where she has always been ... ble mae wastad wedi bod ... takes its title from a set of poems of the same name written in Welsh by Jo Heyde in response to this specially composed work for solo cello, inspired by the legends of Rhiannon, Blodeuwedd and Ceridwen from the Mabinogian, a collection of early medieval Welsh stories dating to the 12th/13th centuries. I chose to illustrate three episodes from the tales of each goddess, prefacing the majority of these with traditional Welsh songs or dances whose themes resonate with elements of the stories: for example, the wedding of Queen Rhiannon is paired with Hen Feillionen ( Old Clover) a Welsh courtly dance, the birth of flower-faced Blodeuwedd is matched with Blodau'r Drain ( The Flowers of the Brambles) and Ceridwen’s lullaby for her son Mordfran begins with the 9th century lull song Suo Gân. As well as being a musical expression of magical transformations, violent punishments and lyrical enchantments, the colours of the piece were inspired quite as much by the brilliance and individuality of Neil’s playing and the mesmerising renditions of Welsh poetry by Jo, the two dedicatees. We have known each other for nearly 40 years and as testament to the longevity of these creative relationships ... ble mae wastad wedi bod ... has been a very special collaboration indeed.

Jo’s poems are published by Cyhoeddiadau Barddas in the volume Chwarter Eiliad (2025) (https://www.barddas.cymru). Neil gave the work its first performance on 15 April 2025 at the Bank Vault, Aberystwyth as part of the launch for Jo’s book.