Carwyn Ellis is a Welsh musician, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known as the frontman of alternative band Colorama, as a member of The Pretenders and as a long-time collaborator with Edwyn Collins. In 2019, Ellis embarked on the first solo project under his own name, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18. A collaborative project sung in Welsh and recorded mainly in Rio de Janeiro. The album, Joia! was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize. A documentary film on the making of the record, Carwyn Ellis: Ar Y Cei Yn Rio went on to win the Best Welsh-language short Film award at the Wales International Documentary Festival. The most recent Rio 18 album Yn Rio features the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was released on 22 October 2021, originally performed live and broadcast in March 2021 on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.
Songwriting Weekend
Join singer-songwriters Carwyn Ellis and Georgia Ruth for a weekend of songwriting, music, poetry, and rhythm. During the course, you’ll be encouraged to consider the musicality of words, and the sensations evoked in a melody as you work towards creating a finished piece which will excite, challenge, and stir your audience. In a supportive, interactive, and relaxed environment, the tutors will help you write lyrics with significance and to identify the right tune to carry them.
Whether you’re already a singer-songwriter looking to put together an album, a writer searching for a new creative outlet, or a musician with a desire to write your own lyrics, this course is designed for you.
The weekend will include group workshops, one-to-one tutorials, and opportunities to listen and perform in an encouraging and friendly setting. Where possible, musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments along with them. For writers without musical experience, the week has been designed to enable you to participate fully.
This is a bilingual course, and the tutors will be on-hand to support both Welsh and English-speaking participants.
Tutors
Carwyn Ellis
Georgia Ruth
Georgia Ruth is a songwriter from Aberystwyth. Using folk influences to create a truly unique sound, her debut album Week of Pines won the Welsh Music Prize in 2013, and she was nominated for two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Since then, she has released another two albums and an EP, has worked with the Manic Street Preachers, and is a familiar voice on BBC Radio Cymru, where she hosts a weekly programme celebrating a blend of Welsh and international music.