Some remarks on certain vocal traditions in Wales

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

24-25

text excerpt

In August 1907, my mother, who was then 77 years of age, but was nevertheless able to sing with extreme accuracy of intonation, and had (and has) a marvellous memory, sang to me parts of two ballads in the manner in which she had heard Dic Tywyll sing them in the streets of Carnarvon in the thirty’s. These were quite different in their intonation from the “Deryn Du”, which I have previously mentioned, and which, as I have said, she sang in the pure harmonic scale. And it was curious to see how definite was her recollection of the tune as it had been sung so long ago. I heard the interval of a minor third extended by a quarter-tone, and I understood quite well what she was about, but I made believe to think it was a minor third. “No, that wasn’t the sound of it.” Then I sang the interval of a major third. “No, that’s too much.” Then I gave the intermediate interval. “That’s right now.”... This [“Morgan Jones”] was a ballad of twenty-seven verses, recounting the woes of two fond lovers, the one a lady of high degree, the other a humble swain, which was as interesting to the children of Carnarvon as a three-volume novel, and more so.... Dic Tywyll was not strictly consistent in his intonation throughout, but he seems to have always sung the ballad in the same way, and he always followed it up with another, “Lliw gwyn, Rhosyn yr Haf”, to dissipate the grief occasioned by the sad death of both the fond lovers in the melancholy ballad of “Morgan Jones”.

excerpt from 'Some remarks on certain vocal traditions in Wales' pp. 24-25 (290 words)

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1518710161575