A Very Welsh Thing (IP)

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 01 Apr 2015
  • 2980 reads
9 comments
 

‘Y Gymanfa Ganu’  [Pronunciation: ‘Uh Gum-ann-va Gann-ee’ *= The Singing Festival (of Hymns)]

Post-revival Wales:
love for Jesus falters, fails,
faith, doctrinal knowledge fading
– Sunday crowds are still parading
to the chapels with their books
and, yes, how similar it looks
to when they flowed there, Bibles clasped
but now, it’s hymnals that are grasped –
delight in harmony of choir
replacing eager hearts on fire
drinking in their Saviour’s Word,
with love of hymns and anthems heard
and Psalms unthinkingly intoned
– conducted, practised, mellowed, honed,
for the Festival prepared,
where vast communal singing’s shared;
(no thought to meaning of the song:
‘Is that a temperance song I sang?! –
I liked the power it gave my lung!’).
The preaching seems so vague and boring,
they just enjoy their voices soaring,
united by the bonds of tongue,
and pleasure in a song well-sung.

The chapels emptied, as they found
the ‘singing clubs’ preferred the pubs,
and fervour in a rugby ground –
they may not care to read a Bible,
but love the songs wrought in revival.

‘Cymanfa Ganu’* still are bringing
many to pleasures of 4-part singing.

* pronunciation above, but here, without the definite article the 1st word starts with a hard ‘C’. Actually, as in the picture, strictly I should write the plural here which is ‘Cymanfaoedd’, but that is even harder to pronounce!

[IP: Festival]
 

 

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Comments

Submitted by Bee on

Your meaning carried so well. I guess singing fulfills the emotional need and brings pleasure without too much thought, sometimes. Excellent poem with great rhyme.

Bee

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Bee. I'm glad it was understandable. It was quite emotional getting it down when the word 'Festival' eventually clicked with the memories, and I have sympathy with those who drifted away from chapels that had become just singing clubs, and sympathy with the love for that kind of singing, and these Welsh hymns. It was quite some time before I was awakened to really understanding and loving the meaning of the words in them (and I'm not referring to that temperance one, there! — not that I'm unsympathetic to that movement, either) Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Eds for the cherries, working on these memories meant a lot to me. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Resounds with feeling and rich voices, so precisely put together, and can hear, see and feel it.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, glad to know it read well and conveyed that. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Rhiannon

You tell this story of the decline of chapel attendance, and how the music was part of the attraction, very well. Music has not always been a big part of my church - and in fact when I was a child, few people sang, and there were few occasions to sing. But since then, music has become a huge part of my church going experience - being an organist. And I always remember hearing that a prayer sung was twice as valuable as one just prayed.  I love the modern music with a strong beat and cheery words, but also the great classical type music of the church. The Welsh are so blessed with their beautiful voices and I think their singing must be like a prayer no matter where it is performed, as their very talent is a gift from God - revealed and shared with the world.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I have been so aware of course of how the music became separated from thought about the words, the words being just a kind of music themselves, and found myself amazed to realise what wonderful words I had been singing with little understanding. But yes, I do value good music and it can enhance the prayer and praise well when that is there. I find now that my parents in law enjoy me (quaverinlgy!) singing hymns to them, and that, apart from photographs is what my father in law seems to accept best. They recognise many old hymns, again very much involved with the tunes, but it gives an opportunity to chat a little about the meaning, and also to sing some new ones. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by scratch on

I think that the comments above demonstarte how well you've done with this one Rhiannon.  Reall very good indeed.  Well done.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, very much, Scratch. I do appreciate your comment. Rhiannon