A piece of music that could be described at the 'Holy Grail' of Welsh classical music is set be heard again. Grace Williams' Missa Cambrensis is well-known among Welsh classical music fans – even though few have ever heard it. It has been performed only once: in 1971. It is one of ten works by the composer to feature in a new edition of her music that was launched on St. David’s day this year.
Grace Williams (1906-77) is considered to be one of the finest composers Wales has ever produced. One reason why she is not more widely known, or has not received greater recognition, is that very few of her works are commercially available as recordings or printed scores. Many young people, however, will have come across her Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Rhymes it remains part of the GCSE Music course in Wales.
These newly edited scores (launched on March 1st), published by Oriana Publications in partnership with Ty Cerdd and the Welsh Music Guild, will make it possible for orchestras, choirs and others to discover and perform major works by Grace Williams, and may lead to further commercial recordings of her work in the future.
Dr Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, internationally-renowned conductor, presented a first edition copy of Missa Cambrensis to Grace Williams' niece, Eryl Freestone, on 1st March 2010.
He said "This could be described as one of the great achievements of Welsh classical music. It is of such monumental significance to Welsh classical music yet few have heard this ambitious and challenging choral work. It really does show Grace Williams at the pinnacle of her output.
"Having recently conducted both symphonies I am looking forward very much to performing this great choral work.
Commenting on the launch, Eryl Freestone, Grace Williams' niece said: "This is a very significant day for Welsh music. These wonderful works, by one of our foremost composers, will at last be readily available for performance, and can then be heard and appreciated by the wide audience they deserve. I am absolutely delighted that Oriana has begun its 'Grace Williams Centenary Edition' by publishing these ten works, including the marvellous Missa Cambrensis, which could almost be described as a 'hidden masterpiece'. I look forward to hearing, before long, a performance of it which, I am sure, will be richly rewarding for participants and audience alike. My mother (Marian, the composer's sister) and I wish to express our thanks and gratitude to all those involved in presenting this music to a wider public."
Seven of the pieces, including the mass, two symphonies (the earlier being the first symphony by a Welsh composer) and other orchestral works, have been edited by Graeme Cotterill, a doctoral student in music at Bangor University, who is rapidly establishing himself as an authority on the composer.
Graeme Cotterill explains his role saying: "For 'editor', one could read 'detective'. The music editor's task is to review all known manuscripts of a composition, checking for inconsistencies and alterations, and come up with the version the editor believes is closest to the composer's original intentions. This means checking whether what you have is an alternative or early version, or a mistake, or an alteration made by another hand such as a conductor and whether any changes had the composer's authorisation. Any findings are always supported by a wider musicological knowledge and understanding.
Missa Cambrensis, which I have been fortunate enough to hear in a recording of the only performance from the BBC sound archive, is a complex yet always fulfilling work. It is a deeply challenging piece that certainly requires re-evaluation, and I'd love to hear a modern interpretation of the score."