St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen

Subject: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,Dr Price
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 07:39 PM

Llantrisant Folk Club are holding a singaround to celebrate St Dwynwen's Day - the patron saint of all lovers in Wales - on Wednesday, January 25.

Ynys Llanddwyn, the tiny island in the Menai Straits, was the home of Santes Dwynwen, one of 24 beautiful daughters of King Brychan Brycheiniog who lived during the fifth century AD. "Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness" was her motto.
Princess Dwynwen fell in love with a prince, Maelon Dafodrill, but Maelon spurned her love. Heartbroken, Dwynwen retreated to Llanddwyn Island where she saw an apparition while looking at eels swimming in a well. The apparition granted her three wishes; for the first wish Dwynwen asked for Maelon to be turned into ice for spurning her love; secondly that she would remain on Llanddwyn for the rest of her days, and thirdly, that all lovers coming to Llanddwyn would be happy for the rest of their lives.

You can look at the Mari Arts website - and Dwynwen's beautiful features - by clicking on www.folkwales.org.uk right now. Why not sing a lovely song or play a beautiful tune?

Llantrisant Folk Club meets every Wednesday at the Windsor Hotel, Pontyclun at 8,30pm.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 08:02 PM

Seems a little obscure to be celebrating a day?

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: BanjoRay
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 09:19 PM

Not as obscure as you are, guest.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,Dr Price
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 02:48 AM

Not at all. Surely it's the done thing for people in Wales to celebrate their Welsh saints? Look at St Valentine, for example - there's an obscure Eastern European saint for you!

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Splott Man
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 03:59 AM

Good point, well made Dr Price

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 01:23 PM

"Why not sing a lovely song or play a beautiful tune?"

Dr. Price, you are a person after my own heart!

Here's a suggestion to those who don't know any good Welsh tunes and would like to try a beautiful one. Go to:

http://www.alansim.com/welhtml/welsh.html

Scroll down to "Y Deryn Pur" MIDI 2, listen, learn and play. It's beautiful.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 23 Jan 06 - 04:02 PM

How about John Jos, Yr Hogyn Pren?
http://caneuongwerin.co.uk/hogynpren.html :
    Clamp o ferch yw Martha dew -- Ond i Jon mae'n ferch go lew, ...

Hwyl, Chris

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Splott Man
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 09:02 AM

ooh! a song with my name in it!

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 10:02 AM

yes, but where's the music?

I've learned a new Welsh idiom. "Cliciwch yma." "Click here."

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 10:53 AM

The great Tebot Piws song, Yr Hogyn Pren, and their other great love song, Lleucu Llwyd is on their cd, which is available at http://sebon.co.uk/cd.asp?id=115 or from Sain -
lots of hwyl with those guys, Chris

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,Pavane in Amsterdam
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 12:26 PM

Am I being too suspicious if I query the name Maelon Dafodrill?
Is it REALLY authentic? What is the source of the tale?

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 01:23 PM

His REAL name was Marlon Daffodil.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,Dr Price
Date: 24 Jan 06 - 11:45 PM

I'm going to sing the Meredydd Evans version of "Ar Lan y Mor" - what a beautiful stunner. Sain Records have released a tribute double-CD called "Mered", in appreciation of one of Wales' most loved and respected trad singers. Mered is 86 now and he lives with with his American wife, Phyllis Kinney, in Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion.

Mind you, I shall probably sing (with Olly's accompiment) "The Maid Of Aberdare" too - both are suited to St Dwynwen's Day.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: sian, west wales
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 03:52 AM

Gwelais hi ymhlith y blodau
Ar doriad dydd.
Gwlith y rhos oedd ar ei gruddiau
Ar doriad dydd.
Gwenai'n llawen fel y wawrddydd
A chystadlai a^'r ehedydd
Yn caroli mewn llawenydd
Ar doriad dydd.

I saw her among the flowers
At break of day.
The dew of the moor on her cheeks
At break of day.
She smiled as cheerful as the dawn
And competed with the lark
Carolling in joy
At the break of day.

Happy St Dwynwen's Day.

siân

p.s. It's OK - the above turns Celtic in the second and third verses. She catches TB and dies.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 06:28 AM

Went into Cardiff yesterday to Castle Welsh Crafts in Duke Street, where I usually buy my Welsh gifts, and guess what? - the store had completely sold of St Dwynwen cards, bar one card which I hurriedly brought. St Dwynwen's Day must be on the up and up!

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 06:39 AM

Whoops, my mistake - I meant to say: "Completely sold OUT of St Dwynwen cards." Sorry for that totally confusing sentence.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,Dr Price
Date: 25 Jan 06 - 06:43 AM

Have you got all the words and the melody to Ar Doriad Dydd, Sian? I'd really like to learn it.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Splott Man
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 08:48 AM

And what a great evening we had. All performers finding something that suited the theme. Even a couple of double whammies with some Burns love songs.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: sian, west wales
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 09:49 AM

Well, Mick, it's a lurvely one and is in vol 3 (if you have the 6 volume version) of Joseph Parry's Cambrian Minstrelsie. I came across it being sung by a Patagonian Quartet (something like Pedwar y Peithiau) and thought it drop dead gorgeous.

As you of all people will see, it's the same metre as Ar Hyd y Nos / All Through the Night and can be sung on that tune if you fancy a major key. (the CM version is in the minor - oh, so nice).

