Length / Year
17' / 1999

Instrumentation
String Orch. min. 6/4/3/2/1

Performance History
First performance
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon
27th February 1999
European Union Chamber Orchestra

Subsequent performances
Abergavenny
2nd March 1999
European Union Chamber Orchestra

Theatr Elli, Llanelli
4th March 1999
European Union Chamber Orchestra

Arts Hall, Pernik, Bulgaria
14th June 1999
Orfey String Orchestra, cond. Raicho Christov

Arts Hall, Sofia, Bulgaria
15th June 1999
Orfey String Orchestra, cond. Raicho Christov

Aberystwyth Arts Centre
30th July 1999
MusicFest Orchestra, cond. Thomas Kemp

Vale of Glamorgan Festival
5th September 1999
Riga Kammermusiki

(Three performances in Latvia)
September 1999
Riga Kammermusiki

Aberystwyth Arts Centre
27th July 2001
MusicFest Orchestra, cond. Franz Anton Krager

Philharmonic Hall, Minsk, Belarus
25th September 2001
Minsk Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Andrei Galahov

St. John the Divine Church, London
10th February 2002
Hatcham Chamber Orchestra, cond. Paul Sanders

Royal Academy of Music, London
13th March 2003
Chetham's School Orchestra

Dingley Church, Market Harborough, UK
14th March 2003
Chetham's School Orchestra

Harewood House, UK
2nd May 2003
Chetham's School Orchestra

German Premiere Performances
Zierenberg
23rd September 2000
Kammerorchester "Orpheus", Bulgarien, cond. Raicho Christov

Bad Wildungen-Reinhardshausen
24th September 2000
Kammerorchester "Orpheus", Bulgarien, cond. Raicho Christov

Hochstadt-Maintal
25th September 2000
Kammerorchester "Orpheus", Bulgarien, cond. Raicho Christov

Moerfelden-Walldorf
29th September 2000
Kammerorchester "Orpheus", Bulgarien, cond. Raicho Christov

Dresden-Evang.Church Lauenstein
1st October 2000
Kammerorchester "Orpheus", Bulgarien, cond. Raicho Christov

First London Performance
St. John's Smith Square, London
7th September 1999
Riga Kammermusiki

First Broadcast Performance
2nd March 2000
Riga Kammermusiki, cond. Normands Sne

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Programme Note
The 'forgotten places' of the title are imaginary. For me they are aesthetic areas, artistic characteristics infrequently visited by or associated with contemporary music. Words like grace, elegance, charm, formality, wit, sentiment or frivolity might describe some of them. I have inscribed each dance to a friend where the music seems to me to reflect in some way an aspect of their personality. This is in gratitude for their support and encouragement.

There are six dances, five fast and one slow, played without a break and with a 'symphonic' structure ; a set of variations built on a simple series of three bass notes. They are cast within a single mode (as for the key of D major) and have pandiatonic 'white-note' harmony throughout. So within the fifteen minute span there is no chromatic change. The textures of the piece have a rich, chamber music feel to them with sometimes as many as nine parts. The piece may be played by as few as nine players up to a large string orchestra.

Titles of the sections are:

Dance with Stylised Steps (MKS)
Calypso (EB)
Healing dance (DWE)
Graceful dance (LE)
Frolic (D)
Stick dance (GMM)

Dances from Forgotten Places was commissioned by the European Union Chamber Orchestra with funds made available by the Arts Council of Wales and the Guild for Promotion of Welsh Music.

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Mae'r 'llefydd anghofiedig' yn y teitl yn ddychmygus. I mi, maent yn ardaloedd eshetig, cymeriadau artistig sydd yn derbyn ymweliad anaml gan neu perhtynas a cherddoriaeth gyfoes. Byddai geiriau fel gosgeiddrwydd,ceinder,swyn, ffurfioldeb,teimlad neu wamalrwydd yn disgrifio rhai ohonynt efallai. Rwyf wedi cyflwyno pob dawns i ffrind mae'r gerddoriaeth yn awgrymu rhyw agwedd o'u personoliaeth i mi. Mae hyn fel diolch am eu cefnogaeth a'u hanogaeth.

Mae yna chwe dawns, pump cyflym ac un araf a chawareir heb doriad ond gyda fframwaith 'symffonig' ; cyfres o amrywiaethau wedi'u seilio ar gyfres syml o dri nodyn bas. Maent o fewn un modd (fel sydd ar gyfer D mwyaf) gyda chynghanedd pandiatonic 'nodau gwyn' drwyddi. Nid oes unrhyw newid cromatig o fewn rhychwant pymtheg munud felly Cyffansoddwyd Dawnsfeydd o Lefydd Anghofiedig i'w berfformio heb arweinydd. Mae teimlad cyfoethog, tebyg i gerddoriaeth siambr yn perthyn i weadau'r gwaith, gyda hyd at naw o rannau mewn rhai llefydd. Gellir perfformio'r darn gyda chyn lleied a naw chwaraewr neu gerddorfa linynnol fawr.

Enwir yr adrannau fel a ganlyn:

Dawnsfeydd gyda chamau nodweddiadol (MKS)
Calypso (EB)
Dawns iachad (DWE)
Dawns raslon (LE)
Pranc (D)
Dawns y ffon (GMM)

Comisiynwyd Dawnsfeydd o Lefydd Anghofiedig gan Gerddorfa Siambr yr Undeb Ewropeaidd gyda nawdd ariannol gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru a'r Urdd er Hyrwyddo Cerddoriaeth Gymreig.

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