The winner of the Composer’s Medal at the 2025 Wrecsam National Eisteddfod is Sarah Lianne Lewis
She received her award during a special ceremony at the Eisteddfod Pavilion in Is-y-Coed near Wrecsam on Saturday night.
The Composer’s Medal is awarded to the most promising composer for a chamber ensemble composition, using imagery from Rhondda Cynon Taf as inspiration.
To mark the centenary of the birth of Islwyn Ffowc Elis, one of Wrexham’s most prominent sons, the theme of this year’s Composer’s Medal is Cymru Fydd (The Wales to Come).
Eisteddfod organisers invited artists to present ideas on how they could respond musically to his epic science-fiction novel: Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd (A Week in the Wales to Come).
The judges were Richard Baker, Lleuwen Steffan, and Graeme Park. Richard Baker said the judges’ decision was not easy, that they didn't all agree with each other, and that all three composers had produced outstanding work.
In his adjudication, he said:, "In keeping with the novel’s message, each composer looks to the future with hope. But also: there is a consistent sense of anxiety pressing on that hope. The challenge was to convey this concept through instrumental music, and all three should be praised for their ambition. It was very difficult to reach a decision.
"To be honest, we weren't all in full agreement. In the end, it came down to personal taste. But we have a winner. Complex ideas require top-level technical resources to be realised, and the winning piece meets the competition’s requirements perfectly."
Speaking about the winning composition, he said, "'Cysgodion Bywiog' (Living Shadows) by Sarah Lianne Lewis focuses on the most famous scene in Elis’ novel, when the main character meets the Old Woman of Bala, the last speaker of the Welsh language.
The piece is highly theatrical with a strong narrative, and the dialogue is very clear between the material representing grief and the material representing hope."*
Sarah Lianne Lewis was one of three composers who worked with professional musicians for the premiere of her winning piece. The other two were Jonathan Guy and Owain Gruffydd Roberts.
Sarah studied at Cardiff University, earning a BA (Hons) in Music and History and an MA in Composition.
Since then, her music has been performed in Europe, Canada, and Australia, broadcast on several radio stations in the UK and Europe, and featured in numerous international festivals.
Her current interests include exploring semi-implicit gestures within larger ensembles, and the dialogue that arises between composer and performer.
As a composer and soloist, she also runs workshops in schools, focusing on nurturing creativity and composition in the classroom, as well as leading vocal masterclasses for amateur musicians.
The Composer’s Medal – Cymru Fydd is a paid opportunity for three music creators to compose for a chamber ensemble from Sinfonia Cymru.
Over recent months, the selected composers have worked with three highly versatile string players: Simmy Singh (violin), David Shaw (violin/viola), and Garwyn Linnell (cello), in workshops leading up to a live performance of their works on the final day of the Eisteddfod.
Simmy, David, and Garwyn approach string playing differently: they are comfortable stretching across a wide range of genres, using loop pedals, shruti boxes, hand percussion, and their voices in the compositions.
All three composers received a fee for participating in the in-person workshops and online sessions.
In addition to the medal, Sarah Lianne Lewis received a financial prize of £750.
The project is a partnership between the Eisteddfod, Tŷ Cerdd, Sinfonia Cymru, and the Welsh Music Society, with this year’s mentor-composer being Professor Pwyll ap Siôn.