Mark Bowden Photo © Kate Benjamin & Rob Orchard
Mark Bowden’s The Mare’s Tale is being presented in a world premiere tour with the Berkeley Ensemble during Spring 2019.
The Mare’s Tale is based on Stravinsky’s model in The Soldier’s Tale of a spoken narrative set to music. The work is inspired by a series of drawings by Clive Hicks-Jenkins about the Welsh myth of the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare) and the terror it inflicted on his father as a boy, and later in his old age.
Mark Bowden wrote the music on a new text by poet Damian Walford Davies. In order to set the psychological haunting theme Bowden included dark variations on a traditional Welsh Mari Lwyd ballad which is traditionally sung by bawdy revellers in South Wales demanding entrance to homes on New Year’s Eve.
In this world premiere tour The Berkeley Ensemble conducted by Chloe van Soeterstede will be joined by actor Eric Roberts for three performances in Cardiff, London and Glasgow.
This work was commissioned in 2012 by Mid Wales Chamber Orchestra with funding from the Arts Council of Wales, Brecknock Art Trust, John S. Cohen Foundation, Gibbs Trust, Morel Trust, RVW Trust and donations from trustees of the Cambrian Music Trust and Mid Wales Chamber Orchestra. This world premiere tour is supported by PRS Foundation’s Beyond Borders, a co-commissioning and touring programme run in partnership with Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaion.
Toi toi toi to all involved!
Composers Edition is proud to publish Mark Bowden music scores including The Mare’s Tale which is already available through our website.
Mark Bowden Profile & WorksThe Mare’s Tale music by Mark Bowden, words by Damian Walford Davies
World Premiere Tour with the Berkeley Ensemble, Chloe van Soeterstede conductor, Eric Roberts actor.
Thursday 28 February 2019, 7:30pm, Dora Stoutzker Hall, RWCMD, Cardiff
Friday 1 March 2019, 7:30pm, St. Saviour’s Church, Warwick Avenue, London
Saturday 2 March 2019, Glasgow
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Tags: actor and ensemble, An Chomhairle Ealaion, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, Berkeley Ensemble, Brecknock Art Trust, Cambrian Music Trust, Chloe van Soeterstede, Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Commission, Creative Scotland, Damian Walford Davies, ensemble and narrator, Eric Roberts, Gibbs Trust, John S. Cohen Foundation, Mari Lwyd, Mark Bowden, Mid Wales Chamber Orchestra, Morel Trust, premiere, PRS Foundation’s Beyond Borders, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, RVW Trust, Welsh mythology, world premiere tour
