Prosiect y Plygain

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-# We'll sail

-# On the wings of prayer

-# To Bethlehem #

-The singing of Plygain carols...

-..is rooted deeply

-in Welsh folk music tradition...

-..nowhere more so

-than here in Montgomeryshire.

-The original name refers to

-a Christmas morning church service.

-The services are held nowadays...

-..in the evenings

-during December and January.

-# Sing joyful praises

-to Jesus, our Saviour #

-The Plygain was once

-commonplace all over Wales.

-But the tradition remains strong

-in north-east Montgomeryshire.

-The carols have been passed down

-from generation to generation...

-..for more than four centuries.

-# To conquer our enemies

-# He came down

-from heaven to earth #

-Rhys Mwyn is originally

-from Llanfair Caereinion.

-The 1970s and 1980s punk rocker...

-..has been an influential

-and controversial figure...

-..in the contemporary Welsh music

-scene for the past 20 years.

-I remember thinking in 1982 we

-should look at traditional elements.

-In a way, during that time...

-..people began to experiment

-with music from all over the world.

-I wasn't influenced by the cultural

-traditions of Montgomeryshire.

-In fact, I rebelled

-against all that was traditional.

-We've played cultural catch-up

-to reach this point.

-We can now progress...

-..from promoting Welsh language

-rock music to start experimenting.

-This project involves me searching

-for and focusing on my roots.

-Having always ignored

-the Plygain tradition...

-..Rhys has decided to immerse

-himself in Plygain carols.

-He's hosting an evening

-of Plygain singing...

-..with contemporary folk musicians

-and traditional Plygain singers.

-He wants to record the evening at

-Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa church...

-..five days

-after the Plygain Fawr service.

-This is the highlight

-of the tradition's annual calendar.

-# May the residents

-of the earth unite in song #

-But how far will Rhys's Plygain

-stray from Plygain conventions?

-Traditionally,

-the service is open to everyone.

-No programme

-is prepared beforehand.

-Everyone sings unaccompanied.

-There may be a variety of

-soloists, duets, trios, quartets...

-..but no choir.

-A tuning fork pitches the note

-rather than an organ.

-Repeating either a tune or words

-is disallowed.

-They must always sing with a copy.

-The technique

-should be simple and unassuming...

-..in keeping with the principle

-of folk singing and cerdd dant.

-I'm arranging

-an alternative Plygain.

-We're inviting contemporary folk

-artistes and local Plygain singers.

-Do you sing Plygain music?

-I'm talking to local Plygain singers

-to ensure we don't leave anyone out.

-I don't know them all -

-I don't know who's who.

-I'll see you

-on Sunday night in the Plygain Fawr.

-The Llanfihangel Plygain on

-the second Sunday of the New Year...

-..is a long-established Plygain.

-We initially thought...

-..of holding our event

-the following week.

-In that Plygain, we could publicize

-the event and hand out pamphlets.

-Is he down with flu too?

-Doing it is what's important.

-There's no point

-worrying about an audience.

-Of course, we need people there.

-But we're doing something new.

-Good morning, David. Rhys Mwyn here.

-Not bad. Are you better?

-It's unlikely

-this will ever happen again.

-Bye. Ta-ra!

-Half the world is down with flu!

-# The dawn of a new morning

-# Never was a day so bright #

-Rhys is returning to his birthplace.

-He's meeting Rev David Francis,

-rector of Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa.

-They'll discuss arrangements,

-and Rhys's vision for the evening.

-It's good to come back

-and meet Plygain singers.

-I went to school with many of them.

-It's nice to get back in touch.

-I listened to the Sex Pistols...

-..when my friends

-sang Plygain carols.

-This greenery and tranquillity

-is lovely.

-There are distinguished people here

-too.

-When I lived here...

-..I tried to create a contemporary

-Welsh rock and roll scene.

-They did not support me.

-The opposition to the idea

-was brutal at times.

-# It started then surrounded us #

-Hello! How are you? I'm Rhys.

-Come in.

-Come in.

-Come in.

-

-Thanks very much.

-We're bringing together

-contemporary Welsh folk artistes...

-..to focus on the tradition.

-There are about five already.

-There are about five already.

-

-That's great!

-I wouldn't like

-to convey the idea...

-..that Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa

-church is changing its Plygain.

-It isn't.

-It isn't.

-

-No!

-It's an entirely traditional

-Plygain.

-I've played this CD of Plygain

-songs to the contemporary artistes.

-They've listened to this CD

-of typical Plygain music.

-I'm pleased about that.

-Of all the collections...

-..this represents the old tradition.

-Sam Davies always sang

-Ffarwel Ned Puw...

-..in the traditional way.

-# Behold this ever blessed morn

-# The world is told the story #

-He emphasized the last syllable.

