Pobl Cil y Cwm Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol

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-Today we visit a chapel...

-..where our greatest hymnwriter

-of all worshipped.

-From Soar, Tynewydd, Cilycwm...

-..welcome to

-Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol.

-# Soli Deo gloria

-# Soli Deo gloria

-# Soli Deo gloria #

-On today's programme,

-we visit the Pantycelyn farmhouse...

-..where our foremost

-hymnwriter lived.

-We speak to two people who do

-a lot of musical work in the area.

-We'll hear performances

-by a musical couple...

-..who've both won

-the Blue Ribband...

-..and Cor Cyswllt Cilycwm.

-Our first hymn

-was written by Dafydd William.

-"O Arglwydd, dyro awel,

-A honno'n awel gref

-"I godi f'ysbryd egwan

-O'r ddaear hyd y nef."

-Our most prolific hymnwriter

-was William Williams Pantycelyn.

-During his lifetime,

-he wrote 3,000 hymns...

-..and contributed greatly

-to the Methodist Revival.

-His home was situated

-on the outskirts of Cilycwm...

-..where his descendant,

-Cecil Williams, currently lives.

-You were born here, Cecil?

-You were born here, Cecil?

-

-Yes, I was born here.

-The family's lived here

-since William's time.

-As you can see,

-the house remains exactly the same.

-It's old and it's the same size

-as it was in William's day.

-Windows have been replaced

-but other than that, it's unchanged.

-I'm a direct descendant

-of Williams Pantycelyn.

-He wasn't born here...

-..he was born at his father's home

-in Cefn-y-Coed nearby.

-Pantycelyn was his mother's home.

-This is where

-he wrote his greatest work.

-He married Mary Francis

-from Llansawel...

-..who he affectionately called Mali.

-They had eight children.

-Two sons and the rest were girls.

-The boys didn't have any children...

-..but we're the offspring

-of their sister, Sara.

-I'm a sixth generation Williams.

-For most of his life...

-..Williams lived in the rural parish

-of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn...

-..a few miles from Cilycwm.

-William Williams travelled

-a short distance over the hill...

-..to the village of Cilycwm.

-The first meeting

-was held in Dygoedydd...

-..in 1742...

-..followed by

-the second in Llwyn Berllan.

-Shortly afterwards, Tynewydd chapel,

-as it stands today, was built.

-He, his wife and maid

-would hold services there...

-..in the upper room,

-according to local sources.

-Lloyd George

-came here in August 1913...

-..when he held the post

-of Chancellor.

-People come here

-from all over the world.

-From America, Korea, Patagonia,

-and Wales, of course.

-The record book

-listing visitors' names...

-..was introduced in 1905...

-..and the sixth book is almost full.

-Many of you will be familiar

-with the couple performing next.

-They unite North and South Wales

-quite literally!

-Aled Edwards

-is a farmer from Cilycwm...

-..while his wife, Eleri,

-is from Llangernyw.

-They will perform

-another of Pantycelyn's hymns.

-This is O Llefara Addfwyn Iesu.

-# Speak, I pray Thee, gentle Jesus

-# O, how passing sweet Thy words

-# Breathing o'er my troubled spirit

-# Peace which never earth affords

-# All the world's

-distracting voices

-# All th'enticing tones of ill

-# At Thy accents mild, melodious

-# Are subdued and all is still

-# Not all the delights of nature

-# Nor its sweetness of all

-# Will ever compare with the speech

-# Pleasant, pure, forgiving of grace

-# Let me hear the sound of Thy words

-# From authoritative words of heaven

-# From within creating delight

-# Nothing will ever compare

-# Tell me Thou art mine, O Saviour

-# Grant me an assurance clear

-# Banish all my dark misgivings

-# Still my doubting, calm my fear

-# O, my soul within me yearneth

-# Now to hear Thy voice divine

-# So shall grief be gone for ever

-# And despair no more be mine

-# O, my soul within me yearneth

-# Now to hear Thy voice divine

-# So shall grief be gone for ever

-# And despair no more be mine

-# And despair no more be mine #

-Eleri and Aled Edwards,

-a husband and wife from Cilycwm...

-..with their rendition

-of O Llefara Addfwyn Iesu.

-Next is a hymn written by

-another local hymnist, Morgan Rhys.

-This is Helaetha Derfynau Dy Deyrnas

-A Galw Dy Bobol Ynghyd.

-Often, founding a choir in a rural

-area brings a community together.

-That's precisely what Mared Williams

-and Aled Edwards have done.

-We're on top of a hill,

-looking out over Mynydd Mallaen...

-..and looking down

-on the small village of Cilycwm.

-It's a close-knit community

-of 400 residents.

-It's a typical Welsh-speaking

-agricultural community...

-..though there are

-fewer speakers and farmers nowadays.

-Farms are getting bigger and

-we're seeing more incomers nowadays.

-We feel it's important to retain

-Welsh chapel traditions in the area.

-To a large degree, that's why

-the choir came into being.

-It was formed seven years ago...

-..for a special celebration to

-celebrate Mared's father's birthday.

-It was a reunion

-of Young Farmers' choir members...

-..who had

-enjoyed success in the 1980s.

-25 years later,

-we had the reunion...

-..and decided

-to resurrect the choir...

-..now we're older and more mature.

-I'm the accompanist

-and Aled's the conductor.

-We haven't given him a baton

-in case he throws it at me.

-It's too risky!

-I'm a real softy

-when it comes to conducting.

-I have to admit, I enjoy

-the coaching experience more.

-But our main purpose is to have fun.

-Many families

-are involved in the choir.

-My father, mother,

-two sisters and husband Aled...

-..all sing in the choir.

-Other families

-make up the choir too.

-Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters.

-We're all related!

-Each of them

-has a connection with Cilycwm...

-..which is why they're in the choir.

-First and foremost,

-it's social and it's Welsh.

-Music is the by-product of that.

-# O, gentle heavenly Lamb

-# Excelling earthly things

-# Whose praise the host of heaven

-# Continually sings thy grace

-# Thy gifts, and thy dear love

-# Fill all the earth

-# And heaven above

-# O, mighty source of peace

-# O, sea without a shore

-# That in itself contains

-# An endless, loving store

-# Thine is the praise, accept it now

-# From all in heaven,

-and earth below

-# Let all obeisance make

-# And name the gentle Lamb

-# The greatest name of all

-# Were e'er pronounced by man

-# Let honour, glory, praise and fame

-# Be ever given to his name

-# Let honour, glory, praise and fame

-# Be ever given to his name

-# Amen #

-"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord.

-"Let us shout joyfully

-to the Rock of our salvation.

-"Let us come before His presence

-with thanksgiving.

-"Let us

-shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

-"For the Lord is the great God.

-"And the great King above all gods.

-"In His hand

-are the deep places of the earth.

-"The heights of the hills

-are His also.

-"The sea is His, for He made it.

-"And His hands formed the dry land.

-"Oh come, let us worship

-and bow down.

-"Let us kneel

-before the Lord, our Maker."

-We've reached

-the end of the programme.

-I hope you've enjoyed our visit

-to Cilycwm.

-We end with

-one of our nation's greatest hymns.

-The hymn tune is Buddugoliaeth.

-"Yn Eden, cofiaf hynny byth,

-Bendithion gollais rif y gwlith."

-Until next time, goodbye.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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