Abstract

"Gwyneth" tells the story of an eleven year old girl who was sent to Australia for safety at the outbreak of the Second World War. The piece takes direct influence from a diary entry which was written by a young girl which recounts the day she is taken to Liverpool by her mother to get the boat to Australia uncheperoned along with other children of similar ages. The carefully handwritten pages capture a unique insight into a life-changing journey through the eyes of a young child.

Performers are required to select extracts from the diary to help narrate the story which can be read by all or just one of the performers. The narrations add to the episodic and programmatic quality of the work, bringing the story to life in a nostalgic and sensitive way. The piece has been written specifically for the Albany Trio (violin, cello and piano) and premiered at the Late Music Concert on 6th June 2015.