RECENT PROJECTS
PETER PAN, The Sherman, Cardiff, December 2023 – Jan 2024 (writer Catherine Dyson, dir. Lee Lyford)
Composer / lyricist
OI POLLOI, Bristol, 2023 (Cardboard Citizens, Bristol Drug Project and Bristol Old Vic)
Composer / workshop facilitator for devising and performance project exploring themes of belonging with people with lived experience of homelessness, drug use and social isolation
Community of Sanctuary Festival, Hastings, 2023
Workshops, compositions and collaborative performance exploring themes of sanctuary with young people from the community, including those seeking refuge from war
THE NUTCRACKER, Bristol Old Vic, Nov 2022-Jan 2023 (dir. Lee Lyford)
Composer / lyricist / musical director / performer. Book by Tom Morris.
***** Guardian review here
OUR STREET, Community Devised Opera for Music and Theatre For All, Lewisham Borough of Culture Celebrations 2022 – now (dir. Thomas Guthrie), with performances planned for July 2024
Composer / lyricist / workshop facilitator / performer.
More information here
OTHER SELECTED COMPOSITION COMMISSIONS
Wilding Festival, Hastings, 2021 (with designer Lily Arnold and Hastings Academy)
Workshops, compositions and collaborative performance for community forest festival
STAND, 2019-2021 (following work commissioned by Kings College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience)
Music and film installation collaboration with artist Mel Brimfield and Professor Sukhwinder Shergill exploring mental health; multiple workshops and exhibitions including Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield; Chapter Arts, Cardiff; the Tetley, Leeds.
YOURS IS OURS, May – June 2019 (a song for Gloria Steineum, co-commissioned by The Canales Project, UN and the University of Wolverhampton for Hear Her Song),Performances in Hammer Theatre Center, San José, CA, National Gallery of Art Washington, DC and University of Wolverhampton,
Snappy Opera (commissioned by Mahogany Opera Group): Children’s opera, developed Autumn 2017, performances around UK April 2018, with further international performances through 2019 to 2023
The London Sinfonietta & Gwyneth Herbert (commissioned by London Sinfonietta) new composition and rearrangement of existing work for collaborative performance, performed at Kings Place, London, Sept 2016.
Aldeburgh Music – Celebration of Schools’ Music (30th Anniversary), March 2017: composition and conducting of finale piece (six performances involving 1600 performers in total), Snape Maltings.
Roman River Festival, July – October 2017: Composer in Residence
Tick, tock, TICK (commissioned by London Sinfonietta and the Royal Philharmonic Society): composition and performance with London Sinfonietta at Royal Festival Hall as part of Notes to the New Government, Changing Britain Festival, May 2015
Baiskeli yangu, yeh (commissioned by Aldeburgh Music) – choral arrangement of Swahili folk song performed by 100,000 children in venues worldwide including Snape Maltings, Nov 2014.
The Palace That Joan Built (commissioned by Art on the Underground with Theatre Royal Stratford East, 2014-15), composer/lyricist for film/installation/performance; with artist Mel Brimfield.
Springtime for Henry (and Barbara) (Site Gallery, Sheffield and Jerwood Foundation / Wilton’s Music Hall; 2014-ongoing), composer/lyricist for theatrical film installation project; with artist Mel Brimfield.
The Art of News (commissioned by London Sinfonietta, King’s Place), writing and performance collaboration, 2009. With Simon Munnery and Scroobius Pip.
OTHER SELECTED THEATRE
A Christmas Carol: (Bristol Old Vic, Dec 2018-Jan 2019, with re-mount Dec 2019-Jan 2020, dir. Lee Lyford) composer / lyricist / musical director / performer. Book by Tom Morris.
The Rhythm Method: composer/lyricist for musical theatre piece in development funded by The Wellcome Trust, work-in-progress performance at the Bush Theatre, followed by run at the Landor, May 2018, (produced by The Stable.) With playwright Diane Samuels.
The Snow Queen (Bristol Old Vic, Dec 2016-Jan 2017, dir. Lee Lyford) composer/lyricist, Musical Director and voice of title role. Adaptation by Vivienne Franzmann.
Poppy and George (Watford Palace Theatre, Feb 2016, dir. Jennie Darnell) composer/sound designer. Play by Diane Samuels.
Le Tabou (Plymouth Barbican, Aug 2013, dir. Kath Burlinson) composer/lyricist. Youth Music Theatre commission.
The A to Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse Feb-Mar 2013, dir. Sam Buntrock) composer/lyricist. With playwright Diane Samuels; cast including Isy Suttie, Frances Ruffelle and Michael Matus.
Before the Law (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – staged reading, Nov 2012, dir Matthew Ryan) composer / lyricist (adaptation of “Hand Witch of the Second Stage”, Peter Barnes; book by Christine Denniston).
After Lydia (Watermill, Newbury 2010 – staged reading dir. Maria Friedman) composer / lyricist (adaptation of “In Praise of Love” by Terence Rattigan; book by Christine Denniston.)
SELECTED LIVE
Letters I Haven’t Written UK tour (funded by Arts Council England, East Sussex Council, Hastings Council, with commissioning partners Oxford Contemporary Music and Snape Maltings): composer, lyricist, performer and workshop facilitator in immersive exploration of lost art of letter writing, with video artist Will Duke (Complicite, RSC, Opera North), designer Tom Rogers, director Susannah Tresilian.
