Cantata Memoria - cyflwyniad/perfformiad Aberfan

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-Tonight, an unique event takes place

-at the Wales Millennium Centre.

-A brand new composition,

-Cantata Memoria...

-..by Sir Karl Jenkins

-and Mererid Hopwood.

-It's a commission by S4C

-to remember the Aberfan disaster.

-On the stage tonight, there are

-international and Welsh talents...

-..world-famous singers, superb

-choirs and able instrumentalists.

-Everyone's here to commemorate

-the 50th anniversary of an event...

-..which is seared

-in the nation's memory.

-There's a very special audience

-here tonight.

-Amongst them, there are members

-of the children's families...

-..and the adults who lost

-their lives half a century ago.

-Tonight is a tribute to them and

-to the close community of Aberfan.

-We'll start with a male voice choir

-that was established...

-..soon after the disaster,

-the Ynysowen Male Voice Choir.

-Joining them are the choirs

-of two local junior schools...

-..the young voices

-of Ynysowen a Rhyd y Grug.

-# Look at the world

-# Everything all around us

-# Look at the world

-# And marvel every day

-# Look at the world

-# So many joys and wonders

-# So many miracles along our way

-# Praise to thee O Lord

-for all creation

-# Give us thankful hearts

-that we may see

-# All the gifts we share

-and every blessing

-# All things come of thee

-# Look at the earth

-# Bringing forth fruit and flower

-# Look at the sky,

-the sunshine and the rain

-# Look at the hills

-# Look at the trees and mountains

-# Valley and flowing river,

-field and plain

-# Praise to thee O Lord

-for all creation

-# Give us thankful hearts

-that we may see

-# All the gifts we share

-and every blessing

-# All things come of thee

-# Think of the spring

-# Think of the warmth of summer

-# Bringing the harvest

-before the winter's cold

-# Everything grows

-# Everything has a season

-# 'Til it is gathered

-to the Father's fold

-# Praise to thee O Lord

-for all creation

-# Give us thankful hearts

-that we may see

-# All the gifts we share

-and every blessing

-# All things come of thee

-# Every good gift

-# All that we need and cherish

-# Comes from the Lord

-in token of his love

-# We are his hands

-# Stewards of all his bounty

-# His is the earth

-and his the heavens above

-# Praise to thee O Lord

-for all creation

-# Give us thankful hearts

-that we may see

-# All the gifts we share

-and every blessing

-# All things come of thee

-# All things come of thee #

-A number of authors

-have composed pieces...

-..especially for this event tonight.

-Amongst them, the bard Ifor ap Glyn.

-Here in the Wales Millennium Centre,

-reading Llythyr Mam-gu...

-..is one of our foremost actresses,

-Dame Sian Phillips.

-"My dearest granddaughter

-"No, "Annwyl Wyres"

-"You've asked me to write what I

-remember for your school project

-"So I suppose you'll want me

-to do it in Welsh

-"My love,

-I don't know what to tell you

-"Silence is a hard habit to break

-"Right from day one, this wasn't

-something we talked about

-"It was a non-subject

-"It's strange

-when you think about it

-"While the whole world and his wife

-were talking about us

-"With their editorials

-and their news items and so on

-"And while the poets

-were writing poems about us

-"And all those words

-were washing over us

-"We said nothing

-"We said nothing

-"So how much should you know?

-"It's part of your history

-"Our family's history

-"But I can't share my guilt with you

-"For making the child I lost

-go to school that morning

-"I wish I'd never shared that

-with your Bampy even

-"And that I felt guilty

-for having a child that lived

-"But I wouldn't have had you

-otherwise, would I?

-"None of this makes sense

-"There are pictures that

-you ought to see from afterwards

-"The photographer came over

-from America

-"And he was here for weeks after

-the disaster - Rapoport his name was

-"Look at his pictures

-"He took one

-of the first baby born afterwards

-"The first wedding

-"The first smiles

-"And how many hundreds have

-there been since then, thank God?

-"Those pictures show us carrying on

-"Because we had to

-"But there are things

-that those photos can't show

-"Like candles in pockets

-"Your aunty was afraid of the dark

-"I would light a candle for her

-in the cemetery - lots did

-"It was like a second home to us

-for a long time afterwards

-"I would take extra candles

-in my coat pocket

-"In case somebody else's

-had burnt down to nothing

-"These are things

-I will carry with me 'til I die

-"But do you have a right to them?

-"Because it was so terrible

-"Should you feel like so many before

-you that it's your duty to comment

-"To sympathise, to identify?

-"You can't, my love

-"But I don't want you to forget,

-either

-"I can only give your aunty flowers

-"But I'll share what I can with you

-"I'll give you all the memories

-that I can"

-Sian Phillips

-reading Llythyr Mam-gu.

-Next is some folk singing.

-Here's Elin Manahan Thomas

-and Catrin Finch's interpretation...

-..of the Welsh melody,

-Beth Yw'r Haf I Mi?

-# Beth yw'r haf i mi?

