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05 Jan 99 - 09:42 AM (#52048) Subject: Need Lyrics - From: p.geddes@abdn.ac.uk I would like the lyrics to a song my folks used to sing when I was little but I've scoured the web without success. I'm pretty sure the songs called "Walking in the wheat" or "Walking through the wheat" and I remember being told it's an old welsh folk song. Yours in hope. Peter Geddes. |
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05 Jan 99 - 11:10 AM (#52054) Subject: Lyr Add: BUGEILIO'R GWENITH GWYN / WATCHING THE... From: Bert I don't know if this is what you're looking for. I found it in an old YHA Songbook. Watching the Wheat. Idle days in summer Time, In pleasant sunny weather A-mid the golden colour'd corn, Two lovers passed together. Many words they did not speak, To give their thoughts expression, Each knew the other's heart was full, But neither made confession.
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08 Feb 06 - 12:36 PM (#1664309) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Zany Mouse OK, OK, I know this is an old thread but I was thinking about singing a version of this song soon. My mother used to sing it, beautifully harmonised by my Aunt Lilian, and it haunts my mind still. What I want to know is : does anyone have a date for for both the tune and/or the words please. Thanks Rhiannon |
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08 Feb 06 - 04:48 PM (#1664540) Subject: Lyr Add: WATCHING THE WHITE WHEAT From: Fliss WATCHING THE WHITE WHEAT Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn 1. A simple youthful lad am I Who loves at fancy's pleasure: I fondly watch the blooming wheat, Another reaps the treasure. Oh! Wherefore still despise my suit, Why sighing keep thy lover? For some new charm, thou matchless fair, I day by day discover. 2. Each day reveals some newborn grace, Or does fond faith deceive me? In love to Him who formed thy face, With pity now receive me, Then lift thine eyes, one look bestow. Give me thy hand, my fairest, For in thy bosom, lovely maid, My heart's true key thou bearest. 3. While hair adorns this aching brow Still I will love sincerely, While ocean rolls its briny flow Still I will love thee dearly. Then tell the truth, in secret tell, And under seal discover, If it be I or who is blest As thy true heart's best lover A folk song describing the tragic love affair of Wil Hopcyn and Ann, the daughter of a wealthy farmer from Cefenydfa, Llangynwyd, S. Wales. Ann, betrothed through her parents, married the man of their choice. She later died of a broken heart, since her first love was Wil, a farm hand. from digital tradition My father used to sing this. He was in Shrewsbury Male Voice choir during WWII. |
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08 Feb 06 - 05:39 PM (#1664577) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: greg stephens I have just had the pleasure of recording Pam Barfield and her daughter Kate singing this in Welsh, Kate on the tune and her mum harmonising wildly round it. Magic. It is for part of a multi-cultural recording project I am doing in Stoke, recording ethnic music from all cultural groups in the city. Welsh is the nearest we can get to First/Indigenous People! |
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08 Feb 06 - 11:37 PM (#1664942) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Malcolm Douglas See also the links to earlier discussions of the song above. If recent genetic analysis is to be trusted, it does seem that there is a high proportion of Neolithic (pre-Celtic) blood in Wales. There seems to be a near relationship to the Basques; that doesn't mean, as people who are more conscious of fashion than science have assumed, that the Basques are "Celts" (they are nothing of the kind; their language isn't even Indo-European), but that most of the Welsh aren't "Celtic" at all. They were here long before Celtic languages or culture arrived, and, as Greg suggests, the highest concentration of the "aboriginal" population of Britain does appear to be in Wales; though it is rather more widespread throughout Britain and Ireland than people tend to imagine. We still labour under the romantic nationalist fantasies of the 18th century. The sooner we can shrug off all that nonsense, the sooner we can begin to arrive at a proper understanding of where we are really from, and what we are. |
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09 Feb 06 - 01:27 AM (#1664987) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Goose Gander Malcolm is correct, of course, but it should be pointed out that the Welsh generally are lumped together with other 'Celtic' peoples for linguistic and geographic reasons. Early population studies in the United States generally counted people of Welsh descent as English, and more recent work groups them together with Scots, Scots-Irish and Irish. The first generalization enabled various writers to 'prove' that the white population of the American upland South was 'Anglo-Saxon', while the second has helped allow more recent writers to 'prove' that this same population was 'Celtic'. Hank Williams . . . George Jones . . . how come no one has ever proposed the 'Welsh Thesis' of American Country music? Sorry this has nothing to do with song being discussed. |
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09 Feb 06 - 03:57 AM (#1665031) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Artful Codger The King's Singers must've been impressed with this song, since they named an album of folksongs after it (Watching the White Wheat). They sing it in Welsh. |
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09 Feb 06 - 04:53 AM (#1665053) Subject: Lyr Add: THE GOLDEN WHEAT From: Leraud Pat Turner and I sing the following version called 'The Golden Wheat', which is on our CD 'The Moon Shines Bright'. Lynne Heraud THE GOLDEN WHEAT A young and foolish lad am I I go where fancy leads me I stand and guard the golden wheat Another does the reaping The wind grows colder day by day And you grow ever fairer September comes and I must go Will you not follow after? Oh, tell me truly, gentle Anne Oh, truly give your answer Will you be mine forever more Or do you love another. Until the salt dries in the sea And whilst my eyes can seek you Until my heart dies in my breast I'll surely, surely love you |
