S ian Richards is a Singer/Songwriter/Artist based in Swansea, south Wales. She has recorded a number of tracks which are available to download from sites such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, AmeriCymru and many more. She has an English 5 track EP called “where do we go from here” plus a recent single called “Easy to hang” She also have three welsh singles, my most recent Being “Torri”. Visit Sian's website here . AmeriCymru spoke to Sian about her latest album Circles and her future plans.

...

AmeriCymru: Hi Sian and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. How would you describe your music?

Sian:  That's a hard question because I can't really compare myself to any one artist or any specific genre of music as I like to write different types of music and as I'm writing my songs I can tell when I'm about half way through the song whether it's going to be a country song or a pop song etc so overall I would just describe my music as alternative.

AmeriCymru: Recently you were 'BBC introducing Wales artist of the week'. Care to tell us a little about this experience?

Sian:  It was an amazing experience because I didn't think that my music would have such an impact and then to be chosen as artist of the week was just amazing, I couldn't be happier and more grateful to BBC Radio Wales for choosing me.

AmeriCymru: Do you perform in both Cymraeg and English?

Sian:  Yes I write and perform in both english and welsh and I have already got some of my welsh songs out there which I am lucky enough to say that they are being played regularly on BBC Radio Cymru, and if anyone is interested in looking them up they are called Tywyllwch Ddu, Hunllef, Torri and my new single which will be out on the 3,10,16 called Welai di eto. It's nice to know that people like my welsh music as well as my english music because I would like to try and get the welsh music recognised in more places.

AmeriCymru: Any plans to perform in the States?

Sian:  Currently I don't have any plans to perform in the states, at least not any time soon but I would definitely love to play in the states at some point in the future.

AmeriCymru: What is your current single. Where can people go to hear/buy your music?

Sian:  My new single Circles will be out on the 3/10/16 and it will be available to download from Horus Music, HMV digital, iTunes as well as my new welsh single Welai di eto which will be released on the same date.

AmeriCymru: What are your future recording and performance plans at the moment?

Sian:  I am currently in the process of recording my first 12 track album called Borderline which will hopefully be out sometime before Christmas and I have also got some gigs coming up which people can find out more about on my website and my other music pages such as Facebook, Reverbnation or on here.

AmeriCymru: What are your dreams and ambitions for the future?

Sian:  In the future I would definitely like to play in other places around the world and also play at bigger festivals to bigger audiences and I would also like to write music for TV and film if it's possible.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Sian:  I will let you know when album is being released and I hope that you will enjoy it and share it with family and friends. Also if you have any questions please feel free to contact me on my website or other music pages.

R.Seiliog has announced two UK dates for January 2017 in London’s the Waiting Room and Brighton’s Hope and Ruin, and releases the video for his recent single 'Cloddio Unterdach'. It’s lifted from his forthcoming 'Shedhead' EP released through Turnstile Music on the 18th of November

The Line of Best Fit called 'Cloddio Unterdach" "Electro magic" possessing "a surreal sense of mystery - it's an engrossing listen" Clash Magazine said "the sheer density of fresh ideas and wilful innovation on display is staggering.”

R.Seiliog is the alias of North Walian skewed musician/producer Robin Edwards. His forthcoming Shedhead EP is the latest bold futuristic release from a prolific outsider artist with a vivid imagination, to be released via Turnstile Music. https://hearthis.at/carolinein ternational/set/r-seiliog-shed head

Through its five tracks Edwards forges together pulsing elements of Komische influenced electronics, skittering psych splattered samples, enveloping trance like ambience, underpinned by an appreciation of un-shifting Krautrock time signatures. This is the unique shapeshifting sound of imminent space and time travel, weightless and genreless, interjected by searing moments of revelation.

“It’s like the slipping clutch of a self combusting engine built from mirrors blackened by astral soot reflecting back the whole in each tarnished component. “ Says Edwards “Inspired by the shape of whispering solar winds or a Cage chance conservationist uttering “it looks deliberate, let it dry!"

