The Real Merlin Project is our commission to create new music inspired by the truth behind Merlin.
‘Myrddin’ was poet to a Welsh king. In 573, at a battle near Carlisle, the king was killed and Myrddin went mad. In his madness, he acquired the gift of prophesy and lived as a wild man in the Southern Scotland Forest, talking to the birds and the beasts, his apple tree and his pig. This character was later recast as Merlin, King Arthur’s wizard.
The project will bring together artists from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales to delve into the myth and its poetry to inspire new work. The artists are Gwyneth Glyn and Twm Morys from Wales, Lorcán Mac Mathúna from Ireland, Maeve Mackinnon from Scotland and Andy May from Northumberland, England.
Our cross border project delves into myth and poetry to inspire new work, based around ‘Hen Ogled’ the ‘Old North’ (currently Galloway and N England) from which a large part of Welsh/British mythology comes.
The artists will collaborate online before performing the work live in their four respective countries, premiering at Knockengorroch Festival in our 25th Year.
