              Copyright
Helen Forder
2004
|
The
National Music of Wales ... continued xxxxxxxxxxxxxxpage 7
John
Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia). From Y Cymmrodor, 1878 |
| The first Eisteddfod of
which we have any historical record, was held in
the middle of the seventh century, presided over
by King Cadwaladr; - as it was a prerogative
peculiar to the ancient kings of Britain to
preside at the Eisteddfod or Congress of Bards. |
 |
| A curious
circumstance is related by two Welsh historians,
Dr. John David Rhys and John Rhydderch, as having
occurred upon that occasion:- |
"King Cadwaladr
sat in an Eisteddfod, assembled for the
purpose of regulating the bards, of taking
into consideration their productions and
performances, and of giving laws to music and
poetry. A bard, who played upon the harp in
the presence of this illustrious assembly in
a key called is-gywair, ar y bragod
dannau (in the low pitch and in the
minor or mixed key), which displeased them
much, was censured for the inharmonious
effect he produced. The key in which he
played was that of Pibau Morvydd (i.e.
'Caniad Pibau Morvydd sydd ar y bragod
gywair' - 'The Song of Morvydd's pipes is in
the minor or mixed key.' He was then ordered,
under great penalties, whenever he came
before persons skilful in the art, to adopt
that of Mwynen Gwynedd, 'the
pleasing melody of North Wales,' which the
royal associates first gave out, and
preferred. They even decreed that none could
sing or play with true harmony but with Mwynen
Gwynedd, because that was in a key which
consisted of notes that formed perfect
concords, whilst the other was of a mixed
nature."
|
| I am
strongly impressed with the conviction that the
above incident arose from a general desire to
suppress an attempt to introduce into Wales the
pentatonic, or so-called Scotch scale, where the
fourth and leading notes of the key are omitted,
which accounts for the peculiar, not to say
startling effect, produced upon a cultivated
musical ear by the Scotch bagpipe of the present
day, upon which, the music written for it passes
from major to minor, without the least regard for
the tonic and dominant drones of the original
key, which still continue to sound on to the end
of the perfomance. |
| The
relation of the above incident also shows that
the Welsh were already in possession of a scale
or key, which, by their own showing, consisted of
notes that formed perfect concords; whereas the
other, which they objected to, was of a mixed
nature - neither major nor minor, but a mixture
of the two, which is not altogether an inapt way
of describing the pentatonic, or Scotch scale. |
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