Tag: Welsh triple harp

Llio Rhydderch – “Concerto’r Telynwyr” (Concerto of the Harpists).

Hi guys! 🙂 

 

Today I’d like to share with you something else by Llio Rhydderch, a harpist from Anglesey who plays the Welsh triple harp. This very lush piece comes from her album Telyn (Harp). 

 

Robin Huw Bowen – “All Through the Night”.

   Hey people! 🙂 

   For today, I want to share with you this quite famous Welsh lullaby, also known as Ar Hyd y Nos in Welsh, and played by Robin Huw Bowen on the Welsh triple harp. I’ve shared one other piece by Robin Huw Bowen before, namely Ymadawiad y Brenin. I have also shared a different version of this song, sung by Meinir Gwilym. 

Song of the day (18th March) – Llio Rhydderch – “Yr Hufen Melyn a Mathafarn” (The Yellow Cream and Mathafarn).

   Let’s listen to this traditional Welsh tune known under a whole lot of different names. I’ve already shared a version of this tune called Hufen  y Cwrw Melyn played by Gwenan Gibbard. It is also known as Mathafarn. There seem to be quite a few places called Mathafarn in Wales, so the alternative name of this tune must refer to one of them. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Alawon Môn – Anglesey Tunes”.

   Hey all you people! 🙂 

   Today I’d like to share with you something else from Llio Rhydderch, the Welsh triple harp player, and definitely my favourite one out of those triple harp players with whose music I’m familiar with. This is a set of three different traditional Welsh tunes, which originate from Llio’s native isle of Anglesey, including the popular Lisa Language (Fair Lisa), which I’ve shared on here in a few different versions before. 

Elinor Bennett & Meinir Heulyn – “Cader Idris” (Idris’ Chair).

   And for today I would like to share with you another harp piece, this time a Welsh one. It is played by Elinor Bennett and Meinir Heulyn, both of whom play classical as well as Welsh traditional music. Elinor Bennett is actually the mother-in-law and former teacher of another acclaimed Welsh harpist – Catrin Finch, whose music has been featured here many times before. – The title of this tune refers to a mountain in Snowdonia of the same name, about which I’ve written more in the past, as I’ve featured two songs about the same mountain before, one by Rachel Newton and the other by the Harriet Earis Trio. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Mwynen Machno” (The Enjoyment of Machno).

    Hey people! 🙂 

   Today, I want to share with you a traditional tune from the Conwy Valley, played on the Welsh triple harp by Llio Rhydderch. I know that there is a Machno Valley somewhere in Conwy, and a village called Penmachno and some other similar placenames in that area, so the tune’s name must have to do with one of them or the whole area. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Anhawdd Ymadael” (Difficult to Depart).

   Hey dear people! 🙂 

   Today I’d like to share with you yet another piece from the great Welsh harpist from Anglesey, Llio Rhydderch, who plays the Welsh triple harp. Her music has been featured on here quite a few times, and this particular tune comes from her album titled Sir Fôn Bach (Little Anglesey). This is a traditional Welsh farewell tune, but sadly I don’t really know anything beyond that about it. Still, I think it is beautiful. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Y Tincer Bach” (The Little Tinker).

   Hey people! 🙂 

   For today, I have for you another piece from the Welsh harpist Llio Rhydderch, coming from her album Carn Ingli recorded together with Mark O’Connor and Tomos Williams. This seems to be Llio’s arrangement of a tune that’s otherwise known as Y Bachgen Bach o Dincer (The Little Tinker Lad) which I think I first heard sung by Yr Hwntws and which I believe is a traditional Welsh folk song. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Ar Lan y Môr – On the Sea Shore”.

   Hey people! 🙂 

   I guess I haven’t shared anything from Llio Rhydderch – the Welsh harpist from Anglesey who plays the Welsh triple harp and whose music I really really love. – Llio records her own compositions for the most part, at least as far as I’m aware, but this is a traditional and incredibly popular Welsh folk tune. I’ve already shared one version of it in the past, played on the Eos harp and sung by Bethan Nia and in that post I wrote more about this song. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Melangell”.