10 date North America tour, including International Jazz Festivals of Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Rochester NY, June – July 2018. Rochester performances in association with Made in the UK and supported by PRS Foundation International showcase fund.
2017: Folk Alliance International Conference, Kansas City, Missouri: official showcase artist.
2016: 10-date tour of North America, 2016 (Made in the UK series) including International Jazz Festivals of Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa, Rochester NY
2015: 13-date Ireland tour,
10-date tour of Kenya with Kenyan musicians
2013/14:
16-date UK theatre/arts centre tour of The Sea Cabinet album, 2013 (support from Arts Council)
8-date UK tour with Krystle Warren, 2013
Other notable performances (headline act unless stated):
With the London Sinfonietta: Queen Elizabeth Hall, 2015 and Kings Place, London, 2009 and 2016 – performing own work with ensemble
Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room (2012 & 2016)
UK Jazz Festivals including London, Love Supreme, Bath, Cheltenham, Rye, Marlborough, Brecon
Roundhouse, London, 2015 (Poetry Reincarnation with Michael Horowitz, John Cooper Clarke)
Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, 2013 and 2009
Queen Elizabeth Hall, 2012 (Poetry Olympics with Michael Horowitz, Damon Albarn, John Hegley)
Barbican, 2012 (opening London Jazz Festival performance with Guy Barker and 40 piece orchestra)
Rochester International Jazz Festival, NY, 2010
Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 2007
ALBUMS
Letters I Haven’t Written (Monkeywood Records, 2018)
The Sea Cabinet (Monkeywood Records 2013) Written and recorded at and part-sponsored by Aldeburgh Music.
Clangers and Mash (Naim Edge, 2011) Contributors including Polar Bear’s Seb Rochford, Dave Bowles, Mr Solo and The Voluntary Butler Scheme.
All the Ghosts (Naim Edge, CD – 2009 / LP – 2010) Part sponsored by Peter Gabriel, recorded at Real World Studios.
Between Me and the Wardrobe (Monkeywood Records, 2006 / Blue Note Records 2007) – produced by Seb Rochford, part co-written with Tom Cawley
Bittersweet and Blue (Universal, 2004), produced by Pete Smith.
First Songs (Dean Street Records / Universal, 2003) produced by Ian Shaw, guest performances Jamie Cullum and Guy Barker.
TV AND FILM
Eastenders, composition “Broken Boxed Up Heart” song and “Mean Girls Rewrite”, both broadcast BBC 1, Feb 2017
Almost a Legend: The Life and Lyrics of Fran Landesman, 2011 – dir: Mia Vuorio-Ringwald; producer: Terhi Killianen – performance and spoken contributions.
BFI Silent Film Festival, 2010 – Birds’ Eye View-commissioned musical score for “The Patsy”. Screening with live performance at British Film Institute, Southbank.
The Great American Songbook, BBC 4, 2010 – performance and spoken contributions.
The World of Nat King Cole, BBC4, 2006 – spoken contributions.
RADIO
Jazz Playlist, BBC Radio 2, July 2017 – guest curator / presenter
iPod / Playlist Series, BBC Radio 4, 2010 to present – musical contributions
Jazz Library, BBC Radio 3, 2010-2012 – regular appearances as guest presenter
Voices from the Old Bailey, 2010-2011 – musical contributions
A History of Private Life, BBC Radio 4, 2009 – musical contributions
PRODUCTION
Gwyneth self-produced her albums All the Ghosts and Letters I Haven’t Written, and co-produced the Sea Cabinet with Dave Price.
Also:
Frances Ruffelle, (I Say Yeh Yeh, Lovechild Records, October 2015), producer
Bourgeois and Maurice, (The Third, Very Attractive Records, 2013), co-producer
WORKSHOPS
Gwyneth is an artist with community dialogue at the heart of her practice. She has led creative devising projects with young people, groups and communities across the UK and the world, with organisations including Rochester Int. Jazz Festival (Rochester, NY, USA); Little Theatre of Kenya (Mombasa); Community of Sanctuary (Hastings); Oi Polloi (Bristol), Colchester Academy & Roman River Festival (Essex); Mahogany Opera (Tower Hamlets); Create the Future with Hampshire Music Services; Discover Children’s Story Centre (Stratford); The Shed and Pied Piper Projects (Yorkshire); The Hub, Taunton (Somerset); The Millennium Choir (Morecombe).
SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS AND NOMINATIONS
Arts Council England – Grant for the Arts
East Sussex Council – Arts Partnership Award
Hastings Council – Leverage Fund Grant
PRSF Women Make Music Award, all 2018, for “Letters I Haven’t Written” touring project
PRSF International Showcase Award, 2018, for Rochester International Festival appearance
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Composers, 2015, nominated
Take Five, 2013, participant in composer-performer scheme, Serious in partnership with the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and PRS for Music Foundation
Cameron Mackinstosh Composer Residency Award, 2012 – finalist
The Arts Foundation Award for Musical Theatre Composition, 2012 – runner up
Sidney Brown Memorial Award, 2012 – special commendation, for Before The Law.
Stiles and Drew Song of the Year Award, 2010 – winner, for Lovely London Town, from The A to Z of Mrs P.
Sounds of England Award, 2010 – winner, for After Lydia
BBC Jazz Awards, Best Newcomer, 2004 – nominated