Ceri Rhys Matthews
Encyclopedia
Ceri Rhys Matthews is a Welsh
traditional musician, record producer, and teacher.
, Wales
. Educated in Welsh
-Medium schools in Ynystawe, Lonlas and Ystalyfera, he went on to study Fine Art and Painting at Swansea Art School and Maidstone College of Art.
, he has been called "a key figure in the renaissance of Welsh musical traditions", by journalist Julian May in Songlines (magazine)
and described by him as "a one man Welsh music industry" He has produced twenty-one CDs for Welsh label Fflach
's subsidiary fflach:tradd. In 2000, he produced the Rough Guide to the Music of Wales for World Music Network. In 2009, he produced Blodeugerdd: Song of the Flowers - An Anthology of Welsh Music and Song for Smithsonian Folkways
which came first in the 2009 Independent Music Awards for Best World Traditional Album.
He plays flute, pibgorn
, bagpipe and guitar.
, Wales; teaching at various Summer Schools including The English Acoustic Collective Summer School, Ruskin Mill; and at the Yscolan Weekends, Pentre Ifan
.
He is a visiting tutor at the BMus Degree in folk and traditional music at Newcastle University, and The Sage Gateshead; and at the BMus (Hons) Music Degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff
.
He has spoken on Welsh music at the World Music Centre, University of Limerick
, in 1998; The Glucksman Ireland House, New York University
, in 2002; The Centre for Advanced Welsh Music Studies, Bangor University
, in 2007; English & Welsh Diaspora Conference at Loughborough University
, 2010.
As solo musician
With fernhill
As Record Producer
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
traditional musician, record producer, and teacher.
Biography
Matthews was born in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Educated in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
-Medium schools in Ynystawe, Lonlas and Ystalyfera, he went on to study Fine Art and Painting at Swansea Art School and Maidstone College of Art.
Music and Production
As a soloist and member of the Welsh folk group FernhillFernhill (band)
Fernhill is a Welsh folk band, formed in 1996. They have been described by music critic and journalist Colin Irwin, as "highly regarded, innovative cultural ambassadors for Wales and its folk music, having toured in over 20 countries in four continents"...
, he has been called "a key figure in the renaissance of Welsh musical traditions", by journalist Julian May in Songlines (magazine)
Songlines (magazine)
Songlines is the name of a British based magazine launched in 1999 that covers music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion, featuring artists from around the globe....
and described by him as "a one man Welsh music industry" He has produced twenty-one CDs for Welsh label Fflach
Fflach
Fflach is a Welsh Record Label and Recording Studio. It was founded in 1981 in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales by brothers Richard and Wyn Jones who are members of Welsh New Wave music group Ail Symudiad. The label gave an opportunity to record more New Wave music in Wales, for bands such as Y Ficar,...
's subsidiary fflach:tradd. In 2000, he produced the Rough Guide to the Music of Wales for World Music Network. In 2009, he produced Blodeugerdd: Song of the Flowers - An Anthology of Welsh Music and Song for Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was founded in 1987 after the family of Moses Asch, founder of Folkways...
which came first in the 2009 Independent Music Awards for Best World Traditional Album.
He plays flute, pibgorn
Pibgorn (instrument)
The pibgorn is a Welsh species of idioglot reed aerophone. The name translates literally as "pipe-horn". It is also historically known as cornicyll. It utilises a single reed , cut from elder or reed , like that found in the drone of a bagpipe, being the ancestor of the modern clarinet reed...
, bagpipe and guitar.
Teaching
His teaching activities cover a wide spectrum. These include a long term Junior School Flute-making project in DolgellauDolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, Wales; teaching at various Summer Schools including The English Acoustic Collective Summer School, Ruskin Mill; and at the Yscolan Weekends, Pentre Ifan
Pentre Ifan
Pentre Ifan is the name of an ancient manor in the civil parish of Nevern, in North Pembrokeshire, West Wales. It contains the largest and best preserved neolithic dolmen in Wales.-History:...
.
He is a visiting tutor at the BMus Degree in folk and traditional music at Newcastle University, and The Sage Gateshead; and at the BMus (Hons) Music Degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
He has spoken on Welsh music at the World Music Centre, University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
, in 1998; The Glucksman Ireland House, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, in 2002; The Centre for Advanced Welsh Music Studies, Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
, in 2007; English & Welsh Diaspora Conference at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, 2010.