   Hiya people! 🙂 

   Today I’d like to share with you this beautiful and delightfully long piece played by Llio Rhydderch, the Welsh triple harp player whose music I really love and have shared on here many times. This is the title track from her album Melangell. Melangell is a Welsh feminine name said to originate from the Welsh words mêl meaning honey, and angell meaning angel. It’s the name of a Welsh early saint who is considered a patron saint of little creatures and whose feast day is on 27 May, her name can be also latinised as Monacella. I’ve actually once shared a song about her sung by Plu. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Yr Hen Amarylis” (The Old Amaryllis).

   Hey people! 🙂 

   For today, I’d like to share one more piece played on the Welsh triple harp by Llio Rhydderch with you. It comes from her album called Carn Ingli which she recorded together with Mark O-Connor and Tomos Williams and I’ve already shared several tunes from this album, but in this particular piece we can only hear the harp. I believe this is Llio’s own composition. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Waltz Trefforest” (Treforest Waltz).

   And for today, I thought I’d share with you another lovely tune played by Welsh triple harpist Llio Rhydderch. This time it’s a traditional three-part Welsh waltz whose name refers to a village in Wales near Pontypridd called Treforest, or Trefforest in Welsh. 

Llio Rhydderch ft. Tomos Williams – “Cobler Coch o Hengoed” (Red Cobbler From Hengoed).

   Hey people! 🙂 

   For today I have for you a traditional Welsh tune, from Llio Rhydderch’s album Carn Ingli on which she collaborates with Tomos Williams who plays the trumpet and Mark O’Connor on percussion. The Hengoed mentioned in the title of this song is a Welsh village in the county of Glamorgan. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Gorweddwch Eich Hun – Sleep Your Slumber”.

   Hiya people! 🙂 

   Today I have a lovely Welsh triple harp piece for you from Llio Rhydderch. I think the English translation of the title isn’t meant to be literal, or perhaps it’s not even meant to be a translation of the title but simply a subtitle or something like that, because as far as I know gorwedd in Welsh means to lie, as in to lie down, whereas eich hun means yourself, in a formal way. So I would translate it as something like Lay [Yourself] Down or something similar. But Sleep Your SLumber sounds a lot better, and it gives you an idea about it anyway. 

Llio Rhydderch – “Beth Yw’r Haf I Mi (Llawenydd A Fu)” (What is Summer To Me (Bygone Joy).

   Hiya people! 🙂 

   Today I’d like to share with you a delightfully long piece with quite a sentimental feel to it, by the amazing Welsh triple harpist Llio Rhydderch whose music I’ve shared on here many times before. I believe it’s her original composition, though I’m not sure if I’ve translated its title correctly, more exactly whether “a fu” does actually mean bygone. I think it’s a really beautiful piece, as all Llio’s music. 

Robin Huw Bowen – “Ymadawiad y Brenin” (The King’s Departure).

Hey people! 🙂

There’s quite a strong stereotype going that harp, whichever kind of harp that may be, is a very feminine instrument and I’ve even heard people say that it’s somehow strange when a man plays it. I don’t really understand why we need to consider it as such an almost exclusively feminine instrument, and I think it’s interesting to learn about men who choose to play the harp as well. So for today I decided to share with you a piece of music played by Welsh triple harpist – Robin Huw Bowen – who is one of the most influential people in his field currently. This version is the only one of this tune that I’ve heard so far but from what I understand it does have lyrics and it was written by John Thomas. I’ve heard it described as a Welsh war song and I’d love to know more on its history, like what exactly it’s connected to, is it about any of the actual Welsh kings etc. but wasn’t able to find much. Still, it sounds great and I love its majestic feel.

Llio Rhydderch – “Ffarwell i Gymru” (Farewell to Wales).

Hiya people! 🙂

For today, I’d like to share with you a piece from the Welsh triple harpist whose name you’re probably very familiar with from my blog already. This hiraethful (or hiraethus in the actual Welsh language; if you don’t know what hiraeth is, you can read

this Wikipedia article

although it’s very far from exhaustive, but is always something to start with) piece is definitely one of my favourites by her, though of course nothing can beat

Gwenllian.

Nansi Richards – “Cainc Dona” (Dona’s Tune).

Hey people! 🙂

For today I chose another tune from the amazing late Welsh harpist Nansi Richards, also known as Telynores Maldwyn. I’m not exactly sure whether cainc indeed means tune, ’cause it also means things like branch and I guess several other things, but in this context I suppose it’s meant to mean tune.