Remembering Lynne Denman

Anyone who saw Hunting the Giant’s Daughter, or Dreaming the Night Field: a legend of Wales can’t fail to remember Lynne’s beautiful and powerful voice and songs. She was a gentle, supportive and forthright creative partner, a wonderful artist to create with, work with and support. Lynne’s wisdom and creativity fundamentally influenced both of these pieces in deep, integral ways. She generously shared her insights into connections between landscape, song, culture, language and story as a co-creator, and her presence and work on tour was a constant source of inspiration. She was also a generous host, making her wonderful farmhouse a base for creative sessions in the early days, and on one occasion, enabling a house concert version of Hunting the Giant’s Daughter, one memorable experience amongst so many.

Her voice, as many have commented, was utterly beautiful and natural. The way she could bend notes brought shivers down the spine of the other performers and crew, as well as audiences. Watching the trio of Michael, Lynne and Stacey creating and performing together, we all experienced a wonderful creative alchemy, as many audience members commented.

“The way that Lynne summoned and placed words into the air around Stacey's playing. It felt like she was pulling something into her from the huge world surrounding us, that she lightly shaped as a gift for everyone listening in that moment. She did this with a grace that disguised the sheer skill and fine attention to detail that it takes to achieve that kind of vocal quality. Her voice carried the emotional undertone of each performance in ways that helped it to resonate deeply with everyone who experienced it - wherever they were from in the world,” reflects Paula Crutchlow, who directed Hunting the Giant’s Daughter and Dreaming the Night Field, and its Cymraeg version Breuddwydio Cae'r Nos: chwedl o Gymru.

As we miss and remember Lynne, we also send our thoughts and love to her wonderful family, who cared for her so thoughtfully in recent years and to Michael and Stacey, Stacey who created and toured music with Lynne for many more years as Ffynnon. Thank you so much, Lynne, for everything you shared with us all.
Naomi Wilds, Adverse Camber