Enid Luff, M.A. M.Mus. LRAM
Education: Cambridge, University of Wales.
Her music has been performed in a number of other European Countries.
Many performances of dance works.
Welsh-speaking, interested in poetry and literature, and setting texts in many languages.
Appealing pieces for amateurs.
Enid’s News
On 11th November 2014, Sad Story, for flute, horn in F and trombone was played (under its original title, “Lament”) by London New Wind at the Salvation Army Hall, Oxford Street, London.
On 24th November 2013, Enid’s Three Steps in the Dark, for string quartet, was commissioned by Music Past and Present and played in the David Josefowitz Hall at the Royal Academy of Music in London by the Carducci Quartet.
Performance
Enid’s “…trees dropped forth pearls… “ , for solo acoustic guitar, commissioned by Michael Mc Cartney, was premiered by him at a recital at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff on July 3rd. The title of the piece is a quotation from an early seventeenth century poem, “That Zephyr ev’ry year” by William Drummond. The music catches the delicate and rather precious lyricism of the verse, which veils a depth of feeling about love and death, and ends with a tolling funeral bell.
Enid’s piece for solo viola, ” . . . the horror of war and the pity of it . . .”, was played by the rising young violist and violinist Matthew Jones at his solo viola recital in the Weston Gallery, at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, on February 9th. The piece was written for Matthew at his request, and has now been recorded for the CD of contemporary Welsh music recently issued by Cyfansoddwyr Cymru/Composers of Wales. The disc is played by the Bridge Duo (Matthew Jones, violin/viola, and Michael Hampton, piano).
Her “From Switzerland” for flute,clarinet Bb, and piano, was included
in a concert given in Cardiff, at the Wales Millennium Centre, on
September 28th last, in honour of the retirement of Keith Griffin as
Director of the Welsh Music Information Centre.
Forthcoming
Enid’s “At Crack of Winter”, for full orchestra, will be played by the
Academic Orchestra of Würzburg University, Würzburg, Germany, on two occasions in February. The first will be on February 2nd at nearby Bad Kissingen, and the second on February 12th at the University concert hall in Würzburg. The conductor on both occasions will be Markus Popp.
Her “From Switzerland” for flute,clarinet Bb, and piano, will be included in a concert to be given in Cardiff, at the Wales Millennium Centre on September 28th next in honour of the retirement of Keith Griffin, Director of the Welsh Music Information Centre.
More CD news
Enid’s “About the Wind”, for flute and piano, is included in the recent CD release by Composers of Wales, “Ariel”, featuring Catherine Handley, flute and Andrew Wilson-Dickson, piano, of works by members of Composers of Wales. (This disc received, by the way, a “rave review” in The Musician, who said: Heavenly album – Gorgeous duo flute and piano – pace and drive – melodic sweetness – Premier league status”.) Enquiries for both these discs via www.composersofwales.org
Ty Cerdd (the Music Centre for Wales, in Cardiff) are preparing to issue a CD of Enid’s music in their series of living Welsh composers. This disc will include a new short suite for solo Cello, “By the Waters of Babylon”, a dark and powerful piece haunted by the shadow of Iraq and the Israeli blockade of Gaza.. (Enquiries to info@wmic.org)
Other Recent Performances:
Enid’s set of two songs, “The Water Diviner” for unaccompanied solo soprano (to words by Gillian Clarke), were performed on March 8th, 2009 by Frances Lynch, at an afternoon session hosted by Forum London Composers’ Group called Role Play: Women and Music, at a small Arts Centre, the Red Hedgehog, in the North London borough of Highgate. The performance can be seen at www.youtube.com/electricvoicetheatre
Meister Eckhart’s Flute, for solo flute, was played by Nancy Ruffer at a concert during the London New Wind Festival, at the Regent Hall, Oxford Street, London.
Key Works
1986: Piano Sonata: “Storm Tide”
An evocation of the storms of the North Sea, and the drowning of the land. “..a study in a kind of …massive minimalism…a genuine skill in the pacing of textural change.” (Independent).
Premiered by Peter Lawson.
1989: Sleep, Sleep, February (Fl,Ob,Cl,Pno)
A meditative piece, the lines “like coloured ribbons streaming out behind the piano part.” Chosen by Sounds Positive Ensemble for their Tenth Anniversary Concert Series.
1992: Listening for the Roar of the Sun (Solo oboe, Dancer, speaker, Slides).
Eight movements reflecting spoken poems by Anglo-Welsh poet Gillian Clarke. Well received in a number of venues.
1997: The Glass Wall (three dancers, solo Cello, and electronic tape), a haunting story-in-music. Also Studies for the Glass Wall* for Solo Cello – three expressive pieces using the full technical range of the cello to colour a narrative.
1999 Telyneg ( Lyric), for Oboe and harp
The oboe carries a poignant expressive line against the shimmering tapestry of the harp.