Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??

Subject: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Compton
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 03:14 PM

What we're after (if there's any about)..is CD's of good usable Welsh Dance Music....Anyone know of any??

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 03:37 PM

Give me a ring at 800/548-FOLK (3655) if you're in the US or Canada; otherwise E-Mail me at [e-mail]

I'm not in the office until Sunday night, and I can't recall CD numbers, but I have some stuff for you.

dick greenhaus
CAMSCO Music

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: sian, west wales
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:50 PM

Serindipidous: I've had an email recently announcing the Welsh Folk Dance Society's intention to produce a CD. They're trawling for instrumentalists. There are tapes/CDs but I don't see them on their website. Contact them and I'm sure they'll send you a catalogue. Sain did some tapes quite a few years back; sound a bit dated now, but still useful.

Also, a lot of the instrumental artists like Crasdant, Toreth, Mabon, Allan yn y Fan, KilBride Brothers, Robin Huw Bowen, Llio Rhydderch, etc plus archive recordings like Nancy Richards (triple harp) have a lot of dance tunes.


sian

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: pavane
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 07:10 AM

Of course, some of the 'Welsh' tunes are also known elsewhere. I have a book of Welsh tunes which lists, for example, Mwmpwy Porteynon (Think I spelled that right, translated as Porteynon Whim). This tune, which I do play, turns out to be The Grand Hornpipe, recorded by Eliza Carthy (and probably others).

Galch (calch?)Gwyn Morgannwg, recorded by Calennig, is very similar to White Joke.

Ty Coch Caerdydd (Red House in Cardiff) is a variant of a long line of tunes which apparently goes back hundreds of years, and to Scotland.

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 09:01 AM

The Red House first appeared in Playford, 1695. Scottish forms (Where Will Our Goodman Laye and so on) begin to appear from c.1750. On the whole the tune would seem most likely to be of English or Welsh origin rather than Scottish. Midis can be heard for comparison in the long John Peel thread: The Evolution of a Tune: "Red House" and "John Peel"

I think there's a fair bit of Welsh material in Playford, though it isn't always easy to tell; and of course a lot of tunes are common to both Wales and England, often under rather different names. Quite a lot of "Welsh Airs" were published during the 19th century, too, and you can get a facsimile edition of Davidson's Musical Miracles: Two Hundred and Fifty Welsh Airs for a Shilling from Llanerch Press, who also carry other printed material of Welsh interest.

Of course, the question was about recorded music. One place to begin looking is

Sain Records  (English language version)

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: pavane
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 10:15 AM

All the tunes I mentioned are available on record, as mentioned. Calennig (or Mick Tems alone) recorded Ty Coch Caerdydd.
Mick's and Calennig's recordings include many Welsh dance tunes.

(Mick suffered a severe stroke a couple of years ago, and although I am informed that he has improved and can get about now, I am not sure that he has been able to return to music.)

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: MARINER
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 11:58 AM

You should check out the group "Ar Log". Among them are two nephews of Nanci Richrds, harpists Gwyndaf and Daffyd Roberts. They've recorded many albums, but the name of the label escapes me at the moment. Damn that Nuclear Brown!

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: greg stephens
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:11 PM

The "Grand hornpipe" recorded by Liza Carthy was only recently called that. The Welsh name quoted earlier in this thread may well have the original name. The only reason it is called "The Grand Hornpipe" is because it comes originally from Henry Stables, the Langdale fiddler, and he referred to it is "A grand hornpipe". A description, not a name. And a very good description, too. The intrusive"The" first appeared in Jamie Knowles' book "The Northern Lass" He copied the hornpipe out of my notebook (where it is labelled "A grand hornpipe") and added the "The" for his publication. Not that this is much to do with Welsh dance tunes!