Another tune which I've only recently come across, again in the major, is Gwylan y Mor in "Old Welsh Airs". That works and is also a) unfamiliar to people and b) very lyrical.

regards
siân

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: sian, west wales
Date: 26 Jan 06 - 10:34 AM

Well, Mick, it's a lurvely one and is in vol 3 (if you have the 6 volume version) of Joseph Parry's Cambrian Minstrelsie. I came across it being sung by a Patagonian Quartet (something like Pedwar y Peithiau) and thought it drop dead gorgeous.

As you of all people will see, it's the same metre as Ar Hyd y Nos / All Through the Night and can be sung on that tune if you fancy a major key. (the CM version is in the minor - oh, so nice).

Another tune which I've only recently come across, again in the major, is Gwylan y Mor in "Old Welsh Airs". That works and is also a) unfamiliar to people and b) very lyrical.

regards
siân

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Artful Codger
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 03:41 AM

Only five years late...

"Ar Doriad Dydd" on YouTube (2nd song in clip): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-PI_9dDHCg

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Artful Codger
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 04:20 AM

And here are the complete lyrics:

Ar Doriad Dydd.

Gwelais hi ymhlith y blodau
   Ar doriad dydd;
Gwrid y rhos oedd ar ei gruddiau,
   Ar doriad dydd;
Gwenai 'n llawen fel y wawrddydd,
A chystadlai â'r ehedydd,
Yn caroli mewn llawenydd,
   Ar doriad dydd.

Gwelais hi drachefn yn gwelwi,
   Ar doriad dydd,
Gyda grudd mor wen a'r lili,
   Ar doriad dydd;
Gwelais hi mewn arch ac amdo,
Ac wrth weled un yn wylo,
Wylais innau ddagrau drosto,
   Ar doriad dydd.

Mae 'r aderyn du pigfelen,
   Ar doriad dydd,
Mewn galaarwisg yn yr ywen,
   Ar doriad dydd;
Ond mae yna galon drymach,
Sydd yn curo 'n ddwysach, ddwysach,
Am adferu 'r hen gyfeillach,
   Ar doriad dydd.


Telyn Tudno (pp.107-8), by Thomas Tudno Jones (Tudno) and David Rowlands (Dewi Mon); Gwrecsam [Wrexham?]: Argraffwyd a Chyhoeddwyd Gan Hughes A'i Fab, 1897.
http://books.google.com/books?id=faIvAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA107

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: doc.tom
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 04:29 AM

Splott Man, I never knew your name was Martha!
Keep the day.
Tom

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: sian, west wales
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 06:59 AM

Artful, I grew up listening to male voice choirs, and Rhos was always one of the greatest. But ... my big problem with them, once I understood the language and the nature of traditional songs, is that they perform everything to one template, regardless of the material to hand. I don't think the strict devotion to 2/4 time doest the lovely tune any service. There is also no 'colouring' between verses; would you ever know that the first verse is showing her at her best, and the second is contrasting her in illness? Still, it is really interesting to hear it. I had thought that only Pedwarawd y Peithiau had done it before, but then I came across a recording from the 80s by Penderyn. Now this one. And yet it hasn't become well known. Odd that, because it really is so nice ...

Wonder why the apostrophes above come out as "'"?

sian

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 09:12 AM

Now you know why people roll their eyes and use a certain tone of voice when 'tenors' are mentioned.

I listened to the recording, Sian. It's a handful of tenors who never change from all-ahead-forward. It may even be only one or two.

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Artful Codger
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 11:49 PM

The Rhos recording was the only one I found on YouTube; if you know of a better, please post a link. But at least folks can hear how the tune goes--that, to me, is the most important thing.

As for the apostrophes, I'm guessing they show up to you as "& apos;" without the space. This is actually the most proper way to enter apostrophes in HTML (even if people seldom do), and indeed, in your post, all I see is a single apostrophe. If you see something else, the problem is some wonky behavior or setting in your browser. See this thread: Entering special characters.

Please read this thread, since many of your previous postings (those with accented Welsh or Irish characters, or curly quotes) display improperly to most users. For example, the signature in your previous post (from 2006) appears to most users as "siân" (i.e. s i A-tilde cent n), or some similar junk. It only shows properly when one changes the display encoding to UTF-8, and most users don't use this because it causes so many other web pages or Mudcat messages to display corrupted (because they were similarly unencoded). In contrast, the following sequence, with blanks removed, should display properly to all users: "s i & acirc; n" (siân).

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: sian, west wales
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 05:00 AM

Sorry, Artful. You seem to take my post as a personal criticism and it was only meant as a comment.

And thank you for the interesting information about HTML.

sian

Subject: RE: St Dwynwen's Day - Dydd Santes Dwynwen
From: Artful Codger
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 11:49 PM

No, sian, I didn't take personal offense, though I do think that commenting on a choral rendition of a folk song is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel. And my invitation to link to a better online version stands, because us furriners would like to hear the song the way you've heard and described it.

Here is a translation I prepared of the latter two verses. It is likely very flawed, since I don't know Welsh and had to rely on what I could get out of online translators; corrections appreciated!


At Break of Day

[Verse 1 translated by sian above]

2. I saw her again so pallid,
   (At break of day,)
With cheek so white, as a lily;
I saw her in a coffin and shroud,
And seeing them weep,
I wept tears over her.

3. There is the yellow-beaked blackbird,
[Mourning] in the yew;
But there is a heavier heart,
Which beats more intensely, intensely,
[Wishing] to restore the old fellowship.