Ancient Welsh instrument finds new role in contemporary dance

Nation.Cymru staff

An ancient Welsh instrument once played by shepherds and cattle drovers is helping shape the soundtrack to a new work by National Dance Company Wales.

The pibgorn features in Untamed, a piece by choreographer Alesandra Seutin exploring the human urge to run, which is touring Wales and England as part of the company’s Blue | Glas programme.

Welsh folk musician Stephen Rees, a member of the band Crasdant, recorded the instrument for composer Randolph Matthews. The score also brings together harp and vocals from Sam Frankie Fox, students’ voices and the WOW Wales One World Choir.

A reed instrument made from a wooden pipe and cattle horns, the pibgorn was traditionally used to play dance music and pass the time on cattle droves.

One horn forms the mouthpiece, while another creates a bell at the opposite end to amplify the sound. Six finger holes and a thumb hole give it a range of eight notes.

Now played by a small number of Welsh folk musicians, it has found a different setting in Seutin’s choreography.

For Rees, contributing recordings for Matthews to develop remotely was a departure from his usual way of working.

“Collaborating with a composer to create music for dance has been a really interesting experience,” he said.

“I’m normally used to working from fully written-out arrangements, or developing music in person with other musicians. Working remotely in this way was something new.”

Rather than recording a finished composition, Rees supplied material that could be developed as the dance took shape.

“I supplied Randolph with some Welsh traditional music along with a series of calls/fanfares on the pibgorn,” he said.

“As he continued to develop this with the choreographer, Alesandra Seutin, he asked me to include some further musical gestures, which then he sculpted into the final score.”

The resulting work combines traditional Welsh sounds with contemporary dance, using running as a starting point to explore whether people are moving away from something or towards a new possibility.

On tour

Rees saw the finished production at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre.

“Seeing and hearing Untamed in the Sherman Theatre was tremendous,” he said.

“I was fascinated and genuinely inspired by the language of contemporary dance – a mode of expression I’m not familiar with. I look forward to seeing the performance again!”

National Dance Company Wales is touring the programme until November 19. Full dates and booking details are available on the company’s website.

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