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: pavane
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 04:19 PM

Thanks Greg. Interesting to know some of the background of a tune I play. A local Welsh clog dance team put a dance to it too. (I used to play for them)

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Compton
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:57 PM

See the problem is basically this......There are some great welsh tunes out there (in Wales)..there are some great welsh folk DANCES as well...but for some unknown reason..The Welsh Folk Dance Society dances to 50's-60's music will clarinets and other extraneous instrumentation. If the Wesh Folk Dance Society want "to spread the word"...Why don't they produce a modern(ish)CD?? Surely there are some good "Twmpath" Bands in Wales tyhat have doen the business. Is there any Welsh Mudcatters that know their native music. Surely it isn't all Cwm Rhonda and un-understandable song?!

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Compton
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 08:48 PM

Beginning to wonder if there is such a thing as a Welsh Mudcatter!!

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 09:01 PM

Compton:
Un-understandable Welsh song is only un-understood by those who don't understand Welsh.
There are plenty of us Welsh out here. I prefer to lurk most of the time.....

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: sian, west wales
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 12:47 PM

Compton, you might read the previous posts. I did mention that the Society is working on a new CD. And, yes, the recordings from the '60s and '70s now sound naff but revisionism is a waste of time. Mabon, Pigyn Clust, Crasdant, Jac y Do, Brothers KilBride and quite a few others are all recording dance music these days in what we CURRENTLY accept as an authentic idiom. Who knows what future generations will think of them?

Re: Welsh and Wales-based 'Catters, Mary is certainly one. There are others like Llanfair, pavane, Skipper Jack, Crane Driver, Nigel, Gareth, Ella, Llanfair, myself ...heck, I shouldn't have started because if I leave someone out, I'll be shot!

sian

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Splott Man
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 07:48 AM

I'm Wales based Splott is a district of Cardiff.

For up to date info on Mick Tems go to www.folkwales.org/ (sorry can't do clickies) and even email him from there, I'm sure he'll be glad to hear from you.

There are plenty of dance bands around - I can add Allan Yn Y Fan (Out in the Van) who have a tidy CD which got a decent review in Mojo magazine last year.
Some of the KilBride Bros are also in a stomping dance band called Juice who now have a CD available - sorry I don't have a link.

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: pavane
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 09:12 AM

Welsh-based, yes, but English by birth. (Mick Tems ditto, from about 3 miles from me in London)

(However, I have managed to graduate to playing for Welsh clog dance at the Urdd Eisteddfod.)

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: pavane
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 09:15 AM

Oh yes, just remembered I do somewhere have an LP of Welsh dance music, which contains a tune called (from memory) Dawns Forris
translated as Morris Dance. (M doesn't mutate to F does it?)

It doesn't sound like a Morris dance tune, and there is no information on its origins. I will have to look at it when I get home.

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: fogie
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 01:03 PM

Ar Log excellent lps
Twm Tup Twmpath   are new and good

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 01:30 PM

TRAC List of Performers of traditional folk music in Wales


With lots of web addresses


Nigel

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: sian, west wales
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 02:07 PM

Allan yn y Fan IS a good dance band - a mix of Welsh, Irish, and 'other' in their repetoire. Allan yn y Fan also means 'out on the spot' - sort of an intended double meaning.

KilBrides are also great - I think they have more than one CD. Brother Danny is my chairman of trac (thanks for the plug, Nigel!)

sian

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: Compton
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 07:21 PM

Diolch!!..Catters!

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: 8_Pints
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 06:57 PM

MARINER mentioned the Ar Log albums - the ones I have are on the Dingle's label and are:-

DIN 305 - Ar Log (1978)
DIN 310 - Ar Log II (1980)
DID 715 - Ar Log Meillionen (The Clover) 1982

all on vinyl and I would expect no longer available.

I also have GVR 215 (Greenwich Village) Tonnau Gwerin but the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

I was born in Bryngwran, Sir Fon so I qualify as half Welsh at least!

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Good Welsh Dance Music Anywhere??
From: GUEST,Howard
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 02:55 PM

Annwyl Sian
Ceiswch Cofia Dy Werin ar Recordiau Tant !! Mae'n llawn o stwf da !!
[e-mail] yn gallu gwerthu copi i ti !!!
Hwyl fawr