Meet the Tutors / Cwrdd a'r Tiwtoriaid

Shelly Fairplay

www.shelleyfairplay.co.uk

Shelley Fairplay is a passionate harpist based in South Wales and working throughout the UK.

Since the age of three she began her fascination towards the harp. From the age seven she began learning the piano and then began harp lessons aged nine. The wait to start studying the harp was well worth it as she delighted in the instrument. She performed with harp ensembles, regional and county orchestras and provided music for her local youth theatre.

In 2000 Shelley went to study a degree in Music at Cardiff University and in her final year, following auditions, she was privileged to be chosen to perform as a soloist for the Boieldieu Harp Concerto with the University Symphony Orchestra. She then went on to complete a Masters in performance on the harp (M.Mus) at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

During her studies of the harp in Cardiff she was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, the Rehearsal Orchestra and played many works with various orchestras in Wales including performing the beautiful work for harp and strings Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane by Debussy and the famous Mozart Flute and harp Concerto.

Currently Shelley engages in a diverse range of harp events and performances including weddings, corporate events, parties, recitals, orchestral music, shows, and charity events. In 2010 she organised a harp festival at the National Botanic Garden of Wales that brought harpists from all over the UK to take part in workshops and watch harpists from across Wales perform. Shelley is also dedicated to providing concerts for the charity Music in Hospitals and has made several trips to Guernsey, each visit providing 25 to 30 concerts for the Healing Music Trust on the island.

In addition to performing Shelley greatly enjoys teaching the harp to all ages and abilities and has been doing so for 15 years. She is a fully qualified teacher (PGCE from Aberystwyth University) and holds a diploma in instrumental teaching from the ABRSM. Private teaching includes one to one lessons and harp ensembles. she also often runs ‘hands on harp’ workshops using her fifteen lap harps for organisations and schools, where complete novices of all ages can try their hand at the harp. She also provides workshops for various organisations including the Clarsach Society Wales Branch and the National Trust. She also provided harp workshops in schools for over three years as part of the Music Development Team in Cardiff.

In 2014 Shelley is working hard to realise ideas that have been developing over the years. Her new CD The Cherished Harp was released in July, two new student harp ensembles launched in September and developments on written music publications are moving forwards. For further information on any of these please visit www.harpwales.com.

Mae Shelley Fairplay yn delynores frwd sy’n byw yn ne Cymru ac yn gweithio ledled y DU.

Dechreuodd ei diddordeb yn y delyn pan oedd hi’n dair oed. Dechreuodd ddysgu’r piano pan oedd yn saith a dechreuodd wersi telyn pan yn naw oed. Roedd hi’n werth aros i astudio’r delyn gan ei bod wrth ei bodd â’r offeryn. Perfformiodd gydag ensembles telyn, cerddorfeydd rhanbarthol a sirol ac mae wedi darparu cerddoriaeth ar gyfer ei theatr ieuenctid lleol.

Yn 2000 aeth Shelley ymlaen i astudio gradd mewn Cerddoriaeth ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd ac yn ei blwyddyn olaf, yn dilyn clyweliadau, cafodd y fraint o gael ei dewis i berfformio fel unawdydd ar gyfer Concerto Boieldieu i’r Delyn gyda Cherddorfa Symffoni’r Brifysgol. Yna aeth ati i gwblhau gradd Meistr mewn perfformio ar y delyn (M.Mus) yng Ngholeg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru.

Yn ystod ei chyfnod yn astudio’r delyn yng Nghaerdydd roedd yn aelod o Gerddorfa Genedlaethol Ieuenctid Cymru, Cerddorfa’r Rehearsal Orchestra a chwaraeodd nifer o weithiau gydag amryw o gerddorfeydd yng Nghymru yn cynnwys perfformio’r gwaith hyfryd i’r delyn a llinynnau Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane gan Debussy a Choncerto enwog Mozart i’r Ffliwt a’r Delyn.

Ar hyn o bryd mae Shelley’n cyfrannu at amrywiaeth eang o ddigwyddiaday a pherfformiadau yn cynnwys priodasau, digwyddiadau corfforaethol, partion, datganiadau, cerddorfeydd, sioeau a digwyddiadau i elusennau. Yn 2010 trefnodd wyl delynnau yng Ngerddi Boteneg Cenedlaethol Cymru a ddaeth â thelynorion o bob rhan o’r DU at ei gilydd i gymryd rhan mewn gweithdai a gwylio telynorion yn perfformio. Mae Shelley hefyd yn ymroddedig i drefnu cyngherddau i’r elusen Music in Hospitals ac mae wedi teithio i Guernsey sawl gwaith, gyda phob ymweliad yn cynnwys 25 i 30 cyngerdd i’r Healing Music Trust ar yr ynys.

Yn ogystal â pherfformio mae Shelley wrth ei bodd yn dysgu’r delyn i bob oedran a gallu ac mae wedi bod yn gwneud hynny am 15 mlynedd. Mae’r athrawes gymwys (TAR o Brifysgol Aberystwyth) ac mae ganddi ddiploma mewn dysgu offerynnol gan yr ABRSM. Mae dysgu preifat yn cynnwys gwersi un i un ac ensembles telyn. Mae hefyd yn rhedeg gweithai ‘dwylo ar delynau’ yn defnyddio pymtheg glin-delyn i sefydliadau ac ysgolion ble gall dechreuwyr o bob oedran roi cynnig ar ganu’r delyn. Mae hefyd yn darparu gweithdai i amryw o sefydliadau yn cynnwys Cangen Cymru o Gymdeithas Clarsach a’r Ymddireidolaeth Genedlaethol. Mae hefyd wedi cynnal gweithdai telyn mewn ysgolion am dros dair blynedd fel rhan o’r Tîm Datblygu Cerddoriaeth yng Nghaerdydd.

Yn 2014 mae Shelley’n gweithio’n galed i wireddu syniadau y mae wedi bod yn eu datblygu dros y blynyddoedd. Cafodd ei chrynoddisg newydd The Cherished Harp ei ryddhau ym mis Gorffennaf, mae dau ensemble telyn myfyrwyr a lansiwyd ym mis Medi a datblygiadau ar gyhoeddiadau cerddorol ysgrifenedig yn symud ymlaen. Am ragor o wybodaeth ar unrhyw un o’r rhain ewch i www.harpwales.com.