Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Te… Read Full Bio ↴Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Leporello, but he has expanded his repertoire to include heavier roles, including Wagner.

Bryn Terfel Jones was born in Pantglas, North Wales, the son of a farmer (he knew of another Welsh baritone named Delme Bryn-Jones, so Terfel chose Bryn Terfel as his professional name). Terfel had an interest in and talent for music from a very young age. A family friend taught him how to sing, starting with traditional Welsh songs. After winning numerous competitions for his singing, Terfel moved to London in 1984 and entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which he graduated in 1989, winning the Gold Medal. He came in second behind Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Cardiff BBC Singer of the World Competition the same year, though won the Lieder Prize.

In 1990, Terfel made his operatic début as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at the Welsh National Opera, and later in the same season he sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro, a role with which he made his debut with the English National Opera in 1991.

Terfel made his United States début as Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. In 1992, he made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début as Masetto in Don Giovanni, with Thomas Allen in the title role. Terfel's international breakthrough came when he sang Jochanaan in Strauss's Salome at the 1992 Salzburg Festival. Terfel went on to make his début as Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. That year, he also signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and returned to the Welsh National Opera to sing Ford in Falstaff. In 1993, he recorded the role of Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Terfel has said that he would like to record "an album of Gilbert and Sullivan arias."

In 1994, Terfel sang Figaro at Covent Garden, and made his Metropolitan Opera début in the same role. He also sang Mahler's Eighth Symphony at the Ravinia Festival under the baton of James Levine. However, back surgery in 1994 (and again in 2000) prevented him from performing in several scheduled events. In 1996, Terfel expanded his repertoire to include Wagner, singing Wolfram in Tannhäuser at the Metropolitan Opera, and Stravinsky, singing Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress at the Welsh National Opera.

In 1997, Terfel made his La Scala début as Figaro. In 1998, Bryn had a recital at Carnegie Hall which included works by Wolf, Fauré, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, and others. In 1999, Terfel performed in Paris the title role of Don Giovanni for the first time. That year, Terfel also debuted in the title role in Falstaff at the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia and then performed the same role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Camelot
Bryn Terfel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Al borde de una laguna
Tres brujas montan caldero
Y baten un mundo espeso

Una le pone la luna
Otra sangre de cordero
Y otra los últimos besos

De camelot vuelan señales
En los dragones y los cuernos
Y hay un silencio de animales
Mientras se anuncian los infiernos

El odio al otro es nuestra suerte
La sangre ajena es nuestra viña
Cuando profanen y den muerte
Seremos aves de rapiña

Los contrahechos del norte
Y un enano de alcahuete
Sádicos abominables

Reclutan tribus y cortes
Para gestión de grilletes
Y corazones de sables

Y una vez más como tragedia
Ronda el olor a carne rota
De calabozo de edad media
Donde callaban al ilota

Y una vez más contra el impulso
De besar y abrazar a gentes

Ceder al último recurso
Ojo por ojo, y diente a diente

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Camelot by Bryn Terfel are in Spanish and describe a dark and foreboding scene. Three witches are gathered around a cauldron by a lake, stirring a thick mixture made from moonlight, lamb's blood, and the last kiss. Signs from Camelot announce the arrival of impending doom while the animals remain silent. The song speaks of hate towards others and the joy that comes from killing and profaning, while the phrase "we will be birds of prey" is repeated throughout the song. The lyrics describe tributes being gathered for the purpose of slavery and the hearts of soldiers. The final verse describes a desire to embrace love and peace but surrendering to the desire to retaliate with violence when provoked.

Line by Line Meaning

Al borde de una laguna
Three witches are gathered at the edge of a lake

Tres brujas montan caldero
They are stirring a thick brew in a cauldron

Y baten un mundo espeso
Mixing in a world of thick ingredients

Una le pone la luna
One adds the moon to the brew

Otra sangre de cordero
Another adds the blood of a lamb

Y otra los últimos besos
The final witch adds the last kisses

De camelot vuelan señales
Signals fly from Camelot

En los dragones y los cuernos
On the dragons and horns

Y hay un silencio de animales
There is a silence of animals

Mientras se anuncian los infiernos
As the hells are announced

El odio al otro es nuestra suerte
Hatred of others is our fate