The Faerie Bride
Instrumentation: 2 (I = afl, II = picc). 2 (II = ca). 2 (II = bcl). 2 (II = cbsn). - 2.2.0.0. - 1 prc. - hp. - chorus (optional). - mzsop. - bari. - strings
Percussion: Large Orchestral Bass Drum; Suspended Cymbals (3); Crotales; Tam-tam; Tuned Gong (E♭2); Wooden Wind Chimes; Cabasa.
PROGRAMME NOTE
The Faerie Bride is a cantata for two singers and orchestra inspired by the Welsh myth of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach.
The Man sees a woman sicng on the lake. Over three days he tries to woo her with bread – hard, sod, and half-baked – before The Womanfinally agrees to marry him, on one condiGon: that he shall not strike her ‘three blows’. If he does, she will return to the lake forever. He agreesand she leaves the lake followed by a motley procession: a dowry of cows, sheep, horses, and pigs.
The couple marry and have children, but The Villagers do not like her. One summer they go to a wedding, but The Woman, rather than singingand dancing, sits quietly – she has faerie sight and can see an unhappy future for the couple. The Villagers gossip suspiciously whilst The ManquesGons her behaviour, shaming her for her ‘faerie ways’ and thus, causes the first ‘heart blow’.
One autumn they go to the christening of the couple’s new child, but The Women, rather than celebraGng, cries and weeps – she has faeriesight and can see the child does not have long for this world. The Villagers chaPer and The Man chides her for her behaviour. Shaming her forher ‘faerie ways’ he strikes the second ‘heart blow’.
One winter they aPend the funeral of the child. Rather than crying, The Women laughs and sings – she has faerie sight and can see the child isin a bePer place now with the Tylwyth Teg (the Fair Folk). The Man is horrified and confronts her landing the final ‘heart blow’. She turns andwalks back to the lake calling her dowry and children to follow – sheep and caPle leave the fields, a slaughtered pig jumps down from the meathook, her sons stop working the land and follow her into the lake forever.
The Welsh ‘lady of the lake’ myths are just one of many ‘watery wife’ tales from northern Europe that include the Mermaids of Ireland, theKelpie of Scotland, and the Selkie of the Shetlands and Scandinavia. However, in each of those the women are portrayed as either malevolent(pulling hapless men to their deaths), has something magical stolen from them (her seal skin, red cap, or silver bridle), or is captured by a manand kept in human form. The Faerie myths of Wales are unique in that the woman sets very clear condiGons under which she agrees to marrythe man (they shall not strike her three blows or hit her with clay) the breaking of which would result in her returning to the lake forever. TheWelsh myths are empowering, with strong female characters who set their own agenda. There is no coercion, thed, or kidnap but rathermisunderstandings and cultural differences.
The Faerie Bride is about compromise and respect in relaGonships, suspicion and fear of the outsider, and the societal pressures to conform ininsular communiGes, something this faerie refuses to do.