Discography
With Saith Rhyfeddod- Saith Rhyfeddod (Sain, 1991)
- Cico Nyth Cacwn (Fflach, 1994)
As solo musician
- Traditional songs of Wales ( Saydisc, 1995)
- A Celtic Christmas (Saydisc, 1996)
- Shrug off ya complex (with Y Tystion. Crai, 1998)
- South Wales Beat (with Wepun Ex Project. Wonky Wax, 2003)
- Funky Fresh (with Wepun Ex Project. Wonky Wax, 2003)
- William Kennedy Piping Festival (Armagh Piper's Club, 2004)
- Alawon (with Burum. fflach:tradd, 2006)
- Yscolan (Disgyfrith, 2006)
With fernhill
- Ca’ nôs (Be Jo, 1996)
- Llatai (Be Jo, 1997)
- Whilia (Be Jo, 2000)
- hynt (Be Jo, 2003)
- Na Prádle (live) (Be Jo, 2007)
- Canu RhyddCanu Rhydd-Track listing:#"adar"#"when i was in my prime"#"diddan"#"forest"#"glyn cynon"#"glyn tawe"#"y fwynlan o serch"-Musicians:*Julie Murphy - voice, sruti*Ceri Rhys Matthews - guitar, flute, voice*Tomos Williams - trumpet, flugelhorn...
(Disgyfrith, 2011)
As Record Producer
- Ffidil (fflach:ttradd, 1997)
- Datgan (fflach:ttradd, 1997)
- Telyn (fflach:ttradd, 1997)
- KilBrideKilbrideKilbride could refer to:*Kilbride, St. John's, Canada*Kilbride, Ontario, Canada*Kilbride, County Antrim, a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland...
(fflach:ttradd, 1997) - Gramundus (fflach:ttradd, 1998)
- Pibau (fflach:ttradd, 1999)
- Megin (fflach:ttradd, 1999)
- MinkaMinkaare private residences constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese building styles.In the context of the four divisions of society, minka were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants , but this connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional...
(fflach:ttradd, 1999) - MelangellMelangellSaint Melangell, was a Welsh virgin, , whose Feast Day is celebrated, and originally established on May 27, 590. The daughter of an Irish king, she went to Powys, in central Wales, to become a hermitess. Prince Brochwel, the prince of Powys, granted her land after meeting her on a hunting trip, and...
(fflach:ttradd, 2000) - The Rough Guide To The Music of Wales (World Music Network, 2000)
- Boys from the Hill (fflach:ttradd, 2001)
- Perllan (fflach:ttradd, 2001)
- Ffawd (fflach:ttradd, 2001)
- Enlli (fflach:ttradd, 2002)
- Sidan (fflach:ttradd, 2002)
- Toreth (fflach:ttradd, 2003)
- CrwthCrwthThe crwth is an archaic stringed musical instrument, associated particularly with Welsh music, once widely-played in Europe.-Origin of the name:...
(fflach:ttradd, 2004) - Priodi (fflach:ttradd, 2004)
- BlasBlasBlas is mainly a Spanish given name and surname, related to Blaise. It may refer to-Places:*Piz Blas, mountain in Switzerland*San Blas , many places - see separate article, also**Cape San Blas Light, lighthouse...
(fflach:ttradd, 2004) - GwenllianGwenllianGwenllian was the name of several ladies who lived in medieval Wales. The two best known have, for different reasons, become symbols of Welsh patriotism and/or independence. The others, have not.*Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn *Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd...
(fflach:ttradd, 2005) - Pibddawns (fflach:ttradd, 2006)
- TroTROTRO or tro may refer to:*Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation*Temporary restraining order*Tro is the generic name for traditional bowed string instruments of Cambodia*Tro a 1996 hit song by Swedish pop singer Marie Fredriksson...
(fflach:ttradd, 2008) - Blodeugerdd:Song of the Flowers (Smithsonian Folkways, 2010)
External links
- http://www.fernhill.info fernhill official website
- http://www.yscolan.info Ceri Rhys Matthews official website
- http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3229 Blodeugerdd, Smithsonian Folkways
- http://www.fflach.co.uk/cms/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=9&MMN_position=13:13 fflach:tradd official website