welsh

canu rhydd by Fernhill

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Heavenly Welsh Band Fernhill

I heard about Calan and Fernhill from Idris Morris Jones of BBCRadio5 Radio Cymru which is focused on Welsh music. I was trying to come up with a project about pipe music and he was my target reference. But he told me that he is not the right person to talk about it so instead gave me the names of Ceri Rhys Matthews of Fernhill and Patrick Rimes of Calan plus their contact infos.

I am familiar with Ferhill because I wrote about them years ago and now they are making a comeback in my consciousness.  Now let us take a closer look at Fernhill.

Their latest album is called “canu rhydd” and I am attaching their bandcamp site so you will be able to enjoy their brand of Welsh Celtic music. The sound is distinctive and have that perky kind of delicacy.

There are 8 tracks in the album and I am listening to them right now.

julie murphy-voice, sruti 
christine cooper-fiddle, voice 
tomos williams-trumpet, flugelhorn 
ceri rhys matthews-guitar, flute, voice 

canu rhydd… literally ‘free poetry’, is written according to the free will of the poet. it is unconstrained by patronage or by the twenty four accredited meters of the secret craft of bardic poetry as laid out by einion offeiriad. from its sixteenth century flowering, came tumbling the multitude of unattached verses kept safe on the tongues of unselfconscious singers over the centuries. with these we start our songs… 

this album was recorded at dartington college of arts in july 2010, shortly before the college left its devon home for good. the album is one of many thousands of sparks of dartington’s creative legacy which are scattered throughout the country. 

recorded and mixed by nick marshall at dartington college, devon 
mastered by jens schroeder at dreamworld studio, pembrokeshire 
cover by noel hefele 

1. adar(Free) The carefree chord combinations and soft guitar strumming reminds me of lazy afternoons and the visions of being at sea.

2.when i was in my prime- I already heard several versions of this song and this one is a different arrangement. Fernhill added their fresh twist to this traditional track. With the simplicity of the guitar, it adds wings to Julie Murphy’s beautiful singing with a voice that reminds me of Mary Hopkins.

3.diddan-Beautiful tune in Welsh. It has that toe tapping appeal and the instruments just wash over. The strumming and  fiddling are superb.

4.forest-Sang in the form of a hymn, it has that soothing trumpet sound in the middle.

5.glyn cynon-The track opens with a flugelhorn. Now this kind of instrument is seldom  being used by World/Celtic acts. Having that in the album is a plus. The soft guitar plucking follows. Then there’s that lark singing of Julie. Something Jazzy, something soothing. Good for your nightcap. It ends with a step dancing tune. Now who needs coffee?

6.glyn tawe-A lilting voice and guitar in Welsh. The flugel horn occasionally embellish the lines. A beautiful poetry in English cuts through the singing..images in full color.

7. y fwynlan o serch- Guitar strumming and Ceri Rhys Matthews contributing in the vocals . The guy has a remarkable voice!  This makes you declare that Welsh is the language of the elves.

8. like the snow-This track closes the album. A haunting enveloping lament with vocal harmonies and lyrics about loss. Then, it builds up tempo in the middle with that typical Welsh dancing tune.It leaves its footprints long after you finished listening.

canu rhydd is  a beautiful transporting experience into the lush Welsh country side. You don’t have to be there to feel it all. Just listen to the music and it will bring you there. Away from all cares. Away from life’s hardships, and for just a moment…just a moment you feel this is heaven.

 

National Eisteddfod of Wales Discovery:Esyllt Tudur

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National Eisteddfod of Wales attracts up to 160,000 visitors.

The National Eisteddfod has been attracting foreign visitors annually and numbers increased up to 160,000 attendees. It  costs around £2.8m to stage. It is traditionally held in the first week of August and the competitions are all held in the Welsh language. According to Wiki:

The festival has a heavy druidic flavour, with the crowning and chairing ceremonies for the victorious poets being attended by bards in flowing white costumes, dancing maidens, trumpet fanfares and a symbolic horn of plenty. However, the heritage of this ceremony is of dubious provenance and owes its existence within the Eisteddfod structure to Iolo Morganwg, whose Gorsedd ceremonies were adopted by the Eisteddfod from 1819. Nevertheless, it is taken very seriously, and an award of a crown or a chair for poetry is a great honour. The Chairing and Crowning ceremonies are the highlight of the week, and are presided over by the Archdruid.

Pic courtesy of : thenewportship.com

Pic courtesy of : thenewportship.com

The musical aspect of this event is huge and as a result a lot of musicians flock into the annual gathering . This is like a Loollapalooza of Celtic music. Only that we will be expecting poets and other members of the ‘learned’ crowd to be there.

