Rhys Meirion, Celticae, Sain SCD2490

Rhys Meirion, Celticae

Rhys Meirion is considered by many to be Wales’ leading tenor. As the title suggests, it is a collection of some of the best loved and time-honoured classics from Wales and its Celtic Brethren, Ireland and Scotland. Songs such as Fields of Athenry and Danny Boy, My Love is Like a Red Red Rose and the Skye Boat Song and Welsh favourites Suo Gân, Dafydd Y Garreg Wen and Lisa Lân.

Born within a few miles of his great friend Bryn Terfel in North Wales, and sharing much the same cultural upbringing, the two recorded last year’s duet album, Benedictus, to great critical acclaim and plan to renew their partnership when they appear together in a new production of Falstaff for the Welsh National Opera with Rhys singing the part of Fenton to Bryn’s title role in March 2008. Rhys Meirion graduated as a Bachelor of Education and worked as a head-teacher before beginning his training as a singer. From 1997 to 1999 he was a member of the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

After attending the post graduate opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London for two years, Rhys joined the English National Opera Jerwood Young Singers Programme in 1999 and was subsequently a Company Principal from 2001 to 2004. His roles included Rodolfo in La Boheme, Alfredo in La Traviata, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore, Nadir in The Pearl Fishers, Marcello in Leoncavallo’s La Boheme, Duke in Rigoletto, Tebaldo in Capuletti e Montecchi, Tamino in The Magic Flute, the title role in Ernani, Sailor in Tristan und Isolde, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier, Froh in Das Rheingold, Zinovy in Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk and most recently Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly.

Concert highlights include a gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London with Bryn Terfel, his BBC Prom debut at the opening night of the 2001 BBC Proms, televised on BBC 2, Desert Island Discs Anniversary Concert at Royal Festival Hall, London, a live BBC recording of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony conducted by Richard Hickox and Verdi’s Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Rhys has appeared at the Henley Festival, Cheltenham Festival, North Wales Festival, Swansea Festival and in concerts in Barbados, Toronto, Ottawa and Florida and often appears as guest soloist in opera galas with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Television appearances include Handel’s Messiah, broadcast on Channel 4 Wales.

Tracks -

01 - Fields of Athenry

02 - Suo gân

03 - My love is like a red red rose

04 - Dafydd y Garreg Wen

05 - Eriskay love lilt

06 - Believe me

07 - A ei di'r deryn du?

08 - Call the yewes

09 - Y ferch o Sger

10 - Danny boy

11 - Mary of Argyle

12 - Beth yw'r haf i mi

13 - She moved through the fair

14 - Skye boat song

15 - Lisa lân

16 - Macushla.

Click here to download album.

Ganwyd Rhys Meirion o fewn ychydig filltiroedd i’w gyfaill Bryn Terfel, a phriodol felly yw bod y ddau wedi gwneud CD o ddeuawdau ar label SAIN, a’u bod i ymddangos gyda’i gilydd yn fuan mewn cynhyrchiad o Falstaff i Opera Genedlaethol Cymru, lle bydd Bryn yn chwarae’r brif ran a Rhys yn chwarae rhan Fenton. Bu’r ddau hefyd yn cyd-ganu yn Neuadd Albert, Llundain, ac uchafbwyntiau eraill gyrfa Rhys oedd cyngerdd agoriadol Proms y BBC yn 2001, recordiadau byw o 9fed Symffoni Beethoven, Requiem Verdi o’r Neuadd Albert, a recordiad teledu o’r Meseia yn Gymraeg ar gyfer S4C.

Bu Rhys hefyd yn perfformio prif rannau i Opera Genedlaethol Cymru ac Opera Genedlaethol Lloegr, yn ogystal ag Opera Awstralia ac Opera Genedlaethol Lithuania. Mae ei boblogrwydd rhyngwladol ar sylfaen gadarn ei boblogrwydd yng Nghymru, fel y tystia ei gyngherddau aml ar lwyfan yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, lle daeth i amlygrwydd gyntaf fel enillydd y Rhuban Glas yn Llandeilo yn 1996. Brian Hughes BA LRAM FRNCM FWCMD

Mae Brian Hughes yn cael ei gydnabod fel côr-feistr o fri, ac yn gysylltiedig â nifer o gorau gan gynnwys Cantorion Ysgol Alun, Yr Wyddgrug; Cantorion Cynwrig; Corws Gwyl Rhyngwladol Buxton; Corws Gwyl Cheltenham, a Chantorion Britten. Bu’n gôr-feistr a phennaeth staff opera RNCM am flynyddoedd lawer, ble bu’n arwain nifer o weithiau cerddorfaol megis Spring Symphony gan Britten, Offeren yn C leiaf gan Mozart, rhannau o Aida gan Verdi a Mephistophele gan Boito. Fe astudiodd y piano ym Mhrifysgol Cymru gyda Patrick Piggott, ac yna bu’n gyfeilydd mewn dosbarthiadau meistr gyda Joan Hammond, Joan Sutherland a Sherill Milnes. Mae’n arbenigo ym myd llais ac yn cydweithio’n rheolaidd gyda chantorion blaenllaw o’r byd proffesiynol a’r byd amatur. Fel cyfansoddwr mae ei gerddoriaeth yn cael ei ddefnyddio gan nifer fawr o gorau mewn cystadlaethau a chyngherddau, ac mae Brian wedi cyfansoddi cryn dipyn o waith siambr a cherddorfaol yn ogystal â chaneuon.

Traciau -