From "Welsh Traditional Music" by Phyllis Kinney (University of Wales 2011)

***

Some Welsh tunes were derived from the harmonic patterns known as ground basses so popular in Renaissance Europe. The sixteenth-century ground "Dargeson" gave birth to a tune called "Sedany" or "Dargason", which appeared in The English Dancing Master (1651). A ballad about Queen Elizabeth 1, which appears in Blodeu-gerdd Cymry 1759 but was written during her reign, is noted as "I'w channu ar fesur a elwir Sidannen" (To be sung on the measure called Sidanen) At least two other sixeenth-century Welsh ballads praising Elizabeth also fit the tune. The name "Sidanen" appears to have been used in Wales to designate a beautiful woman and it would have been natural to transfer the compliment to Queen Elizabeth. A few years later, a song in praise of "Welsh Sydanen" was sung in Anthony Munday's play, 'John a Kent and John a Cumber', in which "fayre Sidanen" was said to be the daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales. "Sidanen" appears on the list of tunes found in the Lleweni manuscript and tunes called Sidanen are printed in eighteenth-century Welsh collections, but the latter are clearly instrumental display pieces unrelated to the "Dargeson" ground and unsuitable for ballad words. However, a variant of the "Sedany" tune can be found in Relicks of the Welsh Bards 1794, under the name of "Mwynen Cynwyd" (first strain only). At some point the tune became part of Welsh folk tradition, becoming attached to a wren-hunt song.

****

Kinney doesn't, as far as I can see, which wren song is connected to it. Dr Price (Mick Tems) might know.

sian, west wales