“There's something for every-single-one unified in the omni shallow depths; A fast one, slow one, happy one, sad one - and another one.” notes Edwards “Instrumental meditations on cats chasing tails, autumnal trips to short sighted opticians and much more, or less”

To coincide with the release of the Shedhead EP, R.Seiliog has also announced some select UK dates in the new year.

R.Seiliog’s forthcoming dates:

Nov 25 - Pontypridd, Clwb Y Bont

Jan 18 - London, The Waiting Room

Jan 19th - Brighton, Hope and Ruin

Links:

http://www.turnstilemusic.net/ rseiliog-1/

@turnstilemusic

A Message From John MOuse

Hey

I (We) (John MOuse) is (are) making available the songs from the last ever Death of John MOuse show. The songs were recorded back in May this year. The songs will be released every Sunday .

The first song, The Teacher, is available now via Bandcamp

https://johnmouse.bandcamp.com/track/the-teacher-live" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://johnmouse.bandcamp.com/track/the-teacher-live&source=gmail&ust=1478629894169000&usg=AFQjCNFP9EQeczwfDzLQrdkBNmIyIjIM3w"> https://johnmouse.bandcamp. com/track/the-teacher-live
The releases try to capture the live John MOuse experience and includes different versions of the album tracks and also a couple of previously unreleased songs.

Thanks for your support over the years

....

AmeriCymru: Hi Robin and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What can you tell us about your recent single ‘Cloddio Unterdach’?

Robin: 'Clouddio Unterdach’ is the first track released from an EP that’ll be out around the middle of the month. The EP was written and recorded in a small diy studio I set up in the roof of a garage in North Wales over winter 2015, it was really cold in there… At some point I totally started to believe that more bass would warm up the place somehow, thinking that vibrating air is surely warmer than non-vibrating air? I don’t know. But it’s produced a record that has a whole lot of low-end, and I didn’t get frostbite. So go figure dudes! All about heating the home with classic dub bass now.

AmeriCymru: Your music is inspired by "the North Walian landscape". How do you attempt to capture your surroundings in your music?

Robin: Yeah, I suppose music or any creative output is some kind of process involving absorbing environment and then letting your brain sift out, magnify or ignore certain things - then re-present those elements back through a medium like sound, or paint or dance or whatever. So everything seems to reflect everything else. It’s not until I tend to step back from a project that I really see (or hear) what was actually driving the inspiration.

I do spend a lot of time out in the North Walian landscsape and like being sat in the mountains watching and listening and doing field recordings that naturally find their way into the music as ambience or cut up and used as rhythm parts. Most of the rhythm parts on Cloddio Unterdach are from a sketchy homebuilt binaural mic recordings of tumbling slate down a small quarry that's on a mountain called Foel Gasyth in Peniel where I grew up.

I’m sure everything inspires to some degree, even if it’s all subconscious at the time.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about your 'Shedhead' EP? Where can readers go to buy a copy?

Robin: So the ‘Shedhead EP’ is the first full project undertaken since moving back to North Wales from Cardiff where I had been living for about 12 years. I’m always remixing or playing around with field recordings and ideas, but this is the first record to emerge since the ‘In HZ’ LP that came out late 2014.

It was written and recorded during autumn/winter 2015; and then took most part of a year to mix and master. I think Kev and Alun at Turnstile records received about 5 different masters over the year, but they were really patient and cool about me taking it back and changing the mixes over and over. The fourth master was in holographic stereo, that was a bit weird though.

The EP can be bought from within the internet using some money.

AmeriCymru: Many people were entranced by your 2014 recording 'In Hz'. How would you describe the album?

Robin: Erm, I can’t really listen to it now.. It was quite a raw expression of the period it was produced, it was a bit of a crazy and turbulent time of change so it felt a bit strange to me when people were ‘entranced' by it. I did it without thinking much about it actually being listened to by other people; so it felt more personal than things I’d released before, even though it’s still really really abstract.

I'd probably describe it as loud, full, with no headroom - everything's pushed to the limit of the gear I was using.

