              Copyright
Helen Forder
2004
|
The
National Music of Wales ... continued xxxxxxxxxxxxxpage11
John
Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia). From Y Cymmrodor, 1878 |
| Another piece included
in the manuscript is Caniad Pibau Morvydd, "The
Song of Morvydd's Pipes," the composition
already alluded to, as having been performed on
the harp by a bard at the Eisteddvod presided
over by King Cadwaladr in the seventh century;
and it happens to be in one of the above keys; Caniad
Pibau Morvydd sydd ar y Bragod dannau, "The
song of Morvydd's Pipes is in the minor or mixed
key." It is hoped, therefore, that the
insertion of the above historical note may be
considered a conclusive reply to such a
mis-statement. |
 |
| The
twenty-four measures - which consisted of a given
number of repetitions of the chords of the tonic
and dominant, according to the length of each
measure - do not appear in the music of Wales
after the date to which the manuscript refers
(A.D. 1040), a circumstance which may be
considered most fortunate; for, although most
ingeniously contrived and well adapted to the
purpose for which they were intended at that
early period, viz., for the guidance of
performers on the harp and crwth - the latter
being used as an accompaniment to the harp - had
such rules remained in force, they would have had
the effect of rendering our national music
intensely monotonous and uninteresting, and would
have thoroughly destroyed all freedom of
imagination in musical composition; whereas, the
national music of Wales is remarkable for its
beauty of melody, richness of harmony, and
variety of construction. It is also exceedingly
diatonic, which evidently arose from the
difficulty of modulating upon the ancient harp,
which had but one row of strings; although it is
said that the performer had a method of producing
an occasional accidental, by pressing the string
with the thumb and first finger. |
| Davydd ab
Gwilym, who flourished about the fourteenth
century, alludes, with much enthusiasm, in one of
his poems, to the harp strung with glossy black
hair; supposed to have been the instrument upon
which the undergraduates were obliged to study
until they took a degree. He also mentions an
Irish harp which had found its way into Wales in
his time; and he speaks disparagingly of it, on
account of the ugliness of its shape and the
harshness of its tone - being strung with wire
and played upon, to quote his own words,
"with a horny nail of unpleasant form".
The Irish harper allowed his nails to grow long,
and cut them to a point, like the quills of a
spinnet. Therefore, the severest punishment that
could be inflicted upon him, was to cut his nails
short, as it took considerable time for them to
grow long enough to admit of his playing again. |
| Between
this time and the sixteenth century a great
improvement took place, in the invention of a
harp with two rows of strings, consisting of the
diatonic scale on the right side from the upper
part down to the centre of the instrumentwith
another row of accidentals on the opposite side,
to be played, whenever required, by putting the
finger through; and the diatonic scale continued
on the left side from the centre to the lower
part of the instrument with the accidentals on
the other row on the opposite side. This
arrangement shows that the harp was held on the
right shoulder, and played upon with the right
hand in the treble and with the left hand in the
bass. |
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