Current research students and their projects
Music, Drama and Performance Phd's
Rhianydd Hallas, PhD student (write-up year)
Title: ‘Two rhymed offices composed for the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: comparative study and critical edition’
Supervisory Panel: Dr Sue Niebrzydowski and Dr Hana Vlhová-Wörner (Principal Supervisors), Chris Collins (Second Supervisor), Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Chair)
I graduated with a BA in Music from Bangor University in 2014 followed by an MA in Music from Bangor University in 2015. I received the School of Music’s Early Music Prize in 2014 for my undergrad dissertation and the School of Music Postgraduate Prize in 2015 for my Masters’ Part 1 dissertation. My PhD examines two offices for the Visitation of the Virgin Mary: the first written for the new feast – Exurgens autem Maria by Jan z Jenštejna, and the office officially promulgated by the Roman Church – Accedunt laudes virginis by Adam Easton. I’ve been working on a music edition of both offices with English translation of the texts for a complementary online edition. I’ll also be submitting an analysis of their texts and melodies in the context of late-medieval Marian devotion. This will be presented alongside background histories of the composers as well as an examination of the cultural context of the Visitation and the unusual introduction process for this feast.
Conference papers and presentations:
- ‘Jenštejn’s text for the Office of the Visitation.’ Paper given at the Doctoral Colloquium, Musicology Department, Faculty of Arts, Charles University (June 2018)
- ‘Matins Chants for the Visitation of the Virgin Mary.’ Paper given at Cantus Planus, Växjö, Sweden (August 2018)
- ‘The Women of the Visitation.’ Paper given at Speaking Internationally: Woman’s Literary Culture and the Canon in the Global Middle Ages, Bangor University (June 2019)
- ‘Jenštejn’s Visitation: a conventional office?’ Paper given at MedRen conference, Basel, Switzerland (July 2019)
- ‘Characteristics and Transmission of Jenštejn’s Visitation Office.’ Paper given at Music in Bohemia around 1400: Crossroads of Tradition, Prague (November 2019)
- ‘The Cultural Context of the Visitation.’ Paper given at Doctoral Colloquium, Musicology Department, Faculty of Arts, Charles University (February 2020)
- ‘The Visitation as a Case Study in Medieval Musical Insider Trading.’ Paper accepted for Cantus Planus conference (withdrawn from online conference due to COVID-19) (July 2020)
- ‘Responding to criticism: the office of the Visitation,’ for 2020 MedRen conference (conference moved to 2021 due to COVID-19) (July 2020)
Publications:
- Vlhová-Wörner, Hana et al. Jistebnice kancionál II: Cantionale (tr. Rhianydd Hallas) Chomutov: L. Marek, 2019
- CD sleeve notes for Johann Joseph Rösler, Klavierkonzert Es-Dur, Sinfonie C-Dur, Alena Hönigová (tr. Rhianydd Hallas)
Rachel Priamo, PhD student (third year)
Title of Project: ‘The benefits of music and storytelling for people with neurological disorders: A case study of a care home in Wrexham’
Supervisory Panel: Dr Gwawr Ifan (Supervisor), Dr Iwan Llewelyn-Jones (Chair)
I graduated from Keele University with a BA in Music in 2014 before taking some time out of education. I enrolled at Bangor for an MA in Music in 2016 (part-time), graduating in December 2018. Luckily I received a fee waiver from the university which enabled me to continue with my research. I have also been funded by the James Pantyfedwen Trust. I have been working with a care home and Wrexham Symphony Orchestra as part of a pilot study. The orchestra have facilitated workshops which have combined music with stories written by the residents. This was in line with the care home’s enrichment programme, which is designed to help the residents live their lives to their full potential and help them regain life skills. Benefits of the workshops included improved social and life skills, improved mood and memory recall as well as enhanced emotional wellbeing and quality of life. These results will shape future projects. My next plans are to examine aspects of the workshops that went well and themes that have arisen from my results – this will help me when designing the main body of my research and designing research questions.