It has a lot of experimental acousmatic qualities, but also has the cosmic-techno/acid house thread that keeps some kind of stable and tangible narrative or forward motion to it. The artwork was made by Sion Alun who also did the illustrations on the two previous records and there’s a photograph by Mark Jeffs in the gatefold. Looks rad. Sounds heavy.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us more about your involvement with the Manic Street Preachers in the wake of your 'Doppler' release?

Robin: Yeah, the Manics seemed to like Doppler! - it's a real psych/krautrock/stream of consciousness kind of record with layers of guitars and analogue synths, and it’s what the live shows have been based on until recently.

They're really nice people and asked me to remix their single ‘Futurology’, which I still can’t really get my head around… I still think it might be a joke, but the punchline is taking a really long time to land by now.

Myself and brother, and friends and all their older siblings grew up listening to the Manics, SFA and Gorky’s. It’s literally what my childhood sounds like. So it’s just very surreal and a massive honour to've been allowed anywhere near their music at all.

AmeriCymru: Many reviewers have referred to your Krautrock influences. Any particular favorites in that genre?

Robin: Yep. It’s bands like CAN, Harmonia, La Düsseldorf, NEU, Popol Vuh, Cluster, Kraftwerk, Faust… There’s so much incredible music from that short window of time that just resonates with me. CAN’s 'Tago Mago’ was playing just now, and to me it’s totally timeless..

As a teenager I was obsessed with a band called Slint; and a friend of my father, Mark Jeffs (who also took the photograph that's on the In Hz LP) gave me a copy of Tago Mago, which I still associate, or pair with Slint’s ‘Spiderland’.

It blew my mind to bits from the first listen and it’s one of those records that just stays with me somehow. I think that’s how I got into Neu, Harmonia and Faust from that introduction.

AmeriCymru: Who are your favourite bands currently on the Welsh music scene?

Robin: I heard Accü play live at Swn festival recently and it was the best electronic set I’ve seen in a very long time; everything was unbelievably refined and crafted. Amazing! I like a band called Ysgol Sul who are from Aberystwyth, I think.. Cymru at least. Their sound is great. Omaloma, which is George from Sen Segur’s project, that’s really good.

Islet have a new record out - I haven’t heard it yet but I imagine it’s good. Castles, I’ve just started listening to.

There’s always new and weird stuff to discover everywhere. Endless.

AmeriCymru: What's next for R.Seiliog? Any upcoming gigs?

Robin: Recording an album that’ll probably be finished at some point the new year. And there are some gigs happening at the moment supporting a great band called Stealing Sheep. We’ve been touring around Wales playing gigs that have free entry when you bring a broken electrical item to recycle, it’s been really fun and has good reason to be happening.

The Parrot in Carmarthen was really great to play at again, and Stealing Sheep and Heavenly Records are really fun people to hang out with too.

AmeriCymru:  Hi Dan/Laura? and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to tell us a little about your new album 'Overture'?

Dan: The album consists of twenty-five artists from the West End and Broadway who have come together to be part of one of the largest collections of new music to ever be released. The album comes out across the World on October 24 ^th .

The album features; Marc Broussard ( Magnolias and Mistletoe , 2015 album), Earl Carpenter ( Les Miserables , Broadway), Melinda Doolittle (American Idol), Matt Doyle ( Book Of Mormon , Broadway), Hannah Elless ( Bright Star , Broadway), Jason Forbach ( Les Miserables , Broadway), Matthew Ford Gershwin In Hollywood ) Ashleigh Gray ( Wicked , UK Tour), Emma Hatton ( Wicked , West End), Samantha Hill ( Phantom Of The Opera , Broadway), James M Iglehart ( Aladdin , Broadway), Adam Jacobs ( Aladdin , Broadway), Arielle Jacobs ( Aladdin , Australia), Charlotte Jaconelli ( She Loves Me , West End), Rachel John ( The Bodyguard , West End), Adam Kaplan ( Newsies , US Tour), Emmanuel Kojo ( Showboat , West End), Kara Lily-Hayworth ( I See Fire , 2015 single), Rebecca Luker ( Fun Home , Broadway), Jai McDowall ( I Begin Again , 2014 single), Bryce Pinkham ( A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder , Broadway), Courtney Reed ( Aladdin , Broadway), Krysta Rodriguez ( Smash , NBC), Will Swenson (Les Miserables , Broadway) and Natalie Weiss (Les Miserables , US Tour).

