FTX-054 - MABSANT
WELSH SONGS FROM GLAMORGAN
MABSANT specialise in researching Welsh songs, music and customs. SUSAN GEORGE
(vocals/ guitar/ spoons & concertina) with STUART BROWN (vocals/ bouzouki/
guitar/ recorder & whistle) present a programme of 30 songs and tunes from
Glamorgan, rec by Bob Partridge at Cardiff, 1983. Notes by Susan George.
1. PAN OEDDWN AR DDYDD YN CYD-RHODIO (AS WE ROAMED TOGETHER ONE DAY)
- sung by Susan with guitar - 3'26"
2. DIFYRRWCH GWYR TRELAI (THE DELIGHT OF THE MEN OF ELY)/ CEFN MABLI/
ABERCYNFFIG/ HIRWAUN - Instrumental with whistle & guitar - 3'26"
3. Y WASSAEL (WASSAIL) - sung with whistle & concertina - 2'07"
4. C_N Y CATHREINWR (THE OX-DRIVER'S SONG) - sung by Susan (unacc) -
1'50"
5. Y GWYDD (THE LOOM) - sung with concertina & guitar - 3'04"
6. CANU'R BUGAIL (THE GOATHERD'S SONG) - sung with whistle & guitar
- 2'03"
7. Y BORE GLAS (THE FRESH MORNING)/ (Y DERYN DDU PIGFELYN (THE BLACKBIRD
FROM PYGFELYN) - As #6 - 3'30"
8. Y FERCH A GOLLWS EI PHAIS (THE LADY THAT LOST HER PETTICOAT) - as
#6 - 3'02"
9. HOFFDER IOLO MORGANNWG (IOLO'S DELIGHT)/ PYSGOTWYR GLYN NEDD (NEATH
VALLEY FISHERMEN) - Instrumental with whistle & bouzouki - 1'30"
10. FFOLES LLANTRISANT (THE MERRY GIRL OF LLANTRISANT) - As #6 - 3'04"
11. AR BEN WEUN TREDEGER (ON TREDEGAR COMMON) - 2'03"
12. Y FERCH O BLWYF PENDERYN (THE GIRL FROM PENDERYN) - Instrumental
with whistle & guitar - 0'50"
13. YM MHONTYPRIDD MAE 'NGHARIAD (MY LOVE IS IN PONTYPRIDD) - sung by
Susan with bouzouki - 1'47"
14. FFAIR CAERFFILI (CAERPHILLY FAIR) - Instrumental with whistle, guitar & spoons - 2'37"
15. COED GLYN CYNON (GLYN CYNON WOODS) - sung by Susan with bouzouki & guitar - 4'07"
16. LLWYDCOED - Instrumental with whistle & guitar - 1'17"
17. C N Y CARDI (SONG OF THE CARDIGANSHIRE MAN) - as #6 - 2'04"
18. EMYN Y GLOWR (THE MINER'S HYMN)/ PRIS Y GLO (THE PRICE OF COAL)
- sung with concertina - 2'07"
19. YMDAITH GWYR CYFARTHFA (MARCH OF THE MEN OF CYFARTHFA)/ MWYNEN MERTHYR
(FAIR LADIES OF MERTHYR)/ DIFYRRWCH DIC DYWYLL (DELIGHT OF DICK JEWELL)/
BALEDWYR MERTHYR (BALLAD SINGERS OF MERTHYR)/ MARCH - Instrumental as
#2 - 4'44"
20. CAN Y 'WECH AWR (SONG OF THE SIX HOURS) - as #15 - 3'17"
21. FFARWEL I LANGFELACH LON (FAREWEWELL TO FAIR LLANGYFELACH) - sung
unacc & with guitar - 6'17"
Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1983.
NOTES TO TRACKS
#1 - From ANCIENT NATIONAL AIRS OF GWENT & MORGANNWG, ed. Maria Jane Williams,
Abergwm (1844). Collected at a Gwl Mabsant, a celebration by each village of
its patron saint's day, starting with a church service in the morning and developing
into dancing, singing and drinking later in the day.
#2 - 4 odd tunes from ALOWON FY 'NGWLAD, ed. Nicholas Bennett (1896), each
linked to a Glamorgan town.
#3 - From the same collection as #1. New Year Carol, also used for the MARI
LWYD (GREY MARE), when the Begging Horse party left one house to move onto the
next house to be visited with challenging verses - See FT-050.
#4 - From CANEUON LLAFAR GWLAD ed. Roy Saer (1974) from the singing of John
Thomas of Wenf" who learned it while helping to plough, near St. Nicholas, 1878.
#5 - As #1 - a moralising song which compares the threads of the loom with
those of life itself.
#6 - As #1 - tune from a blind harpist at Pontneddfechan in the Neath valley;
words from an Iolo Morgannwg. Ms. This is one of 7 versions of CYFRI'R GEIFR
(COUNTING THE GOATS) often sung by children.
#7 - As #1 - two love songs, with birds acting as messengers of love.
#8 - Words probably by Iolo Morgannwg; tune by Stuart. The lady goes out and
drinks rather a lot and 9 months later finds that her stomach has grown to meet
her nose !
#9 - As #2.
#10 - As #1 - claimed to come from Iolo Ms. Mabsant, by the way, live at Llantrisant.
#11 - FOLKSONGS OF BRITAIN & IRELAND ed. Peter Kennedy (1975) from Sam
y Delyn Davies, Pontrhydyfen. A love song and a "cfn hen benillion" (song with
floating verses).
#12 - As #1 where it is called CALLYN SERCHUS (Charming Kate) with added words
by David Nicholas. In 1890 David Jenkins altered the air and added the words "Rwy'n caru Ferch o Blwyf Penderyn".
#13 - From David Thomas, Llandysul (Dyfed), 1850's.
#14 - From Margaretta Thomas, Nantgarw.
#15 - Words in OXFORD BOOK OF WELSH VERSE ed.T.Parry (1962) stated as Anon
16th Century verse. Tune by Stuart. Complains of English ironmasters chopping
down the forests for their furnaces.
#16 - As #2.
#17 - from the singing of Ivor Owen, first publ. in Y DARIAN (1928) from Gwilym
Griffiths, Trealaw, Rhondda. Tells of a "Cardi", happy with his new life as
a miner in the Rhondda and with the "small yellow beer".
#18 - 1st from Walter Haydn Davies, Bargoed & Ivor Owen, Cardiff. Tune
of "Emyn y Glowr", Rhondda hymn. 2nd uses the Welsh National Anthem tune by
James James, Pontypridd. Both songs bewail the lot of the miner.
#19 - All tunes related to the Merthyr area. Dick Jewell was well-known there
too.
#20 - By Bardd Abel Crwst (Gwynedd). Not the original title but shortened from
its 19-word original ! Words from BALEDI MORGANNWG ed. Ben B.Thomas; tune is
that of the British ballad, "Palatine Man".
#21 - By Siemsyn Twrbil of Trelai. Ashton suggests that this ballad dates from
1809, the Napoleonic Wars being the destination for which our hero leaves his
native village and Glamorgan