Papers and presentations:
- Presentation given at an undergraduate seminar at Bangor University focussing on Music in Health and Wellbeing (2020)
- Presentation about my pilot study for a pre-concert Bangor Music Festival (February 2020)
Brooke Martin, PhD Student (Second Year)
Title of Project: ‘Beyond Blodwen: Opera in Wales from 1878–1928’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (First Supervisor), Mr Stephen Rees (Second Supervisor), Dr Gwawr Ifan (Chair)
I graduated from the University of Georgia in 2017 and hold Bachelor degrees in Music Theory and Music Performance (horn) there. I then took an MA in Music at Bangor, graduating with Distinction in 2018. I am presently continuing my research at doctoral level with generous financial support from the North American Wales Foundation and the Women’s Welsh Clubs of America.
My research focuses on operas by Welsh composers in the first 50 years following Joseph Parry’s Blodwen (1878). Blodwen is considered to be the first Welsh-language opera, and as such it has been the only one to have ever been studied in any detail. My research has so far uncovered dozens of previously unrecognized Welsh operas and is showing that there was a culture of opera in 19th and 20th-century Wales that has been overlooked in the historical narrative of music in Wales.
Conference papers and presentations:
- ‘Anyone’s Guess: How much of a role does Cerdd Dant play in Grace William’s Penillion, and does it really matter?’ Paper given at the North American Association for the Study of Welsh Culture and History Conference (July 2018)
- ‘Where are the Welsh Operas?’ Paper given at the All That is Wales Conference held by Research Centre Wales (June 2018)
Publications:
- Several articles and reviews on the 2019 performances of Blodwen in Billings, Montana published in Opera Magazine, Barn, Y Cymro, and Ninnau
Harry Perry, PhD Student (Fourth Year, Part-Time)
Title of Project: ‘To Share A Common Cause: Exploring the theory and practical application of cross-genre aesthetics through a composition portfolio and extensive contextual thesis’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (First Supervisor), Prof. Andrew Lewis (Second Supervisor)
I graduated from Bangor University in 2008 with a BMus in Music followed by an MMus in Composition from Goldsmiths College London in 2010. My PhD project aims to measure the extent of cross-genre influence on musical development as a means of identifying a unified aesthetic across an eclectic body of work. Through a practical compositional portfolio and theoretical thesis my research seeks to interrogate the semantic and sociological power structures inherent in our current understanding of style and genre. In doing so I hope to address questions of appropriation, gentrification, and contemporary purpose within the creative arts. The objective of the work is to provide a new framework for cultural understanding in order to empathetically root the creative worth of individuals within an increasingly interconnected global culture.
Conference papers and presentations:
- ‘Not special, but specialised: Reappraising the role of the composer within an interconnected cultural space.’ Paper presented at the CeNMaS Sound Agendas Composers’ Conference, Sheffield (April 2018)
- ‘Raise “low” culture, demean “high”: the case for realigning cultural hierarchies within academic musical practice.’ Paper Presented at the No Culture Is ‘Low’ Culture conference, Bangor (April 2019)
- Three Pieces i: 11/12/17–12/12/17. Compositions performed in string quartet composition workshop by members of BBC NOW as part of the Composition: Wales 2018 event, Cardiff (December 2018)
- John Barley. Composition performed in string quartet workshop by members of BBC NOW as part of the Composition: Wales 2020 event, Cardiff (March 2020)
- 1977-084A. Composition for Brass quintet performed by the Bangor New Music Ensemble as part of the 2018 Bangor Music Festival (February 2018)
- (You Neet To Believe In Yourself And Persevere). Composition for saxophone quartet performed by the Bangor University Saxophone Quartet as part of the 2020 Bangor Music Festival (February 2020)
Publications:
- ‘Raise “low” culture, demean “high”: the case for realigning cultural hierarchies within academic musical practice.’ No Culture is Low Culture (in press)
Charis Richardson, PhD student (third year)
Title of Project: ‘An Investigation into the use of Cliché in Film Music’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (First Supervisor), Prof. Nathan Abrams (Second Supervisor)
I graduated with a BA in Music from Bangor University in 2014 before gaining an MA in Music for The Moving Image at Leeds Beckett University in 2016. My PhD aims to decipher differences between musical signs and tropes in music which become clichés, then apply this information to different film contexts. I’ve been looking in particular at musical clichés that have arisen within the minimalist trend in film music. More recently, I’ve been studying the use of the ‘Dies Irae’ theme in film applications in relation to Dystopian tropes. Some of my research has also been applied creatively as I’ve been exploring these ideas in relation to film projects in which I’ve been involved as composer and collaborator.
