Sleeve Notes

1.  Yr Aelwd yn yr Hafod
Trad arr Gwenan Gibbard ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - Harp, vocals
Martin Allcock - guitar, bouzar, bass
Stephen P. Rees - fiddle, whistle
Dafydd Roberts - flute

A song published in (Journal of the Welsh Folk Song Society), 2008 sent to the journal by Buddug Lloyd Roberts, the song was noted by Tal Griffiths, Pwllheli, from the singing of Thomas John Roberts, Pwllheli, in 1945. It tells of the homely pursuits of a family of country folk, settle by the fireside on a winter's evening - a picture of diligent contentment, from mother's knitting, the maid's candlemaking and father's singing to Huw's clog making. But out in the cold back kitchen another maid sits glum and shivering, waiting in the moonlight for her sweetheart, Wil. And all the while, on the fire the porridge bubbles merrily away in the pot, thickened nicely by the occasional wood shaving from Huw's clogs!

2.  Pibddawns Rhif Un*/ Pibddawns Heol y Felin**/ Y Bibddawns Ffansi**
* D. Math Roberts, arr. Gwenan Gibbard ©Sain
** Trad arr Gwenab Gibbard ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp
Maartin Allcock - guitar, bouzar, bass, shaker

A brand new hornpipe followed by two from the repertoire of 19th century harpist, Llewelyn Alaw (1828-1879). Pibddawns Heol y Felin was composed by John Jones, Harper of Lanofer.

3. Tros y Môr
Gwenan Gibbard trad ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp,vocals
Angharad Jenkins - fiddle

Old traditional verses expressing a young girl's longing for her sailor sweetheart who is far away on foreign seas.

4.  Lliw Gwyn Rhosyn yr Haf
Trad, arr Gwenan Gibbard ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp, vocals
Maartin Allcock - guitar, bouzar, bass
Stephen P. Rees - fiddle

A tounge in cheek traditional song in dialogue form, where the man tries his best to win over his loved one. After failing miserably at first, by the end of the song the girl finally succumbs to his charms! First published in the journal of the Welsh Folk Song Society in 1910.

5.  Hufen y Cwrw Melyn
Trad arr Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp
Maartin Allcock - guitar, bass

An old Welsh melody which features in the published collection by Welsh harpist John Parry 'Bard Alaw' : The Welsh Harper (1839)

6.  Trafaeliais y Byd
Trad, Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp, voice, accordion

This song was amongst a collection of unpublished songs entered for a competition in the Llanfachreth Eisteddfod, 1922. Only one verse was noted. The following verses come from another song which Dr J Lloyd Williams heard from the singing of Dafydd Cadwaladr, an old sailor from Cricieth.

7.  Y Polaca Cymreig / Dafydd Ifan Tomos / Ymdaith yr Yswain
Trad, arr Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp
Maartin Allcock - guitar
Stephen P. Rees - fiddle
Dafydd Roberts - flute

Y Polaca Cymreig is another from the repertoire of  Llewelyn Alaw, and is followed by a popular Welsh polka from the collection of Nicholas Bennet, Alawon fy Ngwlad (1896). The last tune is one of the old popular traditional harp airs which is still often used for singing Cerdd Dant (the unique and ancient Welsh tradition of singing poetry to the accompaniment of the harp.)

8.  Gwenno Tir Mawn
Nan Elis, arr. Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain; ©Trebor Roberts

Gwenan Gibbard - harp, vocals
Maartin Allcock - guitar, bouzar.
Angharad Jenkins - Fiddle

The poet Trebor Roberts here gives us a vivid description of Gwenno Tir Mawn and the simple life she led in her remote cottage in the highlands of rural Wales.

9.  Yr Hafren / Heulwen Haf
Trad, arr Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain.
Haydn Morris, arr, Gwenan Gibbard ©Snell

Gwenan Gibbard - harp
Stephen P. Rees - fiddle

Another of the old traditional harp airs, followed by a beautiful melody by Haydn Morris, from Llanelli - a prominent figure in the Cerdd Dant field in Wales during the first half of the 20th century.

10.  Ymdaith Gwyr Machynlleth / Jig Pen Tennyn / Shonc Bogel
Trad, arr. Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp
Maartin Allcock - guitar, bouzar, bass

The first jig comes from Nicholas Bennett's collection while the second came to me while I was looking for a suitable tune to be included in this set. Shonc Bogel is an old tune which has been popular in Wales for centuries. It featured in the collection of the 18th century fiddler John Thomas.

11.  Y Sgwner Tri Mast
Trad arr, Gwenan Gibbard; ©J. Glyn Davies

Gwenan Gibbard - harp, voice, accordion

One of J Glyn Davies' songs from his published collection of sea shanties, Cerddi Portinllaen. Although it is a variant on the old tune Spanish Ladies, in J Glyn Davies' words: "This tune goes too far back in my memory to be sure of the source of this version. I may have picked it up in Liverpool about the Sailors' Home, or in the Welsh Harp pub, or in the Llyn Peninsula". The song is an old seaman's romantic recollection of happier times on board one of the three-mast schooners which often sailed from the busy, bustling harbour of Portinllaen on the beautiful coast of north west Wales to all parts of the world. The launch of a new ship was a big event and often coincided with the launch of brown paper model yachts on a small duck-pond near Nefyn, called 'Pwll Pen yr Allt'.

12.  Hen Benillion
Trad, arr. Gwenan Gibbard, ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp, voice
Maartin Allcock - guitar, bouzar, bass, shaker, glockenspiel
Dewi Ellis Jones - triangle

Old traditional verses praising the virtues of the harp and all things associated with it.

13.  Cân y Lleisoniaid / Cân y Droell Fach
Trad, arr Gwenan Gibbard ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp

The song of the Leyshon family, Glyn Neath. A song published in Maria Jane Williams' Ancient National Airs of Gwent and Morgannwg (1844), which is also found as an instrumental melody in Dr J Lloyd Williams' manuscript collection. The second tune was collected by Lady Ruth Herbert Lewis in 1913 from the singing of Henry Williams, an old weaver of Llansannan, who said they used to sing it at the factory there while spinning.  

14.  Cwicstep Cwm Bach / Y Bwced / Cadw Twmpath
Trad arr Gwenan Gibbard ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp
Kuljit Bhamran - agogo, darbuka, dholak, kashish, manjira, tabla

An unusual tune from Llewelyn Alaw's collection followed by two popular slip jigs. Meeting Kuljit on the Distill music course in Trigonos, Nantlle, led to this collaboration.

15.  Paid a Deud
Trad arr Gwenan Gibbard ©Sain

Gwenan Gibbard - harp, vocals
Stephen P. Rees - fiddle

A sweet sad song with hard words of advice. If you are heart broken, tell no one as no one will mend it for you. On the other hand, if you find happiness and success, again tell no one lest it should all slip through your fingers as you boast of it.