-That's the most appropriate style,

-somehow.

-As someone from the area...

-..I don't feel

-a sense of ownership...

-..but I feel

-a connection with the music.

-It's part of your heritage.

-It's part of your heritage.

-

-Definitely.

-We must remember that the Plygain...

-..is an ecclesiastical service.

-It is also held in chapels nowadays.

-It's not an eisteddfod.

-Would you say a few words, even

-though it's not a normal service?

-I'll do that for you.

-You wouldn't want a long speech.

-I'll welcome the congregation

-to the church.

-The church is famous - hymn writer

-Ann Griffiths was buried here.

-That would be a good introduction!

-Rhys decided to visit

-Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa church.

-It's the stronghold and spiritual

-home of the traditional Plygain.

-A question I'm expecting to hear...

-..is the ownership issue.

-Who has the right to become

-involved with this tradition?

-Do we have any right to interfere?

-They're interesting questions.

-I can reply

-by saying I'm from the area.

-I have every right

-to examine something I missed.

-Something I've ignored.

-There's an aura

-of an ancient church.

-It isn't that old -

-it was built in 1863.

-Compared with Llanrhychwyn which

-is genuinely old, it's fairly new.

-But you get the feeling

-of its age here...

-..and a feeling of being close

-to the land.

-Looking out at the greenery

-of north Montgomeryshire...

-..it makes sense to be here.

-I think we're right.

-How do I justify what I believe,

-as an anarchist, without a faith?

-I'm opposed to religion

-for everything religion has done.

-And yet...

-..it's clearly something

-that needs to be done.

-We need to take an alternative view

-of Plygain singing.

-How will contemporary artistes

-interpret Plygain singing?

-Be grateful I'm not singing!

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-It's the second Sunday in January.

-The Plygain Fawr takes place

-in Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa.

-It's Wales's

-foremost Plygain service.

-The congregation and singers...

-..arrive an hour and a half

-before the service commences.

-Rhys Mwyn invited Ynyr and Eurig

-from the group Brigyn to come along.

-They'll experience

-the old tradition...

-..before performing in his Plygain.

-It's also a publicity opportunity

-for Rhys.

-It's an honour for me to announce...

-..that the 2009

-Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa Plygain...

-..is now open.

-The first round has begun.

-Any party from the congregation

-can come forward to sing.

-No programme

-has been prepared beforehand.

-# Did you see the couple

-# Who came as darkness fell?

-# Their journey from Nazareth

-# Had left them tired and weak #

-After all singers have sung once,

-the second round begins.

-Each party sings another carol.

-# The day that Jesus was born

-# Was a blessed glorious morn #

-The service ends with Carol Y Swper.

-It's sung by male vocalists

-in Montgomeryshire.

-# Our Saviour and Healer

-# Under Jewish scourge

-# The gentle demeanour

-# Filled with suffering #

-It's great being here

-to see how it's done for real.

-The Plygain tradition

-remains strong in Powys.

-We intended to respect the cultural

-traditions of the Plygain.

-When we perform here...

-..we hope our versions of the songs

-will be more Brigyn-esque!

-We must appreciate and respect

-the original before experimenting.

-In keeping with tradition,

-Rhys has supper in the village hall.

-He can discuss his project

-with Plygain traditionalists.

-Will they have violins, or what?

-Don't you know?

-Don't you know?

-

-No.

-Traditionally, it is unaccompanied.

-I'm concerned about turning

-the Plygain into a concert.

-The Plygain must remain a Plygain.

-The Plygain evolves all the time.

-The Plygain evolves all the time.

-

-I don't know.

-Listening to the carols...

-..some are very old,

-but others are not very old at all.

-You'd be surprised

-how modern some carols are.

-That's interesting.

-That's interesting.

-

-A few may only be two years old.

-It doesn't have to be a concert.

-Our Plygain won't be a service

-as we had tonight.

-It's an entirely different concept.

-I'm not sure what you'd call it.

-There are three days

-before the big night.

-Rhys's work brings him to Cardiff.

-He's about to break one

-of the main customs of the Plygain.

-We need a programme running order...

-..to get the artistes

-on and off the stage...

-..and record their performances.

-I suspect

-this will be the first time ever...

-..for the order Plygain artistes

-appear on stage...

-..to be set beforehand.

-He takes this opportunity

-to meet Brigyn...

-..to find out how the preparations

-for Friday night are coming along?

-Do you expect us all

-to do different types of acts?

-All the artistes are free to do

-whatever they want, obviously.

-I haven't laid down any guidelines.

-We've chosen

-Teg Gwawriodd Bore Ddydd...

-..and the pop hit,

-Ar Gyfer Heddiw'r Bore.

-I'm glad we bagged that one!

