Programme Note
The chapel of Sant Govan in Pembrokeshire and stories about the Saint have inspired this short poem by Menna Elfyn. The words speak for themselves, gentle, crystalline and concentrated – a gift for any composer. The collaboration was a delight. Subsequently, I also had the pleasure of corresponding and working with the Irish poet Michael Coady and I thank him for preparing the Irish version – ‘Oscailt’. A quote from the last stanza of Menna Elfyn’s poem seems appropriate: “Croeso rhwng dwy ynys . . .” ( A greeting of welcome between two islands)
Grateful thanks finally to Myles Pepper who initiated these collaborations and to Celtic Connections who commissioned the work.
Welsh Version
Mae’r capel Sant Gofan yn Sir Benfro a straeon am y Saint wedi ysbrydoli gerdd fer hon gan Menna Elfyn. Y geiriau yn siarad drostynt eu hunain, addfwyn, grisialog ac yn canolbwyntio – rhodd ar gyfer unrhyw cyfansoddwr. Mae’r cydweithio oedd yn bleser. Yn dilyn hynny, cefais hefyd y pleser o ohebu a gweithio gyda’r bardd Gwyddelig Michael Coady ac yr wyf yn diolch iddo am baratoi’r fersiwn Gwyddeleg – ‘Oscailt’. Dyfyniad gan y pennill olaf y gerdd Menna Elfyn ymddangos yn briodol: “Croeso rhwng dwy ynys …”
Ddiolch yn olaf i Myles Pepper a gychwynnodd cydweithio hyn ac i Celtic Connections a gomisiynodd y gwaith.