The River Wye played a central role in my early life, both personally and creatively. As a teenager I spent many days with friends by the river in Hereford and in and around Hay-on-Wye; a time when I was beginning to find my feet as a composer. In 2005-6 I wrote a large (too large!) tone poem about the River Wye’s journey ‘from the source to the sea’, and although this was somewhat overambitious and under-baked, the overall concept for the piece and its material have stuck in the back of my mind.
The HSO suggested an ‘overture’ for their summer concert, and I considered various options before returning to the Wye theme. The river is currently in a very poor state, and on the edge of being officially declared ‘dead’, and there are many groups and organisations (i.e. River Action, The Friends of the Upper Wye) doing what they can to save the river. I can remember well what a life and joy giving river it was, and have fond memories of swimming and fishing in it’s clear waters. Nowadays taking a walk by the Wye is an altogether depressing experience.
I wanted to do something that could contribute in some small way to the efforts of those trying to rejuvenate the Wye, and revisiting my old tone poem for Hereford’s own orchestra, seemed a perfect idea. I didn’t want to write a ‘whinge piece’, but rather a musical impression of what the river was, and an optimistic ‘vision’ of what we can work towards. So I took my old tunes and completely recomposed the work, preserving the feeling and expression I had tried to capture almost 20 years ago, but this time realised a lot better!
The music looks back in all sorts of ways, and is in essence unabashed, late-romantic, pastoral tone painting, which loosely follows the journey of the Wye from its source up on Plynlimon to its arrival in Hereford. It references many of the great late-romantic tone-painters, and a sense of open-aired optimism pervades the whole work, from its dewy beginnings in the welsh mountains to its triumphant arrival in Hereford (Cathedral bells, organ and all!). On a personal note it looks back to my early life and those sunny teenage days, but ultimately I wanted to give HSO something that they would enjoy playing, that they felt was theirs, and that might contribute to the efforts of those working to ‘save the Wye’.
HSO conducted by Michael Bell MBE, will perform To The Wye at Holy Trinity Church, Hereford on 22nd June 2024.
The concert also features Greig’s Piano Concerto with soloist Robert Markham.
See HSO website here