A season of World Premieres for Tenebrae - 6.06.08

1. In the early 1930s Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote two Welsh folk songs for the Gregynog Choir. These commissions were never performed and Tenebrae have been invited to Premiere them at the 75th Anniversary Year of the Gwyl Gregynog Festival. The two folk songs are ‘Gan mlynedd i ‘nawr’ and Tros y mor’ and will be part of the concert at the Music Hall in Gregynog on 15th June.

2. Welsh-born composer Hilary Tann has also been commissioned to write a piece to mark the occasion of the Festival’s anniversary celebrations. This World Premiere will comprise part of the same Tenebrae concert. ‘Paradise’ sets the text of the George Herbert poem.

3. Tenebrae’s summer season of Premieres continues with the launch of a new project entitled ‘Rhenus Fluvius’ (music by Nigel Short and libretto by the Swiss poet Jurg Fankhauser). The opening movement will receive its first performance at the City of London Festival on the 30th June in the beautiful venue of Merchant Taylor Hall. The work follows the progression of the river Rhine from its source to the sea, visiting peoples, places, languages and folklores along the way. It is due for completion in 2009 and will be toured in Europe thereafter.

4. As the year heads towards a close and the darker evenings set in, Tenebrae will return to Geneva for their annual ‘Choeurs de Lumière’ concerts. Illuminated solely by the gradual lighting of thousands of candles these concerts have become an annual pilgrimage for hundreds of concert-goers in the Swiss-Romande area. This year Tenebrae is delighted that renowned French composer Pierre Thilloy will write a piece specifically for these extraordinary concerts. The World Premiere and subsequent performance will be on the 14th and 15th November 2008 respectively in Geneva Cathedral.