED : SRCS-323.
    • LYRITA RECORDED.
    • 1.
  • Grace Williams

    Sea Sketches, I, High Winds; III. Channel Sirens

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tadaaki Otaka.
  • Grace Williams

    Elegy

    Conductor: Ryan Bancroft. Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ National Orchestra of Wales.
  • Grace Williams

    Symphony No 2 (Allegro marciale)

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • Grace Williams: Symphony.
    • Lyrita.
    • 8.

Broadcast

  • Wed 27 Sep 2023 12:00

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