AmeriCymru:  What can you tell us about the title? Why 'Overture'?

Dan: Our last album title ‘Love on 42 ^nd Street’ was a reflection of the stories and people we interacted with on a trip to New York City. Those stories shaped the music on the album through the ever powerful message of love.

We came up with ‘Overture’ quite quickly as the message of this album is how music connects everyone. It doesn’t matter where you are from you can still enjoy the same piece of music. It is the only true universal language. Within a traditional show’s overture, you hear snippets of songs or themes from the production and we felt it summed up the message that we were trying to put across. Hopefully other people will agree!

AmeriCymru:  The featured performers list reads like a who's who of Musical Theatre. What was it like working with so many talented artists?

Dan: We have certainly been fortunate both on this album and previous projects to work with some of the most celebrated performers of their generation. The amazing thing is that each artist’s voice and style is a completely individual. Even if they have performed the same roles there is still a big difference in how they approach a song. The hardest thing is trying to maintain the electric buzz of a live performance and capture that on a recording.

The recording process for this album has been a little like a working rehearsal that ends up being recorded. During the recording sessions we have had the chance to break down each song and work with the artists on shaping the recording. The vocal performances are truly very special.

AmeriCymru:  What can you tell us about the individual tracks on the album? Are they original compositions or Broadway standards?

Dan: There are twenty-one songs on the album and a further two overtures, all of which are brand new compositions. The majority of the songs were actually written for the artists who have recorded them.

We have though tried to capture the true essence of what makes the West End and Broadway theatre great and we hope the musical styles will familiar even though they are completely new songs. We have been heavily inspired by the great Hollywood musicals and there are a few throwback moments within the album where we get to nod to some of our heroes like the great Fred Astaire.

AmeriCymru:  What can you tell us about your song-writing/compositional style?

Dan: Generally with most songs Dan starts with the basis of the melodic idea and then Laura takes over and throws it all out! Only joking. We have a unique way of working where we are both very in tune with what we are trying to bring across within the song. Laura adds to the melodic idea and then does a piano arrangement. We then work on it together and write the lyrics together.

AmeriCymru:  Where will our readers be able to hear/buy the album online?

Dan: The best place is to go onto www.danandlauracurtis.com where you can currently stream a snippet of every song on the album. The CD is also available to buy on the site. Online stores like iTunes currently have a pre-order option from the download across the World. 

AmeriCymru:  What's next for Dan and Laura Curtis?

Dan: We are currently in the process of writing a musical which is certainly going to take up the rest of the year and the first part of 2017. Once the music is completed there is a long road ahead to get that across to production. We are not able to say that much about the idea at the moment but promise to keep everyone informed.

We are also starting a video series where we will record live videos with Broadway and West End stars singing our songs with Laura at the piano. Along with a few big concerts it promises to be a busy year.

AmeriCymru:  Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Dan: It is always a joy to come and speak with you Ceri. We have been fortunate to have been showered with support and good wishes from the readers of AmeriCymru in the past and we are extremely indebted to you for that. We would like to say a massive thank you for that support and to say that it never goes unappreciated. If anyone would like to connect on social media then on twitter we are @danlauracurtis

BUY THE ALBUM HERE

Overture - An Interview With Welsh Composers, Dan & Laura Curtis https://t.co/ZAXSSABIGU pic.twitter.com/M1ZHXbnMaA

— americymru (@americymru) October 4, 2016

Twenty five artists from the US and UK have recorded songs for the double-disk album which is released on October 24 ^th .