Conference papers and presentations:
- ‘Scoring Suburbia: The use of Minimalist Techniques in American Beauty.’ Paper given at No Culture is Low Culture conference, Bangor University (April 2019)
- ‘Scoring Suburbia: The use of Minimalist Techniques in American Beauty.’ Revised and expanded version of this paper for Minimalism Extended: The Seventh International Conference on Minimalist Music conference, Cardiff University (August 2019)
- Layla: At Last (music for a short film). Premiered at The Dubai International Film Festival (December 2019)
Muhammad Irfan bin Abdul Rais, PhD student (write-up year)
Title of Project: ‘Abodes of Harmony: An investigation of traditional music session culture along the Menai Strait’
Supervisory Panel: Mr Stephen Rees (First Supervisor), Gwawr Ifan (Second Supervisor), Pwyll ap Siôn (Chair)
I graduated with a BA in Music and Creative Writing in Bangor University in 2017 and was awarded the Parry Williams Prize for best dissertation on a Welsh subject. My research covers the collaborative music-making culture that exists within the community of practitioners of traditional music along the Menai Strait. Events where musicians come together to make music in an ad-hoc, collaborative and participatory manner are known colloquially to the participants as sessions. The aim of my project is to understand the development of session culture along the Menai Strait and to examine the cultural practices that have arisen as a result of these developments. This research project examines four aspects of this culture: 1) the places where these musical activities take place; 2) the people who practice these musical traditions; 3) communication strategies that are used during the music-making process; and 4) the musical material used by the community.
Conference presentations:
- ‘Hunaniaeth Gymreig a Gwyddelig yn y gerddoriaeth werin o Fangor: Achos y mudiad cerddorol rhwng Bangor a Ballyvaughan, Swydd Clare’ [‘Welsh and Irish identity in the traditional music of Bangor: The case of the musical migration between Bangor and Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare’]. Paper given at The XVIth International Congress of Celtic Studies Conference, Bangor University (July 2019)
- ‘“That’s not how I would play it!” Musical dissemination in contemporary traditional music along the Menai Strait.’ Paper given at the Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs Conference, University of Sheffield (June 2019)
- ‘Multiplicity in the traditional music of the Menai Coast.’ Paper given at the British Forum for Ethnomusicology / Royal Musical Association Research Student’s Conference, University of Sheffield (January 2019)
- ‘Renegotiating tradition: New traditional music on the Menai Coast of Gwynedd.’ Cynhadledd Cyfan-dir Cymru / All that is Wales Conference, Bangor University (June 2018)
Invited speaker:
- ‘Lluosedd yng ngherddoriaeth draddodiadol arfordir y Fenai’ [‘Multiplicity in the traditional music of the Menai Coast’]. Cynhadledd Gymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru / Welsh Folksong Society Conference
Research Impact:
- Panellist in discussion on ‘Traditional Music in Wales,’ National Eisteddfod of Wales (Denbigh, 2019)
- Interviewed about my research on BBC Radion Cymru (Rhaglen Dei Tomos)
Fueanglada Organ Prawang, PhD student (write-up year)
Title of Project: ‘Thai Opera and the Influence of Western Music on Opera in Thailand’
Supervisory Panel: Dr John Cunningham (First Supervisor), Mr Stephen Rees (Second Supervisor), Dr Gwawr Ifan (Chair)
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from College of Music, Mahidol University, Thailand, then went to Vienna for further studies. I was the first Thai singer to pass the admission exam for the Master Degree in Music and Drama (Opera) at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien, Vienna (widely recognised as one of the top vocal music schools in the world), graduating with excellent results. I was winner of the ‘Best research in the Arts’ category at the Anglo-Thai Education Awards 2019, London, and won an award for the abstract competition Samaggi Samagom 2020, London. I have presented my research topic in several countries, including the UK and Russia.