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09 Feb 06 - 06:52 AM (#1665093) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: greg stephens I am no great believer in ninety percent of the "Celtic" twaddle spouted about folk music. But it definitely struck me that a sort of audit of ethnic groups in Stoke-on-Trent should start with a Welsh song. Not because a modernish Welsh song would have any great connection with what the lads and lasses would have singing in 300AD before the English came, but at least there would be a strong linguistic connection between modern Welsh and the language spoken there. Now I live in Penkhull, which is on the hill above the centre of the town of Stoke, the Oxford Dictionaryof English placenames suggests the the best possible explanation for early forms of the name would be Pencoed Hill. And the first bit of that is defintely a British name(or s we would say now, Welsh. And, in the absence of any record of of the music and songs of those who lived there before the Celts arrived with their shiny new Iron Age swords, huge abilities to organise pissups in breweries but relatively little else, and a fund of great songs and harp tunes, they will have to do to represent Indigenous Stokies in my great work of song collection. |
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09 Feb 06 - 04:23 PM (#1665442) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Artful Codger Staying ON topic: Lynne, did you and/or Pat translate/rework these verses, or do you know any more of their provenance? |
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09 Feb 06 - 05:41 PM (#1665506) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Leraud I found it in a book published by Cambridge University Press in 1963. The words were translated into English by Will Sandhow and there were only two verses. We first used it to teach in a harmony workshop, but thought the words and tune were so beautiful, we decided to keep it in our repertoire. Lynne |
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05 Aug 08 - 06:19 AM (#2405573) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: GUEST,Gordon Thomas Thanks for printing these lyrics! I used to sing them as a young and foolish lad at school back in the mid sixties living in Pembrokeshire. I seem to remember singing "and i grow ever weeker" instead of "and you grow ever fairer" but i´ll use these words for now. The ballad is such a haunting melody, only the Welsh can write with such pathos :-) All the best, Gordon |
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05 Aug 08 - 07:45 AM (#2405611) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: sian, west wales Just to respond belatedly with some historical information ... Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn was first published in Maria Jane Williams' collection, "Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg" (1844) but she was probably given a version of words and tune by the son of the 18th century collector, Iolo Morgannwg. The tune was very popular in Glamorganshire (roughly Swansea to Cardiff), used with various sets of words, and known by several names: Y Gelynen (the holly), Yr Hen Gelynen (the old holly), and 'Gwegil y Fwyell' (the haft of the hatchet). There is a 'tradition' that the words were written by Wil Hopkin (above) but there's no real proof. Nice story, though, and widely believed. The words provided by Leraud above are a pretty good translation of the Welsh. sian |
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05 Aug 08 - 10:05 AM (#2405689) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: GUEST,leeneia Here's the URL of a nice site where you can hear or download (to MIDI) 40 Welsh tunes, this one among them: http://www.tylwythteg.com/music/music.html Sian, thanks for the historical info. |
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05 Aug 08 - 11:06 AM (#2405731) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Zany Mouse The words my mother and aunt used to sing are: Pleasant days in summertime In pleasant sunny weather Amid the golden summer corn Two lovers pass together Many a word they did not speak To give their thoughts expression Each knew the other's heart was full and neither made confession Winter days have come alas Comes cold and deary weather No more the lovers pass their way Amid the fields together Cruel fate has severed them And both are broken hearted Had they been wed in summertime They would not now be parted. Rhiannon |
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29 Sep 08 - 10:04 AM (#2452805) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: GUEST,Bernadette I absolutely love this Music.. The first time I heard it was at a Brass Band Solos Competition, in South Australia. ( I think around the eighties)- a young girl played it on Tenor Horn (it was Titled...Variations on a Welsh Theme). At that time I had no idea it was an actual Folk song named Watching the Wheat. Some years later my son played Watching the Wheat on Cornet at a concert in the Barrosa Valley, (again in S.A.) I was bowled over again by the haunting melody. Believe it or not,the first time I heard anyone singing this beautiful Folk song was on one of Billy Connelly's "TOUR" series!! I may be mistaken (especially in the spelling of this name) Did Bryn Turkel (sorry!!!) sing this at some stage?? Love to know and how to fit the words with the music. Bernadette........thanks for the opportunity to search |
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29 Sep 08 - 10:35 AM (#2452826) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: sian, west wales It is, indeed, a favourite of brass and silver bands and really beautiful when played well. Bryn Terfel has sung it on numerous occasions but, although I think he has a fine voice, I prefer this sort of thing sung in a non-operatic style. (His latest CD is all folk-y type stuff from the British Isles I hear.) sian |
