Many of you will recall that we made The Gentle Good‘s latest album Y Bardd Anfarwol an Album of the Month back in December and it also featured in our Best of 2013 list. There is certainly not another album like it, it’s one of those projects that initially sounded too incredible to pull off but the results went well beyond anyone’s expectations. Anyone that has been following us over the few years will know we’re big fans of Gareth Bonello whose music as The Gentle Good been featured in our playlists for the past five years. Gareth has a number of gig dates coming up including London’s Union Chapel as part of the Daylight Music series so try and make the effort to catch him, you won’t be disappointed as this small taster of his music demonstrates:
Live Dates
01 Mar – Daylight Music, The Union Chapel, London (12:00)
01 Mar – Hwyl! St David’s Day Party, Cecil Sharpe House, Camden, London (14:00)
08 Mar – Snails Deli, Rhiwbina, Cardiff
19 Mar – Bath – Up in the Gallery, Bath Folk Club – St James’ Wine Vaults, Bath
24 Apr – Focus Wales, The Bank
Tickets and links here
About Y Bardd Anfarwol
In October 2011 Gareth Bonello travelled to the city of Chengdu, China to take up a 6 week artistic residency with the Chengdu Associated Theatre of Performing Arts. The residency was part of the ‘Musicians in Residence – China’ project organised by The British Council and PRSF. Gareth used the opportunity to explore Chinese folk music and literature and to collaborate with local traditional musicians.
Upon his return to the UK Gareth continued to work on the project collaborating with composer Seb Goldfinch, The Mavron String Quartet, and members of the UK Chinese Ensemble to record Y Bardd Anfarwol. The album tells the life story of the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai and brings together elements of Welsh and Chinese folk music.
Helen who reviewed the album concluded:
It’s a measure of the creative integrity of Gareth Bonello and his collaborator Seb Goldfinch that Y Bardd Anfarwol can take what many might regard as a huge chance in drawing together such a range of culturally diverse instruments to create a biographical concept album, and do it so successfully. This is a record which sounds new and fresh, as delicate as a watercolour yet with the energy of a master calligrapher’s work; it repays repeated listenings and is the ideal tonic for those whose ears are jaded by this year’s musical goldrush towards Americana-influenced contemporary folk music. If you value the work of those who are prepared to sail outside the mainstream, then Y Bardd Anfarwol will definitely float your boat. A wonderful record, a record full of wonder; I can’t recommend it highly enough.