Young Composers at Rhosygilwen

Last night was the final concert in this year’s Young Composer of Dyfed at the wonderful Rhosygilwen Arts Centre near Cardigan.

Young Composer of Dyfed is one of the great undiscovered secrets of Wales – a scheme in which young composers in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokshire work with top, often international, quality players. This year they were working with the Galliard Wind Quintet. After workshops delivered to some 500 school pupils back in September, the young composers worked with composer Lynne Plowman (below) on their compositions through from October to January. The whole scheme is organised by the super efficient Cathy Morris and was compared by Lynne and Emyr Wynne Jones, Music Adviser at Carmarthenshire Schools (right), who has given the scheme endless support over its twelve years or so. I'm particularly attached to the scheme and was honoured to be their Composer in Residence between 2010-13. 

Over the last week, the Galliard Quintet have premiered 34 brand new pieces by young composers from Dyfed. Last night, looking suspiciously fresh, they played fifteen of them. The choice of the pieces was made by composer Gabriel Jackson. Here are the Galliards, about to perform …

… and here they are with the fifteen composers at the end of the evening. Absolutely fabulous!

ymmd.org.uk/en/dyfed-young-composers

www.lynneplowman.co.uk