My thesis will be the first to examine the emerging repertoire of Thai opera – essentially operas written in the Western classical tradition but infusing a range of Thai elements, such as traditional melodies and stories. As such, the research reflects the openness of Thai culture and its people. Although the earliest Thai operas were written by King Rama VI, the genre is still in the early stages of development. Unfortunately, it remains little known in Thailand or indeed beyond.
By foregrounding this genre – at home and abroad – my research will hopefully become a vital resource for Thai musicians, especially composers and performers. My research has also explored why opera in Thai has been so challenging for composers and performers. The solutions help to translate key elements of the Thai language into Western notation, which allows non-Thai speakers to work with operas in Thai, thus potentially opening up the genre to international singers.
Prizes:
- Second Prize Winner (First Prize not awarded): Voice Category, 7th Osaka International Music Competition, Japan
- Golden Prize Winner Settrade Music Competition (February 2008)
- First Prize, Thai-Chinese Vocal Competition (Chinese Song category) (December 2009)
- Second Prize Winner, Barry Alexander international competition (New York), performing at the Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium, New York (October 2010)
Bethan James, PhD student (third year)
Title of Project: ‘The meaning of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the life journey of student and teacher: an autoethnography’
Supervisory Panel: Dr Gwawr Ifan (First Supervisor), Dr Eben Muse (Second Supervisor), Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Chair)
I graduated with a BMus from Sheffield University in 1987 and from there went on to study Performance as a violinist at the RNCM. I later gained a licence to teach Dalcroze Eurhythmics after two years of study at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva (1997–9), followed by the Diplôme Supérieur in 2013.
Dalcroze Eurhythmics (DE) is an approach to music education that nurtures a whole body awareness and understanding of music. It works at harnessing the instinctive human response of moving to sound. Having practised and taught DE for over twenty years, I decided to research into my experience and understanding through an autoethnographic study. Since this creative pedagogy facilitates cross-art connections, I am experimenting with various art forms to communicate my research. Bricolage is used as a structural framework and connections made to the work of anthropologist Tim Ingold, such as the concept of meshwork. I wish to capture the embodied, improvisational nature of the method by taking the reader on a journey of discovery. I am exploring the possibility of creating a doku-wiki website, which would allow individuals to wander and discover a myriad pathways as they negotiate the site.
Conference papers and presentations:
- ‘The meaning of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the life journey of a student and teacher: an autoethnography.’ Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol conference [online] (July 2020)
- ‘The meaning of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the life journey of student and teacher: an artful autoethnography.’ Workshop and paper at the 5th British Autoethnography Conference, Bristol (July 2018)
- ‘An Improvisational Approach to Dalcroze Pedagogy Online: an Autoethnography.’ 3rd International Conference of Dalcroze Studies, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada (July/August 2017)
- ‘When words aren’t enough.’ European Association for Music in Schools (EAS) annual conference, Vilnius, Lithuania (March 2016)
- ‘When words aren’t enough.’ 2nd International Conference of Dalcroze Studies, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria (July 2015)
- ‘Reflecting on Reflections.’ Congrès International Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva, Switzerland (July 2015)
- ‘The Application of Dalcroze Eurhythmics to the teaching of children with special needs.’ International Conference on Music and Well-being. North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa (August 2013)
- ‘Tracing Stones: the music of landscape.’ The First International Conference of Dalcroze Studies. Coventry University (July 2013)
- ‘The Gift of Dalcroze to Special Needs.’ International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece (July 2012)
Publications:
- Habron-James, B. (2020) ‘FIER Paths to Rhythmics III: Rhythmics and Children.’ Geneva: FIER (in press)
- Habron-James, B. (2016) Book Review of Eurhythmics for Autism and Other Neurophysiologic Diagnoses: A Sensorimotor Music-Based Treatment Approach by Dorita S. Berger, in Approaches – An interdisciplinary journal of music therapy, special Issue 8(2), 216-218
- Habron-James, B. (2016) ‘La música en movimiento para niños con necesidadaes especiales,’ in Eufonia: Didactica de la Música, 67, 13–18
- Habron-James, B. (2015) ‘Sing up! Get a move on!’, Sing Up, 25, 44-45
Catherine Jones, PhD student (write-up year)
Title of Project: ‘Bethesda: A Musical Microcosm – Aspects of Music in Dyffryn Ogwen, 1841–1914’
Supervisory Panel: Mr Wyn Thomas (First Supervisor), Dr Gwawr Ifan (Second Supervisor), Dr Guto Puw (Chair)
I graduated from Bangor University with a BMus degree (1st class honours) in 2016 before returning to complete an MA in Musicology in 2016–17, graduating with Distinction. I began studying for a PhD in musicology in September 2017, receiving Bangor University’s CAH Fee Waiver Scholarship and two years of support through the Llewelyn Williams Postgraduate Studentship.
