Llun trwy Garedigrwydd Archifau a Chasgliadau Arbennig, Prifysgol Bangor
Photograph courtesy of Archives and Special Collections, Bangor University
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Dyma ‘Grisial Ground’ sydd ar dudalen 4 o lawysgrif Bangor 851, sef llawysgrif o alawon gan Ffowc Roberts (gallwch weld mwy o wybodaeth am lawysgrif Ffowc Roberts yma).
Mae’r enw ‘Grisial Ground’ yn cyfateb i ‘Crystal Ground’, sef cân sy’n ymddangos yng nghasgliad F.J.Haydn o ganeuon gwerin Cymraeg (H. 31b/15, 1809/17). Mae alaw Haydn yn debyg iawn i alaw ‘Grisial Ground’ a welwn yng nghyfrol Bardic Museum Edward Jones (Bardd y Brenin) o 1802. Mae alaw Haydn hefyd efallai’n fwy adnabyddus na’r un hon. Mae’r ddwy alaw yn 3/4, ond heblaw am hynny maent yn alawon tra wahanol.
Wrth chwarae’r alaw hon rwyf wedi penderfynu creu drôn ar y nodau A ac E i efelychu’r grwndfas sy’n cael ei awgrymu yn y teitl, ond byddai modd chwarae’r alaw yn effeithiol gyda harmonïau mwy cymhleth hefyd.
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This is ‘Grisial Ground’, which roughly translates to ‘Crystal Ground’. It’s found on page 4 of the Bangor 851 manuscript, which is Ffowc Roberts’ manuscript (you can find more information about the Ffowc Roberts manuscript here).
The name ‘Grisial Ground’ corresponds to ‘Crystal Ground’, which is a song that appears in F.J. Haydns’s collection of Welsh Folksongs (H. 31b/15, 1809-17). The melody used by Haydn is very similar to the tune of ‘Grisial Ground’ that we see in Edward Jones’ collection, ‘Bardic Museum‘ from 1802. Haydn’s version of the tune is slightly better known than this one. Both versions are in 3/4, but they are very different tunes.
While playing this tune, I’ve decided to create a drone on A and E, to reflect the idea of a groundbase, which is suggested in the title. But the tune could be played effectively with more complicated chords as well.
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Ewch yma i weld yr alaw mewn nodiant safonol/Click here to see the tune in standard notation: Grisial Ground
Dyma nodiant abc o’r alaw/Here’s the melody in abc notation: Grisial Ground
Dyma fi yn chwarae’r alaw ar y ffidil, os hoffech ddygsgu’r alaw wrth glust:
Here’s me playing the melody on the fiddle, if you’d like to learn the tune by listening:
Alawon Bangor 