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29 Sep 08 - 10:17 PM (#2453412) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: GUEST,Adele Treskillard Hello Sian! I've been waiting to contact you! I'm a traditional Gaelic singer, with a family based band called Wren Song. Some time back you posted about a lady friend of yours, working for the University of Wales Press, doing Welsh folk music, and a book she was writing on wrensongs and Mari Llwyd et cetera. Link to that thread: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=47959 Could you please tell me if that book is out, if so, where can I get it, and if not, could you put me in touch with your friend? I am very very interested in wren songs, that's why I called our (small) band Wren Song. Thanks! Adele wrensong.epictales.org |
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30 Sep 08 - 03:13 AM (#2453513) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: sian, west wales Hi Adele Well - she's on the final chapter. Remember: it's the history of Welsh traditional music and not just the 'defodau' - rituals. It's taken her longer than she thought, and I know the publishers are pacing the carpet waiting for it. For my part, I'm trying to talk the publishers into a companion disc ... but I may lose that particular battle! I imagine she will also cover the category of song into which Watching the White Wheat would fall. sian |
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30 Sep 08 - 04:12 AM (#2453546) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Artful Codger "Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn" appears in the book "The Songs of Wales" (Caneuon Cymru) by Brinley Richards and Ceiriog Hughes (1873). The English text, beginning "Idle days in summertime / In pleasant sunny weather" is attributed to Walter Maynard, as are a number of other translations in the book. The Welsh text is attributed to Will Hopkin, with these notes at the bottom of the page: ' William Hopkin (known as "Will Hopkin" the Bard), was born at Llangynwyd in 1700. The tradition respecting the hapless love entertained for him by Ann Thomas ("The Maid of Cefn Ydfa,") is widely known in Wales, and especially in Glamorganshire. The Bard wrote many songs in her honour; but the most popular is "Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn" (Watching the blooming wheat), sung to the above melody; previously known as "Yr hên Gelynen." By permission.--From the collection of Miss Jane Williams, (Aberpergwm). ' |
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30 Sep 08 - 10:33 AM (#2453783) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: GUEST,Adele Treskillard Wow! Sounds like she's doing some ground breaking research! Could you put me in touch with her? Adele |
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30 Sep 08 - 02:34 PM (#2454030) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: the lemonade lady From: Fliss - PM Date: 08 Feb 06 - 04:48 PM WATCHING THE WHITE WHEAT Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn That's definately the right one. I was selling lemonade at an agricultural show in Llanfair Caerinion and asked someone to translate it for me. So I got it translated by a real Welsh man! Sal |
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01 Oct 08 - 05:09 AM (#2454541) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Mo the caller Could someone tell me what the words of the Welsh title mean. It doesn't seem, from the translation, to be a song about Gwenith, or Gwyn. |
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01 Oct 08 - 05:44 AM (#2454559) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: sian, west wales The Welsh title is "Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn" which is "Shepherding the White Wheat". (i.e.'I take all my time keeping watch waiting for her to come to courting age, then someone else reaps the benefits.') Adele, I would PM you on this but you aren't a member. At any rate, I can't give her contact details out; I'm sure you can understand. Phyllis and her husband, Mered, are both cornerstones of the trad music research community and we owe them a lot. Much that will be in the book is drawing together all the articles and books they've published over the years, and making some of it available in English for the first time. Phyllis did do an article for the publication,Welsh Music History Vol 6 on Hunting the Wren. I'm afraid I don't own that particular volume. And I think she's also written in the Journal of the Welsh Folk Music Society on the subject; I probably do have that, but it will be in Welsh. There is a thread here somewhere on Cutty Wren, if you use the Lyrics & Knowledge search, above. sian |
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01 Oct 08 - 10:33 AM (#2454790) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Nigel Parsons DT Study: Cutty Wren |
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02 Oct 08 - 10:09 AM (#2455492) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Mo the caller So the wheat is white because it's unripe? Hazel Moir has writen an elegant dance to the tune, which I called this week at clubs I go to. |
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02 Oct 08 - 10:42 AM (#2455528) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: sian, west wales No, 'white' really means pale yellow/gold, which is what the wheat turns after it's green. Funny thing about colours and languages - I think it's one of those cultural things you just have to learn and accept. "Gwyn" or "Gwen" (white, masc; white, feminine) can be used to refer to fair-haired people. Also means 'blessed', i.e. 'Blessed are the Peacemakers' would be 'Gwyn eu byd y tangnefeddwyr.' It used to be, with my father's age group and older, that they would use the word for blue (glas) when referring to something I would call 'green' in English. Dad would call the lawn or grass, 'glas'. Another very old May carol talks about "Y ddaear yn GLASU", or 'the world is a-greeing." These days, people are just as likely to use 'gwyrdd' - 'green'. Ah well. Life's rich linguistic tapestry ... sian |
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02 Oct 08 - 12:00 PM (#2455622) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: Nigel Parsons "Gwyn" or "Gwen" (white, masc; white, feminine) Giving rise (after dropping the initial 'G') to the name Bronwen. Suitable for a lady who does not sunbathe topless! |
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02 Oct 08 - 12:19 PM (#2455636) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Watching the Wheat (Welsh song) From: sian, west wales And, of course, Gwenhwyfar, a.k.a. Guinevere. sian |