Call me a skeptic, but I didn’t believe a 19th century Welsh tradition could be pulled off successfully in a 21st century Covid-ridden technology driven world. How wrong I was. On a Saturday afternoon in September the Welsh Society of Western New England held an on-line Zoom Noson Lawen and celebration of Owain Glyndwr Day to celebrate Welsh literature, music, song and history… And celebrate we did! If you didn’t join us, you missed a real treat.
24 international guests at the Noson Lawen
The afternoon began with nine members of Hogia’r Bonc, a small men’s voice choir from Bethesda, North Wales. Introduced by Alun Davies and Maldwyn Pritchard, they first sang Moliannwn which was beautifully described by Maldwyn, followed by Arglwydd Gad i’m Dawel Orffwys, which was filmed especially for us, on a hillside in Bethesda. What a start to the afternoon.
Member Heidi Williams McClosky’s own Eisteddfod-entry emotion-filled poem was next, bringing our first tears of the day. Member and Welsh language learner David Owens was next reading Y Pin/The Pine by Saunders Lewis both in Welsh and English. Wena Evans, originally from Old Colwyn, North Wales, now of Liverpool, entertained us with a reading of Eifionydd by R. Williams Parry, first describing the setting near Porthmadog and Pwllheli and the magical Y Lôn Goed, a place of pilgrimage for Welsh language poetry lovers and a sanctuary at the heart of the Eiffionydd countryside (landoflegends.wales). This place is going on my list of must visit when I’m next in Wales.
Alcwyn Rogers, who hails from Carmarthenshire, and is now a member of the Vancouver Welsh Society, Canada read the poem Aberdaron by Cynan. Alcwyn had us join in with the last two lines of each stanza “Ond creigiau Aberdaron, A thonnau Gwylit y Mor.”
WSWNE Board Member, Shirley Jones Gilmartin, originally from Aberdare, read “Between two pieces of Toffee” by Kate Roberts. So enthralled were we by her storytelling that she had us pulling for Dafydd who was trying so hard to convince Geini to marry him.
Howard Davies, WSWNE member originally from Bethesda, now of Connecticut, led the celebration of Owain Glyndwr by reading our hero’s dramatic life story and sharing a picture of the statue of Glyndwr on horseback in Corwen, North Wales. That was followed by member John Bollard, a medieval Welsh history, literature and poetry professor at Amherst College, who explained the context of and read a 15th century letter written by Owain Glyndwr to Henry Dwr with details of the rebellion. What a treat!
Glynn Dowden, WSWNE Board Member, our resident Dylan Thomas and poet in his own right, originally from South Wales, read his poem “Our Gwyn”, which is set in South Wales.
Member Josh and his son
The afternoon’s final performance was brought to us by WSWNE member band Beth Bynnag Tad, including a 9 year old who played her ukulele and sang “Sospan Bach” in Welsh, accompanied by dad on his guitar; his son played “Ar Hyd Y Nos” on the viola; and finally dad on guitar with his other son on an African djembe drum, finished the evening with “Martha a Mair” by Huw M. It was wonderful.
Magdalen Dowden served very graciously as Mistress of Ceremonies and our President, Susan Davies Sit, brought our international time together from New England, Vancouver Canada, North Wales and England to a very happy audience. Looking forward to the next Noson Lawen-on-Zoom, and I would encourage every Welsh Society to go for it.
By Susan Jenkins Meers and Susan Davies Sit