I have been attracted to the singing of Esyllt Tudur . She been a familiar face and voice in this event. I heard her singing Ar Lan y Mor and it stuck with me. The mystical voice coupled with right instrumental arrangement creates an atmosphere of being transported into the age of Merlin. Her debut CD contains some of the music that Esyllt has enjoyed performing over the years, as well as some classical favourites.
1. Ar Lan y Mor
2. Breuddwydio Wnes
3. Gwydr Glas
4. Dyrchefir Fi (You Raise Me Up)
(Gyda Cor Creuddyn)
5. Gobaith yn y Tir
6  Gwn Dafydd Ifan
7. Suo Gan
8. Myfanwy
9. Adre’n Ol
10. Pererin Wyf Mewn Anial Dir
11. Un Dydd ar y Tro
12. Chwarae’n Troi’n Chwerw

http://www.myspace.com/esyllttudur


Life After Catatonia,Cerys Matthews Goes Celtic

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Ex-Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews performing Welsh traditional ‘ Ar Lan Y Mor’ in front of a small audience in Rhosygilwen, Pembrokeshire.

Catatonia were a highly melodic alternative band in the late 90s which produced a lot of international hits . Years later, they just disappeared. Unlike fellow Welsh singer Donna Lewis who has no plans of giving up the pop sound, the band’s lead vocalist Cerys  Matthews moved over to the left of the field-Celtic music. Matthews was born in Cardiff and brought up in Swansea and Pembrokeshire, and is a fluent Welsh speaker and multi-instrumentalist.

She has always been noted to posses the light almost ethereal voice of true sopranos but I never realized that she is going to let those pipes sing traditional Welsh songs. And this looks like a good start for a musical reformation.

Ar Lan y Môr

Ar lan y môr mae rhosys cochion
Ar lan y môr mae lilis gwynion
Ar lan y môr mae ‘nghariad inne
Yn cysgu’r nos a chodi’r bore.

Ar lan y môr mae carreg wastad
Lle bum yn siarad gair â’m cariad
O amgylch hon fe dyf y lili
Ac ambell sbrigyn o rosmari.

Llawn iawn yw’r môr o swnd a chregyn,
Llawn yw’r wy o wyn a melyn,
Llawn yw’r coed o ddail a blode,
Llawn iawn o gariad ydwyf inne.

Ar lan y môr mae cerrig gleision,
Ar lan y môr mae blodau’r meibion,
Ar lan y môr mae pob rhinweddau,
Ar lan y môr mae nghariad inne.

Translation:

By the seaside there are red roses
By the seaside there are white lilies
By the seaside is my sweetheart
Sleeping at night and rising in the morning.

By the seaside is a level stone
Where I spoke a word with my love
Around it grows the lily
And an occasional sprig of rosemary.

The sea is full of sand and shells
The egg is full of white and yellow
The wood is full of leaves and flowers
And I am full of love

By the seaside are blue stones
By the seaside are the sons’ flowers
By the seaside is every virtue
By the seaside is my sweetheart.

More about the song here.

Performing Ei Di’r Deryn Du on the London Eye. Taken from her album “TIR”

A ei di’r deryn du
To my dearest love?
O cais fy nghangen gu
For I’m so deep in love.

Ni welaf yn un man
Such a damsel in my sight
Â’r ferch mor lân o liw
She is a beauty bright.

Mae’i gwallt yn felyn aur
Just like a ring of gold
A’i phryd fel eira gwyn
The truth it must be told.

“Tir” (Rainbow City Recordings – 2010) is her new album.

Tir
“Tir is fabulous. It’s a considerable and thoughtful collection, but more than that, it’s beautiful. Her voice, both frail and innocent, mature and world-weary – as required by such history-rich songs. She asks us to revisit these songs, to engage in their purpose or meaning in a way I never have…” – Taplas

Happy, Hoppy Welsh Folk Dancing

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Eureka! It is nice to know that Wales closely resemble that of Brittany when it comes to dancing(and language too). I was looking for simple Welsh tunes when I stumbled upon these videos. See for yourselves.

Welsh Celtic Music:Carreg Lafar

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carregflagNow that we have explored the traditional music of Wales, let me introduce you to another band.Carreg Lafar was formed in Cardiff Wales. In Welsh the name means ‘speaking stone’. The band is considered as the forefront of Welsh traditional music revival. So if you are curious as to how traditional Celtic music sounds like in Wales then you better hear Carreg Lafar.

They have an official site which you can listen to samples before getting the album.You can do this by clicking on the music section. Band members are: Linda Owen Jones (Voice) Antwn Owen Hicks (pipes, pibgorn, voice) Rhian Evan Jones (fiddle) James Rourke (flute, whistle) Danny KilBride (guitar) with guest piper Gafin Morgan. They want to reach wider audience through their MySpace page. I’m getting the hang of their music. What do you think?