My research is concerned with the development of a variety of musical traditions in Dyffryn Ogwen, North Wales, between 1841–1914. My project considers the impact of the funding of local musical institutions by large industrial employers and the role of the chapel in establishing the foundations of musical practice and literacy among the working-class population. This study considers specific traditions including male, female and mixed voice choral music, in addition to brass banding. The aim of the project is to evaluate the extent to which the musical reputation of Dyffryn Ogwen relied on two factors – industry and religion – in order to explore the musical consequences of changing relationships between workforce and local employer at the turn of the 20th century.
Conference presentations:
- ‘Côr Merched y Streic: Women and choral activities during The Great ‘Penrhyn’ Strike.’ Paper given at Wales: Past, Present and Future conference, Bangor University (June 2019) and The XVIth International Congress of Celtic Studies, Bangor University (July 2019)
Claire Roberts, PhD (write-up year)
Title: ‘The Adaptable Composer: Context and Collaboration (a folio of compositions)’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Principal Supervisor), Dr Guto Puw (Second Supervisor), Dr Gwawr Ifan (Chair)
Claire is a recipient of the Parry Williams Music Scholarship
Name: Pax Demir, PhD (second year, part-time)
Title: ‘The adaptation of rhythmic concepts from Indian music in Jazz: thesis and performance’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Principal Supervisor), Mr Stephen Rees (Second Supervisor), Dr Guto Puw (Chair)
Zach Reading, PhD (write-up year)
Title: ‘A Portfolio of compositions accessing and developing the techniques of accessible contemporary composition’
Supervisory Panel: Dr Guto Puw (Principal Supervisor), Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Second Supervisor), Dr John Cunningham (Chair)
Sa Do Kim, PhD (write-up year)
Title: ‘Combining Korean traditional music with Western classical music (Conducting & Folio of Compositions)’
Supervisory Panel: Dr Guto Puw (Principal Supervisor Supervisor), Prof. Chris Collins (Second Supervisor), Dr John Cunningham (Chair)
HuYu (Lori), PhD (second year)
Title: ‘Electroacoustic Composition: a folio of works’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Andrew Lewis (Principal Supervisor), Dr Guto Puw (Second Supervisor), Dr John Cunningham (Chair)
Sara Pinheiro, PhD (second year)
Title: ‘Acousmatic Foley: A Portfolio of Compositions’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Andrew Lewis (Principal Supervisor), Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Second Supervisor), Ms Ffion Evans (Chair)
Sara is a recipient of the Parry Williams Music Scholarship
Joel Pike, MMus by Research (second year)
Title: ‘A sonic representation of a vast and quiet landscape; it’s geology, ecology and past and present histories: a portfolio of compositions’
Supervisory Panel: Dr Guto Puw (Principal Supervisor), Prof. Andrew Lewis (Second Supervisor), Dr John Cunningham (Chair)
Owain Gwilym, PhD (second year)
Title: ‘Altered Places: thesis and portfolio of compositions’
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Pwyll ap Siôn (Principal Supervisor), Dr Joanna Wright (Second Supervisor), Mr Stephen Rees (Chair)
Shen Lin, PhD (fifth year, part-time)
Title: ‘East-West Past-Present: Chinese folk songs acousmatic music and interactive’ (a folio of acousmatic compositions)
Supervisory Panel: Prof. Andrew Lewis (Principal Supervisor), Dr Guto Puw (Second Supervisor), John Cunningham (Chair)