The album features; Marc Broussard ( Magnolias and Mistletoe , 2015 album), Earl Carpenter ( Les Miserables , Broadway), Melinda Doolittle (American Idol), Matt Doyle ( Book Of Mormon , Broadway), Hannah Elless ( Bright Star , Broadway), Jason Forbach ( Les Miserables , Broadway), Matthew Ford Gershwin In Hollywood ) Ashleigh Gray ( Wicked , UK Tour), Emma Hatton ( Wicked , West End), Samantha Hill ( Phantom Of The Opera , Broadway), James M Iglehart ( Aladdin , Broadway), Adam Jacobs ( Aladdin , Broadway), Arielle Jacobs ( Aladdin , Australia), Charlotte Jaconelli ( She Loves Me , West End), Rachel John ( The Bodyguard , West End), Adam Kaplan ( Newsies , US Tour), Emmanuel Kojo ( Showboat , West End), Kara Lily-Hayworth ( I See Fire , 2015 single), Rebecca Luker ( Fun Home , Broadway), Jai McDowall ( I Begin Again , 2014 single), Bryce Pinkham ( A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder , Broadway), Courtney Reed ( Aladdin , Broadway), Krysta Rodriguez ( Smash , NBC), Will Swenson (Les Miserables , Broadway) and Natalie Weiss (Les Miserables , US Tour).

Speaking about the release Laura Curtis said; “The name Overture represents both the dramatical context of the album, which is a sweeping journey through a number of common experiences we share in life, but the title also represents the style and structure of the album, we wanted this to feel like a soundtrack for a show.”

Daniel Curtis explained more; “Often in Musical Theatre melodies repeat and weave in and out of the story. For this reason we wrote the album as two acts, with an overture at the start of each one. We really wanted this album to feel like every song was related, even though we're moving through and representing different genres of Musical Theatre styles.”

When complete the double disk release will feature twenty-four performers, which is one of the biggest collection of Broadway and West End leading artists to come together and record an album of new music. In response to this Laura Curtis said; “We're overwhelmed by the kind support that such a large number of artists have given us. We are passionate about writing music with the input of the singer, so we can tailor and mould a song to work with a specific artist's voice and to have performers of such calibre just makes the experience very special. ”

The team working on the album include Executive Producer, Stacy Swain, Producer Al Steele, with recording taking place at numerous studios in the UK and NYC.

Overture will be released on 24th October 2016 .

Electronic music producer LITTLE ERIS (BRONWEN DAVIES), classically trained singer CAT SOUTHALL, and writer/actress JENNI DAVIES team up for a very special song inspired by the poem THE BRIGHT FIELD by R. S. Thomas. The 3 former pupils of Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen collaborated on the song following a chance meeting in their hometown of ABERDARE.

LITTLE ERIS wrote GOLDEN MEADOW inspired by a painting hanging in her Grandmother's house that was linked to R. S. Thomas’ poem ‘The Bright Field’. Using the poem as inspiration, the Aberdare trio collaboratively brought the song into fruition lyrically, and embellished the song with harmonies. Golden Meadow was recorded and produced by LITTLE ERIS in her studio at THE WELLS HOTEL, CARDIFF before being mastered by electronic music expert LOZ GROVER at CRIMSON SUN AUDIO in Kent. The result is a fresh and current single with a CLASSICAL edge that fuses together the soaring vocals of CAT SOUTHALL with the unique electronic style of LITTLE ERIS.

GOLDEN MEADOW is a contemporary song with a timeless sentiment featuring two creative Welsh female musicians who’ve both been releasing music for a number of years. They were motivated into action to record the song by JENNI DAVIES who managed the smooth communications of the production and contributed the melody for a spine tingling vocalised part where SOUTHALL’S exceptional SOPRANO range is showcased.

LITTLE ERIS - GOLDEN MEADOW featuring CAT SOUTHALL Released by ORIGINAL HUMAN
SEPTEMBER 14th 2016 available from digital retailers.

www.catsouthall.com

www.originalhuman.co.uk

www.facebook.com/littleerisoff icial

www.facebook.com/catsouthall

www.facebook.com/goldemeadow20 16

AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh musician and Taran founder Gerard KilBride about the recent S4C series 'Ffwrnes Gerdd' .

