The Music of Mervyn Burtch (2019)
Mervyn Burtch MBE (7 November 1929 – 12 May 2015) was a Welsh composer, closely associated to Lewis-Merthyr Band.
Burtch was born in Ystrad Mynach in 1929 and, except for his two years of National Service in the RAF, lived his entire life in the Rhymney Valley. He studied at Cardiff University, and subsequently became Head of Music at Bargoed Grammar Technical School, Head of Music at Lewis Girls' School and then, in 1979, joined the staff of the then Welsh College of Music and Drama (WCMD).
Mervyn was Head of the Performance course at the College until 1989, after which time he devoted himself entirely to composition. His extensive output of instrumental and vocal works included 17 string quartets, 14 concertos, 13 operas for children and numerous choral and brass band pieces.
His collaborators include The Banff Centre, Alberta, Manitoba Opera and CanWest Performing Arts Centre, Winnipeg Canada, the Royal Albert Hall, London, the Welsh National Opera Company, National Youth Ensembles of Wales and Welsh National Opera Company. Mervyn passed away on the 12 May 2015, at the age of 85.
Burtch was born in Ystrad Mynach in 1929 and, except for his two years of National Service in the RAF, lived his entire life in the Rhymney Valley. He studied at Cardiff University, and subsequently became Head of Music at Bargoed Grammar Technical School, Head of Music at Lewis Girls' School and then, in 1979, joined the staff of the then Welsh College of Music and Drama (WCMD).
Mervyn was Head of the Performance course at the College until 1989, after which time he devoted himself entirely to composition. His extensive output of instrumental and vocal works included 17 string quartets, 14 concertos, 13 operas for children and numerous choral and brass band pieces.
His collaborators include The Banff Centre, Alberta, Manitoba Opera and CanWest Performing Arts Centre, Winnipeg Canada, the Royal Albert Hall, London, the Welsh National Opera Company, National Youth Ensembles of Wales and Welsh National Opera Company. Mervyn passed away on the 12 May 2015, at the age of 85.
Mervyn & Lewis-Merthyr Band
Lewis-Merthyr Band enjoyed a long and close association with Mervyn Burtch, which began in the 1980's between the composer and then Musical Director Nigel Seaman. Mervyn wrote two works for Lewis-Merthyr. In 1982, the band gave the first performance and broadcast of Mervyn Burtch's Overture: Pinocchio and, a year later in 1983, the premiere broadcast performance of Paean.
Mervyn also wrote numerous additional light and major works for brass band, including Revolt In the Valleys for mixed voices and brass band, a commemoration of the 1839 Chartist uprising (premiered in Cardiff in 1993 with Michael Foot narrating) and Beowulf & Grendel, a large work for male choir and band.
The Project
Working in partnership with Oriana Publications, Lewis-Merthyr Band have identified 61 unpublished manuscripts for brass and voices. Working in partnership with Oriana, the Mervyn Burtch Trust, Music Centre Wales, Ty Cerdd, and some of the leading solo Wales based brass performers, the band proposes to undertake a recording of a number of works for full band, brass ensemble and solo artists by Mervyn Burtch, ready for release in late 2019, in order to promote and celebrate the composer's 90th year.
Proposed Works
Lewis-Merthyr Band
- Overture: Pinocchio (1982) m/s
- Paean (1983) m/s
- Panache (1987) Vanderbeek
- Wind in the Willows Suite Vanderbeek
Tom Hutchinson
- Will o' the Wisp Oriana
- Suite for Cornet & Piano m/s
Owen Farr
- Dream Sequence for Horn & Piano (1986) Oriana
Mvt I - Mvt II - Mvt III - Mvt IV - Mvt V
- Nocturne for Tenor Horn and Brass Band Vanderbeek
Sheet Music
David Childs
- Nocturne & Dance for Euphonium & Piano (2013) Prima Vista Musikk
- Fantasy for Euphonium Oriana
Nigel Seaman
- Sonatina for Tuba Oriana
Sheet Music
Male Choir
- Bristol Roads
- The Dove (Pub. Curiad)
- Two Fond Hearts (Pub. Curiad)
Band & Choir
- Deep Harmony (Pub. Sain)
Major Works
- A Revolt in the Valleys (1993)
- Beowulf & Grendel (1997)
- Concerto for Piano & Brass Band
Works with Oriana Publications
- Coryscations (MS) flugel;ten hn;bar;Eb bass -
- Divertimento (MS) brass band -
- Fanfare for Band (TR) brass band -
- Fanfarette for Northop (PC) brass band -
- Fantasy for Euphonium & Piano (MS) euph; pno -
- Five Pieces for Horn Trio (TR) 3hn -
- Flourish for Brass (TR) Ebcrt; Bbcrt; Ebhn; 2trb -
- Full Circle (PC) brass band -
- Hiraeth (MS) brass band -
- Hiraeth (PC) 4tpt; hn; 3trb; tba -
- Panache (MS) brass band - Vanderbeek
- Partita for Brass (TR) 3tpt; 2hn; 2tentrb; btrb; tba - Oriana
- Suite for Brass Band (TR) brass band -
- Terzetto (PC) 3 Trumpets -
- Three Piece Suite (TR) 2tpt; hn; trb; tba -
- Triptych for Trombone Quintet (MS) 4 ten trb; btrb -
- Will’ o’ the Wisp (PC) solo tpt; brass band -
Other Recordings
- Christian Morris
- Mervyn Burtch: A Celebration