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 instrument with 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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