"The programme, an original idea by Gerard KilBride and produced by ffilmiau’r ffwrnes, continues the tunechain series and features a wide variety of styles and performances by different performers in the beguiling atmosphere of the Ffwrn café and restaurant at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire."

AmeriCymru: Hi Gerard and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What is Ffwrnes Gerdd and what was your involvement with it?

Gerard:   I am the ideas originator, Producer, Musical director, tea boy and general dogs body.

Ffwrnes Gerdd is the first ever co-production between Arts Council Wales and S4C, and continues a series of short films I made in  2012 with Rhodri Smith, supported by trac  called Tunechain/ Clustfeiniau.

These short films start with Robert Evans who discusses how he became involved in Welsh folk music and then he plays a tune he learnt from me. It then continues to follow the chain  from musician to musician, a journey around Wales, discovering the aural tradition. They are absolutely beautiful but very low budget filmed and recorded on iphones.

They were a great success, but limited by their low technology approach,  so I approached ACW to make another set of films, using Welsh fiddlers, playing Welsh music on Welsh made violins. We also had help from Gethin Scourfield, another fiddler from the 80's band Penderyn and a legend in Welsh TV, producer of Welsh language hit Hinterland. He is working on the next series as I write this. So we approached S4C with the same idea but with Welsh singers. When S4C and ACW  heard that we were working on two different projects they asked if they could co-produce and share some of the content? At the same time Theatr Mwldan, Aberteifi, and I had been planning to tour the Songchain/Cylchcanu  idea using 10 artists from the films, touring Welsh arts centres and theatres.

This has just finished and was a great success - a game changer for Welsh music in Welsh theatres. We intend to tour again next year, with big plans for a collaborative project in Patagonia next year.

AmeriCymru: How many other Welsh musicians were involved with the project?

Gerard: In total  33 Welsh musicians, all masters of their crafts and touring.

AmeriCymru: Where can readers go online to view the programs or excerpts from them?

Gerard: We did a re-edit of all the tunechain clips for Lorient Interceltic 2013 and they are here in one programme :

Tunechain Clips

Ffwrnes Gerdd, the two main programmes are on s4c's clic channel:

Program 1

and

Program 2

A ll links will always be at www.pibgyrn.com and http://www.trac-cymru.org/

AmeriCymru: When did you first become interested in Welsh traditional music? What are your musical influences?

Gerard: Both my parents played music and were instrumental in the Welsh music revival back in the 60-70s here in south Wales, so they were my first influences.  They ran a dance band called Juice of Barley for thirty years so we all grew up with music all around us, my brothers and I learnt via osmosis.

Bernard is one of the fiddlers included in the films, a great fiddler and Dan who also played a big part in Taran, is currently the director of trac, Wales' Folk Development organisation.

My dad was a Ship's Captain who used to bring back tunes and whiskey from all over the world, we laugh thinking that a fiddle playing ship's Captain brings new meaning to the Mari Celeste.

My early Welsh influences were bands like Yr Hwntws who I was very proud to play the fiddle with, Pedwar yn y bar and Plethyn .  Bob Evans who starts the tunechain and was also on the songchain tour, was a huge influence on my fiddle playing, he taught me there was "no such thing as a bad tune."  But many great musicians passed through our doors all leaving a tune or two behind,  it wasn't all plain sailing as we all rebelled and formed a punk rock band, but gradually our parents won us back with the offer of steady paid work in their dance band.

I learnt the fiddle when I was about 18 and after trying to make one, being a carpenter and joiner, decided I would learn to repair and make them. So I went to Newark School of Violin Making where I met  the amazing Shetland fiddle player Ewan Thompson, who to this day is my biggest musical influence. He is a living legend, and a thoroughly lovely bloke.

