"A Place Called Rhondda"
A Nation of Amens
by
Denis Scott
Many years ago,
On any given Sunday
You could hear the voices
Ringing out long
In a place you would love to go.
Church or Chapel
It didn't matter,
It was the custom, you know
Appropriate for this Land of Song.
It would be the same
In every Welsh village
So many years ago.
But today it's different,
So many reasons not to go.
They could not read staff notation back then,
Oh! No.
So Mr. John Curwen
Developed Tonic Solfa.
An easier, simpler musical notation that
Opened up a new world
Of choral singing,
In the Valleys
So many years ago.
Choral singing,
Born in vestries
Of chapels and churches
Gave birth to Cymanfa Ganu
And then,
Warrior clans of song,
Battling it out
At Eisteddfodau,
Singing gloriously all day long.
Soaring arches of the old Churches
Inspired soaring music long ago.
Matched with soaring voices,
A simple Amen at the end
Of,
"Llef",
Or
"Tydi a Rhoddaist",
Would not the wondrous voices lend.
For choral singing
Is in the blood of the Welsh.
Interpretation, the Welsh way,
Created a gradual ascendancy
Until the climactic finish;
A-a-a-men,
A-a-a-men
A-a-a-men!
Rang true,
In a place called Rhondda,
Many years ago.
Natural harmony,
God's gift
To Welsh men;
Made them warriors of song.
The women sing well too, mind you,
But with the Sopranos'
Forever above them,
The harmony could not blend.
Rhondda male voice choirs
Such as:
Treorchy Male Choir 1883/1946,
Pendyrus Male Voice Choir 1924,
Côr Meibion Morlais 1928,
Côr Meíbion Cwm Rhondda 1999,
And smaller Rhondda choirs
Were made to last.
And in the Rhondda of today,
They maintain the great tradition
Of the past.
The spirit of William Williams
Anglican Minister and composer
Of hymns in years long ago,
Would rejoice,
Hearing in Heaven
Welsh choristers
Conducted by Caradog,
Singing in full voice.
Sing on boys!
Let your voices soar.
Let not the material world
Destroy the timing of the oar.
Pull together, men of song,
Yet may you explore
The wondrous world of music
Created by men of yore.
If you wish to further explore the past,
doublick click on the links below:
"A Welsh RareBite"
"Only For A Day"
"Valley Green"
"Those Men in White"
Wales v England 1999
"The Oasis"
"Lost Songs"
If you wish to correspond with Denis
please select:
Denis Scott