-# Dim ond gaeaf llwm

-a dagrau'n lli'

-# Er pan gollais di

-# Nid yw'r hirddydd haf yn ddim i mi

-# Gariad bach, er cilio'n ffol

-# Dwed y doi di'n eto'n ol

-# Nid yw'r haf i mi'n

-ddim ond hirlwm er pan gollais di

-# Trist yw'r galon fach

-pan fo swn y gwynt ym mrigau'r coed

-# Wedi'r canu'n iach,

-rwyf yn disgwyl clywed swn dy droed

-# Gariad bach, er crwydro 'mhell

-# Tyrd yn ol i gyfarch gwell

-# Trist yw'r galon fach

-# Ni bu hiraeth mwy ar neb erioed

-# Beth yw'r haf i mi

-os yw'r fron yn glaf o dan ei chlwy

-# Beth yw'r haf i mi

-os yw'r galon fach ar dorri'n ddwy

-# Gariad bach, er cilio'n ffol

-# Dwed y doi di eto'n ol

-# Yna bydd i ni hyfryd haf

-# A dyddiau dedwydd mwy #

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-Young singer Mabli Tudur

-feels very much at home...

-..onstage in the theatre

-and in the world of musical theatre.

-She was part of the Les Miserables

-cast here in 2015.

-Tonight, she performs

-Hywel Gwynfryn's translation...

-..of a work by Beth Nielsen Chapman,

-I Find Your Love.

-# Rwy'n gweld dy wen

-ble bynnag 'r af

-# A swn dy lais

-yng ngwynt yr haf

-# Yng ngolau'r lloer a swn y lli

-# Mae'th gariad o fy amgylch i

-# The sun, the sky, the rolling sea

-# All conspire to comfort me

-# From sorrow's edge

-life's beauty seems

-# To find your love in everything

-# Er maint y boen,

-rwy'n credu'n gryf

-# Bydd cariad yn fy nghynnal i

-# Even as I fall apart

-# Even through

-my shattered heart

-# I'll catch your smile

-on someone's face

-# Amazing grace #

-Mabli Tudur closing

-the first part of the concert...

-..to commemorate the 50th

-anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.

-The audience eagerly awaits...

-..the first public performance

-of Cantata Memoria.

-You can certainly sense

-the anticipation here backstage.

-There are three choirs here -

-Cor Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion...

-..Cor Heol y March and Cor y Cwm,

-who are all part of the performance.

-You must be amongst

-the youngest here.

-How do you feel before

-performing this important work?

-We feel lucky.

-Lucky. OK.

-Is it a difficult piece to perform?

-It was hard to learn the words.

-But we're used to it now.

-What about the older girls?

-When you think about the story

-behind this composition...

-..what goes through your minds

-when you perform?

-You feel the tension...

-..and the experience

-those people went through.

-You can also see clips from the time

-on the screen behind.

-You can really feel it.

-Is it a difficult work?

-Yes, because of the subject matter.

-But it's amazing to perform.

-How do you feel

-about being a part of this?

-It's fantastic.

-It's an amazing experience for

-all of us to sing in such a venue.

-We wish you all the best

-with your performance.

-Before the performance...

-..let's hear from the two people

-who created this amazing work.

-I don't think I would have been able

-to start writing...

-..without having been to Aberfan

-to meet a group of villagers.

-That was an important step.

-I then felt a little bit

-more confident...

-..that we were on the right track.

-We were both determined

-to produce a dignified work.

-Mererid and I discussed it

-and we thought we'd have a male...

-..one man, one woman who would kind

-of - not literally...

-..but who kind of spoke for a man

-and a woman, a father and a mother.

-Bryn was the obvious choice.

-The other one I wanted to use

-was Elin Manahan Thomas.

-She has this purity of voice,

-an innocence if you like.

-It will undoubtedly be emotional -

-we'll be singing to families...

-..who have lost children

-and members of the family.

-I hope everyone will appreciate

-the intensity, the power...

-..the hope and the light

-of the Cantata.

-I hope it raises spirits.

-The first public performance

-of Cantata Memoria...

-..will start in a few minutes.

-It's nice to be able to speak to

-Mererid Hopwood. How's your heart?

-It's beating rather strongly!

-I have nothing else to do tonight...

-..except sit back

-and watch the singers...

-..the young children

-and the musicians.

-I'm sure they're very nervous.

-I heard them performing yesterday.

-Karl Jenkins is an absolute genius.

-What kind of experience

-has it been to work with him?

-It has been a wonderful experience.

-He's a very down-to-earth man.

-We've worked together very closely

-and we've got on very well.

-We were both extremely determined

-to do our very best.

-We've seen photographs

-of you both in Aberfan...

-..visiting the cemetery

-and the memorial garden.

-That visit must have had

-an effect on you.

-You feel like a different person

-when you leave.

-There is something very special

-about it.

-It's such an important part

-of our history as a nation.

-We must remember it...

-..even though we would prefer for it

-not to be a part of our history.

-We are here to remember.

-The bell is ringing

-to tell you to take your seats.

-Best wishes to everyone involved.

-When you join us after the break, we

-will hear the first performance...

-..of Cantata Memoria:

-For the children of Aberfan.

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