AmeriCymru: Would you agree that Welsh folk and traditional music suffers by comparison with Scottish and Irish music in terms of international exposure? If so what do you think are the reasons for that?

Gerard: Not really, it is nowhere near as popular, which isn't a bad thing, but I think it's one of Wales's best kept secrets. If it was hugely popular it wouldn't be as special. History played a huge part. Ireland and Scotland almost lost their language but kept their music, in Wales it was the opposite. Wales as a nation has not promoted or supported its traditional music, comparing Welsh music to Irish and Scottish is also I feel, like comparing different fruits, an orange will never be an apple, sorry if that's obscure?
 
AmeriCymru: Is Welsh traditional music currently undergoing a renaissance?

Gerard: There are lots of young talented people, taking up instruments and putting the spirit into it and a lot of classical musicians joining in, which I have some mixed feelings about. I don't feel written music is the way to learn traditional music, but I could go on about that for hours. L et's not make it too popular

Welsh Pibgyrn By Coppop (Own work) [ CC-BY-SA-3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

AmeriCymru: Your site,  www.pibgyrn.com  contains a wealth of information about the oldest of Welsh instruments, the pibgyrn. What advice would you give people who are seeking to become acquainted with it? Where would you acquire a pibgyrn?

Gerard: Many people think the pibgorn is a simple instrument, and feel that if they play the recorder or whistle then this instrument will be an easy transition.....not many who come from this route persist.

At first it is the most frustrating instrument to learn and to keep in playing condition. Moisture/ spit and condensation are the enemies and new players rarely understand how to manage this moisture.

It was for this  reason that I made www.pibgyrn.com. As a professional instrument maker in Wales I found there was a huge myth and lack of decent information on the pibgorn. Those who knew how to play it were not keen to pass it on. This has changed now and the site is set up to dispel many of those myths.

Most of the players worldwide input into the facebook group here with lots of good advice,

https://www.facebook.com/groups/162020927154723/

The best advice I have heard so far is, until you understand fully how to adjust a pibgorn reed "do not touch or alter that reed!". Also moisture is your enemy. Learn to circular breath, and cross finger to save air, as they do with the Basque alboka.

The finest maker of Pibgyrn is Jonathan Shorland, his horn carving is second to none and like a fine porcelain, they are generally louder than most other makers instruments. He can be tracked down on the internet, he doesn't advertise, look for the band Celtech.

Gafin Morgan also a member of the band Taran, has made a pre cast plastic Pibgorn which works. It is available here www.pibgorn.co.uk . He again is a lovely man who has spent years trying to promote the instrument and  through his efforts will continue to improve the manufacturing techniques.

AmeriCymru: You are the leading light and founding member of Welsh Celtic band Taran. For the benefit of any of our readers who are not familiar with it can you tell us a little about the 'Hotel Rex' album released in 2011?

Gerard: Hotel Rex, was a huge undertaking, with 26 performers from 3 different countries, and took just over two years to make. I am very proud of the outcome although it was not to the general publics taste. It is still Available on itunes and CD baby.

It starts with a sample of Jimmy Hendrix and ends with Dylan Thomas reading " and death shall have no dominion".  It was the second CD for the band Taran, who mixed samples of ancient poetry, bagpipes and  beats to Welsh traditional music.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Gerard Kilbride and Taran? Any new recordings or tours in the pipeline?

Gerard: We will be touring the Songchain/Cylchcanu project again next year, and I would like to continue to make short films about music. I have big ideas to include more English speaking Welsh artists and do some more collaborative work. Patagonia for the Mimosa's 150th landing celebration would be exciting. Members of Taran continue to work together in different outfits and if a project came up that interests us we would be back together in a shot. I am busy making and restoring fiddles and run several web e-commerce solutions for high end violin dealers. I am also trying my best to bring up a young family.

I would love to do more recording and playing, but no longer have the time to commit to something as large and all consuming as Taran.

Also I have another long term research project on violin bridges www.violinbridges.co.uk

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Gerard: Thanks for your interest and I hope you enjoy some of these projects. I would love to come back to the States sometime as I was blown away by the sheer scale and beauty of the place.

