Llandeilo Litfest

Medieval music and the origins of the Eisteddfod

Posted on February 6, 2018 Updated on April 8, 2018

Medieval music and the origins of the Eisteddfod – Saturday 28th of April – Horeb Chapel 14:00 

Book Ticket: £8

You are invited to step back in time to the court of Lord Rhys in 12th century Wales, with readings from authors Luke Waterson and Jean Gill, accompanied by medieval music from “Vacabwndi” (Elsa Davies, Ceri Owen Jones and Jason Lawday). Vacabwndi will be performing music from Wales on instruments played here in the Middle Ages, the crwth, bray harp and flute. This classic combination of instruments was first described by Gerald of Wales in the thirteenth century, and will take us back to the dynamic soundscape of Medieval Wales.

If you’ve ever wondered what the first Eisteddfod was like and how it came about, you can hear two different versions: 1153, in ‘Song Hereafter’, the last book of the award-winning “Troubadours Quartet” by Jean Gill and 1176, in ‘Song Castle’, by acclaimed novelist and travel writer Luke Waterson.  Both Luke and Jean have made some surprising links between the troubadour poetry of Occitan France and Lord Rhys’ tournament of song.

Cerddoriaeth Ganoloesol. Fe’ch gwahoddir i gamu nôl mewn amser i lys yr Arglwydd Rhys yng Nghymru’r 12fed ganrif gyda darlleniadau gan yr awduron Luke Waterson a Jean Gill gyda cherddoriaeth ganoloesol gan Vacabwndi (Elsa Davies, Ceri Owen Jones ac Jason Lawday.)

Os ydych erioed wedi meddwl sut oedd yr Eisteddfod gyntaf a sut y daeth i fod, gallwch glywed dau fersiwn gwahanol: yn “Song Hereafter,” y llyfr diweddaraf  yn “Troubadours Quartet” gan Jean Gill mae’n dweud mai yn 1153 cafwyd yr ornest gyntaf oedd ond mae’r nofelydd Luke Waterson a dderbyniodd glod eang, yn “Song Castle” yn dweud mai yn 1176 daeth yr eisteddfod i fod. Mae Luke a Jean wedi gwneud cysylltiadau annisgwyl rhwng barddoniaeth trwbadŵr Occitan yn Ffrainc â chystadleuaeth canu’r Arglwydd Rhys.