-We wanted to perform one song

-in the traditional style...

-..and the other less traditionally.

-# Born upon this morning

-# A little babe, little babe

-# The descendant of Jesse

-# A little babe was born #

-The next day...

-..at the press launch for Llangollen

-Eisteddfod in St David's Hall...

-..Rhys received a phone call.

-It's not good news.

-The best thing to do is...

-Just give me until tomorrow,

-I'll try to salvage it.

-The situation is,

-I got a message this morning.

-A researcher from Sioe Gelf

-phoned me.

-I was told there might

-be a problem with the church.

-I phoned David Francis

-to find out what was wrong.

-He said they weren't keen

-for the event to go ahead.

-He wouldn't discuss it

-and hung up the phone.

-Are we in a situation where

-I can't focus on Plygain carols?

-Me, Brigyn and others.

-Is the tradition

-being controlled and censored?

-I can't believe that's healthy...

-..nor that everyone would agree

-with that point of view.

-I don't understand. I really don't.

-I know it well, yes.

-With a day to go, Rhys is back in

-his office in Galeri, Caernarfon.

-He needs to find another

-church in Montgomeryshire...

-..that will be prepared

-to host his Plygain.

-Hiya! How are you?

-I'm fine.

-We're trying to resolve it.

-Plan A is Llangedwyn church.

-It's local, so we won't lose

-the local groups.

-Despite the workload, he reads

-his article in The Daily Post.

-I mentioned...

-..to the warm welcome received on

-Sunday in Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa.

-It also previews

-this Friday's folk-music Plygain.

-Everything featured in the article

-has been shattered.

-I need to write another feature!

-Someone somewhere has raised doubts.

-His Plygain project

-is debated in the magazine, Golwg.

-"Rhys Mwyn angers

-the traditionalists." Oh, well.

-Right, OK.

-I can see what's going on.

-"Apparently, his intentions

-were good," says Emyr Pughe.

-"But he's chosen

-an unfortunate location...

-"..by going to the

-Montgomeryshire headquarters."

-Well - yes,

-for well-publicized reasons.

-In one way, it was a mark

-of respect to go to the roots.

-I'm from the area.

-They don't agree with changing the

-status quo and new, modern carols.

-I chatted to someone on Sunday who

-said they sing two-year-old carols!

-At what point

-does a tradition start and finish?

-At what point

-is there an ownership issue?

-And at what point do you say it's

-a culture that belongs in a museum?

-Just one question.

-Is Llangedwyn better than Llansilyn?

-It looks as if all

-the phone calls have borne fruit.

-Right! We've got Llangedwyn church.

-But I need to contact the warden.

-I'll phone the vicar

-to confirm arrangements.

-Hello! It's Rhys here.

-Enid's just phoned you, I gather.

-How are you?

-You're talking

-to a very, very grateful man here.

-Right!

-Llangedwyn's parishoners seem happy.

-The big night has arrived.

-As you can see,

-this is Llangedwyn church.

-This is Plan B.

-It's either held here or not at all.

-I'm sure this will be fine.

-I've got nothing against Llangedwyn.

-# The Lord's Angel #

-The artistes rehearse and chat

-as the congregation arrives.

-People have tried to scupper this

-but a congregation has come.

-It gets more and more

-surreal every second!

-# I'll sacrifice my mite

-for an imprisoned soul

-# I'll light my candle

-in the valley church

-# I'll say the Mass prayer

-over and over again

-# To keep his soul immortal #

-# If I were a shepherd

-# I would give a lamb #

-# Music of singers

-on their way to the Plygain

-# Melodious music

-rings from church bells

-# We must journey with the Wise Men

-# And the shepherds, go to Him #

-# There is no prettier rosebud

-# Among the garden's blooms #

-# Praise be to the Father

-who gave His only Son

-# To die for us #

-# A baby came to the world

-# A miracle in a manger

-# The Lord's baby

-came to the world #

-# To those under Sinai's shadow

-# Who are sad every day #

-# A weak little baby

-# On his mother's breast

-# And yet he protected

-# His people from harm #

-It wasn't meant to compete

-against the traditional Plygain.

-It was organized, not instead of it

-but in addition to it.

-We've had a good night.

-Everyone has enjoyed themselves.

-I've talked to a lot of people.

-No-one objected to what was done.

-Therefore, the experiment...

-..if you want to call

-it an experiment - has worked.

-It's been allowed to run its course,

-as they tend to do.

-# Hosanna echoes from Heaven

-# Praise be to Him

-# Amen #

-# A fountain was opened for you

-# To cleanse your dirty wounds

-# As white snow falls in Salmon

-# Come as you are

-# Come as you are

-# And so, never hesitate

-# Come as you are #

-S4C Subtitles by GWEAD

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