The National Music of Wales ... continued xxxxxxxxxxxxxxpage 2
John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia). From Y Cymmrodor, 1878

With regard to the source whence Britain derived her music and musical instruments, there appears very little doubt but that they were brought from the East, either by the inhabitants, in their original migration, or by the Phoenicians, who, as is well known, had commercial intercourse with Britain from the earliest times.

The Greeks are said to have derived their music, with other arts and sciences, from Cadmus, a Phoenician, and from Cecrops, an Egyptian, who settled in Greece about two thousand years before the Christian era. Consequently, as I have already suggested, if we did not bring our music and musical instruments with us, in our original migration from the East, in all probability, we are indebted for them to the Phoenicians, who were of Hebrew origin - and were supposed to be none others than the Canaanites.

It is a remarkable circumstance, in support of this supposition, that the Welsh word Telynu, "to play upon the harp", is said to signify precisely the same in the Phoenician language. This might go far to account for the harp of David being our national instrument.

The harp, of all instruments, is the one which has been held in the most general esteem, and has for ages been the inseparable companion of prophet, king, bard and minstrel. From the days of Jubal - "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ" - it may be traced through all generations as holding the highest place among the Israelites, as is testified by the Holy Scriptures. For example, Laban reproaches Jacob, his son-in-law, in the following words:-

"Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me? and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp."

Samuel, in his instructions to Saul, after having secretly anointed him king, says:

"And it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city (Bethel), that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them."

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