Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin at the Bewdley Festival 2011
186 views · Published 9 October 2011 · 5:15 · Indexed 2 October 2026
Channel: AaranAardvark · 2011 · Music
Here they play Queen Gwendolen prefaced by the Turlough O'Carolan harp tune Separation of Soul & Body. Turlough Carolan, also known as Turlough O'Carolan (Irish: Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin) - [1670 -- 1738] was a blind, early Irish harper, composer and singer whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition. Here Phillip Henry adapts the harp piece for dobro. The song Queen Gwendolen is an original Martin-Henry composition about the fabled queen of the west country who appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 'Historia Regum Britanniae' c. 1136. According to Geoffrey, she was the wife of King Locrinus of the Britons until she defeated him in battle and took on the leadership of Britain herself. The Wikipedia entry on Gwendolen states:- Gwendolen was the daughter of Corineus of Cornwall and was married to Locrinus, with whom she had one son, Maddan; however, Locrinus was in love with Estrildis, the daughter of the king of Germany whom he rescued from Humber the Hun. When Corineus finally died, Locrinus left Gwendolen and married Estrildis. Gwendolen fled to Cornwall and built up an army. She met Locrinus in battle and defeated him. Following Locrinus's death, Gwendolen took the throne and led in the manner her father had in Cornwall. She ordered the execution of Estrildis and her daughter Habren and named the river they were thrown into Severn (Habren). She reigned peacefully for fifteen years after Locrinus's death until she abdicated in favor of her son, Maddan. She lived the remainder of her life in Cornwall. The Historia Regum Britanniae says that at the time of her death Samuel was judge in Judea, Aeneas Silvius was ruling Alba Longa, and Homer was gaining fame in Greece. That's the story, this is the song. Captured here as a hand held image at the former Ramada Hotel (now the Mercure) Bewdley on 7th October 2011.
