The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #5740   Message #32913
Posted By: Murray on Saltspring
19-Jul-98 - 04:54 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Ash Grove
Subject: RE: Ash Grove
Welsh title, Llwyn Onn. Tune first published in Edward Jones’s "The Bardic Museum", 1802. With words, in Bardd Alaw’s "Welsh Melodies with appropriate English Words", 1809.Much later, patriotic words were written by the poet Talhaiarn (1810-1869), "Gogoniant i Gymru", literally "Glory to Wales", translated by the poet himself as "All hail to thee, Cambria, the land of my fathers". The tune maybe lends itself to poignant words, although as always parodies have appeared,e.g. [in the West of Scotland] "In yonder green valley there lived a wee Tally, and the hair on her dicky-di-do hung down to her knee" or so. ("Tally" = "Italian", a common slang term, quite affectionate; a "tally shop" is one typically kept by Italians, such as one selling fish and chips, ice cream, etc.). The tune just appeared out of the blue, and its origin is unknown, though a connection has been made with an 18th-century tune, "Cease Your Funning", which likewise appeared out of nowhere in "The Beggar’s Opera" of 1728. "Llwyn Onn" has always been a favourite song with penillion singers --the art consists in playing the tune on the harp and singing another tune in harmonic counterpoint, which is quite difficult when you think about it.