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AmeriCymru: Hi Aled and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to tell us a little about your history and background of the Three Welsh Tenors?

Aled: The Three Welsh Tenors (Tri Tenor Cymru) first came together in 2009 to sing as a trio for Celtfest in the Cardiff International Arena as part of a line-up of stars to entertain rugby fans prior to a Wales versus New Zealand match. Since receiving a standing ovation for their performance that day, they have performed together at several major festivals in Wales, corporate events and concerts and have appeared on radio and television programmes. The trio now comprises Aled Hall, Aled Wyn Davies and Rhys Meirion. All three of us are professional tenors, with solo careers in our own rights. We have contrasting voices and unique personalities which complement each other as we perform classics from opera, musicals, Welsh songs and hymns, contemporary compositions and medleys. The Three Welsh Tenors have set Wales on fire over the past seven years and the heat from that fire is now felt throughout Britain to North America, Canada and beyond.

I (Aled Wyn Davies), the new member of the trio, although a sheep farmer from day to day started my career as a folk-singer, but after winning all the important prizes in folk-singing at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 1999 and the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 2001, I broadened my horizons as a tenor soloist. One of my greatest achievements so far is that I have won the national tenor solo competition three times in succession in 2004, 2005 and 2006, then I won the ultimate accolade at the Swansea National Eisteddfod of Wales in 2006 – the famous Blue Riband vocal prize. I have had considerable success at all of our major eisteddfodau including “Singer of the Year” at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 2005 and the prestigious Blue Riband at the Cardigan Musical Festival in July 2006.

AmeriCymru: This is not your first visit to Canada or the US? Care to tell us something about your previous experiences and performances in the 'Americas'?

Aled: I have been lucky enough to perform as a soloist on three occasions at the Welsh church in Los Angeles and at the North American Festival of Wales twice, once in Chicago in 2008 and again in 2011 at Cleveland, Ohio. I also sang in concerts in Toronto and Ottawa in 2009.

In 1997, Rhys Meirion sang as a soloist with the Dunvant choir tour to Florida. In 2014, he was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in the US premiere of Karl Jenkins’ The Bards of Wales to celebrate the composer’s 70th birthday. Both Rhys Meirion and Aled Hall took part in the NAFOW, Toronto, in 2013 and have also performed in Los Angeles and Seattle.

AmeriCymru: What will you be performing at the Ontario Welsh Festival? Any sneak previews?

Aled: I am very proud to say that we will be performing our first new song recorded together on my latest album called Erwau’r Daith which will be available to buy at the festival . Our brand new song called Y Goleuni, written by Caradog Williams, our fabulous resident accompanist, describes the lives of miners in south Wales and how they struggled against their circumstances by attempting to improve their education and broaden their horizons through building miners’ institutes. We are also looking forward to performing a bit of everything; from opera favourites, English classics to popular Welsh songs and hymns – we perform music to suit every taste and occasion. We might also throw in a rugby medley in the Noson Lawen on Friday night!

AmeriCymru: What can you tell us a little about your latest album Tarantella?

Aled: Tarantella is the second album by The Three Welsh Tenors. Tarantella was released in 2014, before I joined the line-up. The album contains a vast array of songs and provides a combination of the traditional and new, the popular and classical. Many of the songs on the album will be performed in both Ottawa and the USA.

AmeriCymru: What's next for the Three Welsh Tenors? Any new albums or tours coming up?

Aled: Hopefully, in the near future, a new album is on the cards and maybe another tour or two to other cities in Canada and the USA, perhaps – we’re open to offers!

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Aled: Following the fantastic welcome we received at the NAFOW in 2013, we’re looking forward to performing once more among friends. It is a tremendous honour to be invited to sing in Canada and the USA and we would like to thank the valued members and readers of AmeriCymru for their continuous friendship and support. Diolch yn fawr.

Here are a few links of some of our songs and performances which are available to watch on YouTube: