Any form of music making is a cause of celebration, but 15 years of consistent, high quality music performance, training and facilitating against a backdrop of ever tighter budgets is certainly something to shout about. The Caernarfon based Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias Music Centre must be fairly unique in the music world, and has grown from first tentative steps to become a vibrant and forward looking vehicle for music expression across North Wales, reaching out across the world through festivals and new media.
Broadcaster, Bob Jones, spoke to one of the of the trustees of Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias Music Centre – the internationally renowned harpist, Elinor Bennett.
“We wanted to create a space dedicated to music, where children and people of all ages could have tuition from expert musicians to enrich their education without having to travel miles from their homes. It was crucial to create opportunities for young people to nurture their natural talents and provide work for professional musicians within Wales enriching the local community.”
Elinor Bennett, still looks back on the last ten years with astonishment and pleasure in equal measures. The whole venture has become greater than she could ever have imagined, she admits to initial nervousness.“It was like taking a step into space! The first Monday in September 1999 and with the new millennium round the corner there was great excitement in the air. We opened for one day only for the first few weeks and there were only two teachers: Annette Bryn Parry brought her six piano students and I had an equal number of harpists receiving weekly lessons. The house we used next to St Mary’s Church in Caernarfon felt large and empty, and I was so scared that it would remain so! We had two pianos, and managed to get an Arts Council of Wales grant to buy three new teaching harps from France which were housed on the top floor with a superb view across the Menai Straits to Ynys Mon. Naturally, the room became known as ‘Y Nefoedd’ (Heaven)!’
As a journalist, I’ve always savoured my visits to the Canolfan. They always had so much to say. But I have to confess I was always at a loss to describe what they were and how they managed to touch so many lives in so many ways. Remarkable, this area rich in natural beauty, is seen as one of the most deprived areas in Wales. Parts of Caernarfon score highly on the scale of Multiple Deprivation, on a par with the industrial areas of the Welsh valleys in the south. Easy then for all parts of the community to miss out on high quality music experiences, and opportunities to learn. But as Elinor Bennett found out, that’s more than made up for by a passion for music.
“Soon, more students and many more instrumental teachers were enrolled until the whole house was in use a few months later. There was no sound-proofing in those early days. It might have been a cacophony, but I have warm memories of the various sounds that emanated from different rooms – and of overhearing the teachers’ comments.”
Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias was set up as a tribute to one of Wales’ most famous composers William Mathias who died in 1992. A passionate exponent of music teaching and spreading the love of music. He was known as a conductor and pianist, and gave or directed many premières of his own works. He also founded the equally successful North Wales Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral and remained its artistic director until his death.
Mathias made a highly significant contribution to twentieth-century organ music, and his church music and carols are still regularly performed worldwide. He also was called upon to compose for Royal occasions include the fanfare for the tenth anniversary of the Investiture of the Prince of Wales which took place just a few yards away from Galeri in Caernarfon Castle; but also music for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, and the anthem especially composed for the wedding of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981.
For many, Mathias’ musical language embraced both instrumental and vocal forms with equal success, and that’s reflected in the work of the Canolfan today.
Fifteen years later, The Canolfan – now housed in Galeri, a unique arts and business centre in its own right – has become acknowledged as a centre of musical education, supported by the Arts Council of Wales. It co-ordinates master-classes with celebrated musicians as well as concerts, workshops and courses on a variety of musical subjects. It’s the home to the Wales International Harp Festival, with plans more festivals in the near future.
Today, over 350 students aged from 15 months to 85 year old attend the Centre on a weekly basis for individual tuition with 30 professional and specialist music tutors offering tuition on a wide range of instruments.
CGWM works closely with Gwasanaeth Ysgolion William Mathias but it is totally independent of the schools’ music service and the local education authorities. Many of the students are still at primary or secondary school where their musical talents have been recognised and they’re guided towards extensive more tuition than they are able to receive in school. CGWM also provides general musicianship classes, creative music sessions for adults who have learning disabilities, lectures, recitals, various concerts and music festivals featuring many distinguished musicians, music listening clubs for adults, chamber music, popular, folk and jazz workshops and master classes by eminent musicians. All these are arranged in a friendly and positive atmosphere and provide an invaluable music experience for all members of the community. All activities take place in both English and Welsh.
Two very successful and pioneering projects are the Pre-School Music Classes for 15 month to 3 year olds, First Steps in Music (Camau Cyntaf) and the Creative Music Course for Adults with Learning Disabilities, Hidden Talents (Doniau Cudd).
“The greatest advantage of a centre like Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias is that it can employ people to organise not only one-to-one tuition, but also group activities such as quartets, ensembles, choirs as well as many exciting activities such as festivals, master-classes and concerts. The Centre is the most important resident company in Galeri Caernarfon and brings hundreds of people to the Arts complex every week. Ten teaching rooms of very high quality are used by 33 teachers working on a free-lance basis and this generates an income that covers the rent of the facilities. “
I’ve always been taken aback by Elinor Bennett’s infectious enthusiasm for the Canolfan and its work. However, I also know that I would have such difficulty learning there too – nothing to do with the standard of teaching, but the distraction of the inspirational view of the Menai and Anglesey from the practice room windows. Just yards away is the world heritage site, the magnificent Caernarfon Castle with its cosy old town. Physically and ideologically The Canolfan is at the heart of the community.
Like any 15 year old, the Canolfan is bursting with energy and certainly knows how to party! An open day at their Galeri home in September kicked off what promises to be an amazing year of celebration. The doors of the building in Caernarfon were thrown open with gusto, and the public invited to sample the breadth of activities available through the centre – Drumming the Drums; Harps in Heaven, Strictly come Singing – a new mixed choir for adults – A guitar workshop, Hidden Talents sessions and Chamber Choir open rehearsals.
Amongst all the mayhem and chaos, you could see that this was all about breaking down the barriers, and including all ages and abilities in music making. And if the public couldn’t get to the Canolfan, then the Canolfan went to them with a series of pop up concerts by young musicians in shops and public spaces across the town.
Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias has already opened a ‘satellite’ operation in Denbigh in North-East Wales and has an ambition to replicate the model in other towns and cities.
So, fifteen years of successful music making under the belt – what about the next fifteen years? Elinor Bennet is sanguine but optimistic.
“These are tough financial times for everyone. In these days of stringency, consolidation must be the top priority. There will be a need to ascertain adequate funding to ensure continuity, and we must work hard to maintain the level of support from the local community in Wales. We must always emphasise the importance of creating opportunities for everyone to make music and also hear some of the best performers. Music belongs to everyone – not just the few privileged and wealthy people who can afford to travel to major cities of the world to listen to quality performances. Adequate and more secure funding for groups such as “Doniau Cudd/Hidden Talents” for people with severe learning difficulties, need to be ascertained as do the classes for very young children ‘First steps in music’ for children aged 15 months -7 years old.
“A world without real, live music for my grand-children and their children is abhorrent to me and the Directors of CGWM. That is why Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias was established 15 years ago!”
