About Stacey Blythe
Composer, performer, and multi instrumentalist, Stacey Blythe has performed all over the UK and America.
She is a regular composer for the Welsh National Opera's max department (new opera '9 stories high' coming soon). She performs with Ffynnon (www.ffynnon.org) and Elfen (a new welsh folk trio - find them on facebook at elfen-duo).
She has toured and recorded as a composer and performer with many different artists (Maria Hayes), poets (including Patrick Jones), musicians (Dylan Fowler, Julie Murphy, Meredith Monk) and storytellers including Nick Hennessey - (currently touring with Adverse Camber, 'Hunting the giants daughter' with Michael Harvey and Lynne Denman).
She plays with some exciting new singer songwriters; Rachel Taylor-Beales and Pamela Wyn-Shannon. She has performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, on the Orient Express, played for Stephen Sondheim, shared the stage with Billy Bragg (who sang a song I wrote!) and Michelle Shocked.
She has performed (with her students from the Royal Welsh College) for Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Bassy and the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. She lectures as a musical director and repertoire coach at the Royal Welsh Conservetoire of Music and Drama.
Composer/Facilitator
I play by ear as well as being a classically trained composer, singer and multi instrumentalist.
I’ve worked with WNO (Community Outreach), WNO orchestra, National Dance Theatre Wales, The Rubicon, Theatre Ffynnon, National Orchestra of Wales, Swansea Arts Festival, The Chainmakers Festival. North Wales Arts Festival, National Theatre of Wales, Live Music Now Wales, Swansea Arts Festival, Theatr Iolo, Nofit State Circus, Operasonic, The Touch Trust and Ty Cerdd. These projects have been led by me as either Composer or composer/facilitator with youth and community groups to produce work together.
I was WNO’s artist in development in association with the Barbican.
I facilitated as Composer in the first Global Happiness Conference working with young people from India, Egypt. Jordan, Palestine, Uganda, Scotland and England. In association with Bewdley Secondary School.
Composer/performer
I write and tour with Adverse Camber (www.adversecamber.org )
“Hunting the Giant’s Daughter” was my first piece of touring work with them and is an award-winning piece of Storytelling-Theatre. We have done many UK and European tours in Welsh and English – 38 shows to date.
We’ve just toured Australia for a month with “Dreaming the Night Field” multiple performances including a residency at the Wiradjuri Aboriginal Cultural Centre. We performed with and got to know the amazing young performers who are holding their Traditions safe for the future – it was an incredible experience to meet 5 - 85 year olds who all speak their language, know their Dances and are excited to listen to Welsh music and storytelling.
Working with young people is a pure joy for me.
I thrive when I am supporting others to discover and develop their own creative potential.
I am very experienced in collaborating creatively with a huge range of youth and community groups – work that always inspires and feeds me as an artist.
Working in the Welsh Language is also a huge part of who I am creatively. I’ve been lucky to perform in the Welsh Language in the U.S, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Holland, and all over the UK. Sharing the treasure of this rich culture and language really inspires me.
I was one of only 8 musicians chosen to tour Wales with Cylch Canu 2 – Song Chain 2.
I’m an associate musician with English National Ballet, and an MD at RWCMD Drama Department.
I have worked with Live Music Now as a mentor and composer.
I lead and run instrumental workshops in traditional music, singing and songwriting.
I have been nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Composers Award.
Performance
I perform with Ffynnon (www.ffynnon.org ) and Elfen (www.elfen-cymru.com ) UK and Europe tours . Ffynnon has toured Europe, the USA and Brazil.
I’m a fluent Welsh speaker and adequate French speaker.
Discography
Hunting the Giant’s Daughter
Debatable Lands, Celtic Music from Wales, Adar Gwylltion
Llongau
Elfen: March Glas
11 Songs from Love Lane (Solo Album)
Featured on:
Princes of Gwynedd, Celtic Lullabies, Rough Guide to Welsh Music, Celtic Dreams, Tongues for a Stammering Time. My music has been played on Radio and TV.
Recorded with:
Julie Murphy, Nick Hennessy, Dylan Fowler, Lynne Denman
Bethan Nia, Rachel Taylor-Beales
Youtube : The Chainmaker’s Song, Iain’s reel (recorded live by BBC Radio 3)
New Work
Gitân – I’m a Birmingham born Welsh speaker creating new music with a Mumbai born Welsh speaker in ‘Gitân’. I’ll be working with the Classical Indian singer and composer Rajesh David. We are both immigrants to Wales weaving Welsh Language songs with Classical Indian poetry and music.
Tell the River
“Crochan” Tamar Eluned Williams and Cath Little (Storytellers) and I will be creating work that unwinds the stories from Cardiff’s 3 Rivers. We will unwrap memories connecting old communities and new, looking for our story in the environmental future of Wales and our planet.
Legends of Dinefwr
(Operasonic)
Bilingual Schools Opera “Lost Legends of Dinefwr”
Some of the trees in Dinefwr Forest are over 400 years old – we will be finding out the lost treasures of their stories. We will work with 3 local schools to create new work together which will hopefully be performed at the Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival
Betty Campbell - An Amazing Life
Piano Trio composed for the Memorial service for Betty Campbell premiered at the coal Exchange in 2018. Community Arts Opera in development.
Lucky Man - Our Youth in Convoy
Working with veterans of WW2 from Russia and the UK shaping memory into music. “ Lucky Man “ was composed in response to this hidden history. https://youtu.be/hi5UTYyZ6kI
Cumbia Cambia
Wales meets Columbia in a new fusion ensemble singing in Spanish and Welsh.