The National Music of Wales ... continued xxxxxxxxxxxxxpage10
John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia). From Y Cymmrodor, 1878

The circumstance of Irish names being attached to the twenty-four musical measures in the ancient manuscript, has led many historians to the erroneous conclusion that Wales derived the whole of her music from Ireland, at the time of Gruffydd ab Cynan; when, as is alleged, the measures were constructed.

Even Welsh chroniclers, such as Giraldus Cambrensis, Caradoc, Powel, and others, have made this statement in their works upon the strength of the circumstance alluded to; therefore, it is not surprising that modern writers, such as Gunn, Walker, Bunting, Sir John Hawkins, and others, should have been deceived by relying upon such apparently good authority. But, independently of the extreme dissimilarity of the Welsh and Irish music that has been handed down to us, it so happens that other parts of the same document bear ample testimony to the contrary. The Welsh had their twenty-four metres in poetry as well as their twenty-four athletic games; and the following circumstance will show that they also possessed their twenty-four musical measures centuries prior to the Congress held by Gryffudd ab Cynan.

Among the ancient pieces included in the manuscript, is one bearing the following title, Gosteg yr Halen ("Prelude to the Salt"), and at the end is the following account concerning it:

"Tervyn Gosteg yr Halen, yr hon a vyddid yn ei chanu o vlaen Marchogion Arthur pan roid y Sallter a'r halen ar y bwrdd."
"Here ends the Prelude to the Salt, which used to be performed before the knights of King Arthur, when the Salter was placed upon the table."

As one part of the manuscript must be considered as authentic as another, the above composition takes us as far back as the middle of the sixth century - the time when King Arthur flourished; and the composition is written in one of the twenty-four measures - Mac Mwn byr - as may be seen by the copy which I have deciphered and published in the second edition of Myvyrian Archæology. It is also asserted that even the keys used in Welsh music were brought over from Ireland at the same time as the twenty-four measures - that is, in the reign of Gruffydd ab Cynan.
There are five keys mentioned in Welsh music:

1. Is-gywair - the low key, or key of C.
2. Cras-gywair - the sharp key, or key of G.
3. Lleddf-gywair - the flat key, or key of F.
4. Go-gywair - the key with a flat, or minor third; the remainder of the scale, in every other respect, being major.
5. Bragod-gywair - called the minor or mixed key.

back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 next