Need a simple Welsh song

Subject: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Penny S.
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 05:17 PM

One of my colleagues is leaving the school at the end of a long spell teaching, and we want to do something special for him. He is Welsh (I think from Pontardawe originally), so I wondered if we could teach the children a simple Welsh song to sing for him. He was at one time our maths coordinator, so a counting song might be a good idea. Or might there be one with a goodbye theme? He has most recently been teaching children with learning difficulties, so, if we are to include them, it needs to be very simple indeed. We have two more Welsh teachers who could help with the pronunciation.
I have words and music to one called "Migildi, Magildi" (sp?), and have heard that the meaning of "Sospan Vach" is child suitable - but the tune isn't, I think. Any help?

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: BanjoRay
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 06:25 PM

How about Clychau Aberdyfi - The Bells of Aberdovey? It's got lots of counting. You can find it here
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 06:51 PM

I don't suppose Cosher Bailey would be quite what you're looking for...

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 07:17 PM

Try counting goats

It gets fun when the colours get to things like "navy blue" instead of "wen" (white) and gets faster.

Jon

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Blackcatter
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 09:05 PM

Wouldn't most of the songs about the simple Welsh be from the English tradition?

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Gareth
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 09:29 PM

Kevin, Oi! I thought Cosher Bailey was my standing joke -BG-

But Counting the Goats is an excellent idea.

Or there is this one Click 'Ere

Gareth

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 08:56 AM

what about the Kipper song? "We'll Kipper Welcome in the Hillside, We'll Kipper Welcome in the Vales......"
And you could sing it "All Through the Night"

I'll get my coat......

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 03:15 PM

Mr Red: don't bother getting your coat, after that comment you'll not be welcome anywhere (let alone in the hillsides)

Nigel

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Penny S.
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 03:24 PM

Thanks for the suggestions so far - I do like the goats. I forgot to mention the children are primary age. They'll need to learn by heart, so that structure is good. (Being simple English and other non-Welsh sorts, I don't think it would be a good idea to confuse them with the phonetic Welsh orthography.) And, Kevin, I hadn't thought of Cosher Bailey, as I was thinking of singing in Welsh, not a Welsh song, but I think that has promise, with good selection of the verses. He did used to play rugby.

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 03:43 PM

Penny, I moved from Shropshire to N Wales when I was about 7, moving to Tunbridge Wells when asbout 13. I learnt a bit of Welsh in school but never understood the "counting goats" song I mentioned above.

I can assure you that as an English only speaking primary school kid in a school in Wales that I loved that song. I could make noises that sounded right and had had fun with it.

Jon

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Penny S.
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 04:12 PM

Jon, it wasn't the goats I thought too much for the primary children - they look exactly the right sort of thing. And I remember hearing it sung, too. I'm going to try and get my teaching niece in Newport with the Welsh partner to find me a recording. And music for our pianist.
Cosher Bailey I can manage, 'cos it isn't in the language, and I've sung it when at college, which will give me some advantage.

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: sian, west wales
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 04:40 PM

I've got a spare copy of Caneuon Gwerin i Blant (Folk Songs for Children) that I can send you if you want to PM your surface mail address. Dau Gi Bach (Two Wee Dogs) is an easy one. Also, Can y Melinydd has a whole thread here somewhere, and I think we did an English translation as well as a tune. Don't have time to search it out just now, and I haven't checked to see if it's made it into the DT yet. We were working on it ... end of last year?

sian

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 05:53 PM

June to August 2002 Siân. The last of three threads is Can y Melinydd- Final Take

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 10:14 PM

Penny, go to this site http://www.fastdesign.com/music/welsh/arlanymor.htm and listen to the background, which is Ar Lan y Mor.

You can get Welsh Mudcatters to help you with the pronunciation if you like the song.

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: MC Fat
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 07:20 AM

'I remember ewe'

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Penny
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 07:27 AM

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Penny S. (elsewhere)
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 07:34 AM

School nanny program won't let me in to Can y Melinydd! I like the tune of Ar Lan y Mor.
Should have mentioned - the departing Welshman is the only one who cannot sing!

penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 09:06 AM

See if this one has less offensive material Lyr Add: Can y melenydd; Eng/Welsh

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Penny S. (elsewhere)
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 11:07 AM

Snuffy, apparently not. Access Denied all over it! I'll look when I get home.

But should I be doing a song which triggers such responses?

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Penny S.
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 04:56 PM

Ah ha. Sussed. It is the male hen which has triggered nanny. Oh dear. I shall look into this further - it looks good.

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Penny S.
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 05:27 PM

I thought you might like an update on this. We have taught the children the song about counting goats. We, that is me, Mrs Davies, Mrs Wynne, Mrs Jones, Mrs Lewis, and the pianist, who does not have a Welsh name, but is. Why did I think there were only two - Counting Teachers, it should be. Anyway, they have been taught by rote, never introducing them to the intricacies of Welsh orthography, and they are brilliant! Just tell them once that in verse two, all the "wen"s become "ddu"s, and they're away. (Except for a few who miss the "Ystlys wen a chynffon" change.) As for speeding up... wonderful. and, "can we sing it again?" they say. I can see coach trips getting very goatridden. We have a white goat, a black goat, a pink goat, a blue goat and a red one. These little estuarine speaker can even handle the mutation of "pinc" to "binc" - though I can't imagine that it would be possible to sing a "p" in the positions where it is mutated - it has to be "b". So many thanks for help, especially Sian who sent us the music. I may be able to send her a recording. I think we should do more of this.

And of all the songs that might be going round in my head without stop "Oes gafr eto" is far from the worst.

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: Gareth
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 06:46 PM

And reading your roll of teachers reminds me of the old Welsh saying.

"There are two ways out of the Valleys,
Teaching, or Preaching !"

Gareth

" Oh!, Cosher went to Oxbridge,
For to take matriculation,
But he met a pretty barmaid.
And he never left the Station."

"Have you ever saw, .. etc"

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Penny S.
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 07:18 AM

We used to say in Dartford, that the whole country tilted westwards at the start of the holidays, when the young Welsh teachers went home. There were more men then, though, and a good many head teachers (who didn't go west, being more settled). The change in the demographics has affected a lot of things - fewer Methodists in the Union, for instance, has changed that level of political argument.

Penny

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 11:09 AM

My daughter in Oregon says she would like to teach some Welsh to her three-year old girl.
Can anyone suggest some book/cd combinations that would be good for that age? For her birthday, I got her (and Mom) a mini-dulcimer with about 12 notes in the key of D, so song books with melody notation would be really great too.
Diolch yn fawr, Chris in Chicago

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: sian, west wales
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 12:04 PM

Chris, Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (Welsh Nursery Schools Movement) would know the best resources. There's a contact form on their website here


sian

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 10:28 AM

Sian, thanks for the recommendation.
The MYM had 2 book/cd combos that I ordered - one by Curiad and the other a re-release by Mynediad am Ddim.
I hope to have the three-year old singing in Welsh by Dydd Nadolig, a fo eto.
Chris

Subject: RE: Need a simple Welsh song
From: GUEST,Penny S.
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 11:07 AM

Final feedback. We sang the song for Mr. Pipe today, and it sounded really good and was much appreciated. It has been taped, and there will be a copy enclosed when I return Sian's materials to her. We had a row of coloured goats who bobbed up and down as appropriate - Y6 also put goats on Mr Pipe's leaving card. He received this befoe the song was sung, and a curious look passed over his face. The other cards had been fairly self explanatory - Welsh flags, cricket kit, but goats? He joined in as we sang...possibly relieved.


Penny