''Myfanwy'' (; a woman's name derived ) is a popular

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

song, composed by

Joseph Parry Joseph Parry (21 May 1841 – 17 February 1903) was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of " Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth", on which the African song " Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" ...

and first published in 1875.

Background

Sources differ as to whether Dr. Parry composed the music for an existing poem by Richard Davies (" Mynyddog Mwynfawr"; 1833–1877) (the common belief) or whether Davies wrote the words to Parry's melody following its use with an English lyric by Thomas Walter Price (Cuhelyn; 1829 - 1869)(*1), journalist and poet, called "Arabella". Richard Davies' lyric may have been influenced by the 14th Century love story of Myfanwy Fychan of Castell Dinas Brân, Llangollen, and the poet Hywel ab Einion(*2). That story was also the subject of the popular poem, "Myfanwy Fychan" (1858), by John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–87). Some sources say it was written with Parry's childhood sweetheart, Myfanwy Llywellyn, in mind (*3). In 1947, Merthyr-Tydfil-born author Jack Jones wrote a book entitled ''Off to Philadelphia in the morning'' where he relates the story within some aspects of the life of Parry, weaving facts into his fictional narrative (*4).

Lyrics and Translation

Usage and Performances

A hundred years after it was first published

Ryan Davies Ryan Davies (22 January 1937 – 22 April 1977) was a Welsh comedian, actor, musician, singer, and songwriter. Though his career lasted just 11 years, he became widely known in Wales through his work with Ronnie Williams as the comedic double a ...

performed the song at the Swansea Top Rank introducing it as "the greatest love song ever written". A live recording of this version was included on Davies' album ''Ryan at the Rank'' and quickly became one Davies' most notable and familiar performances. Davies' rendition began a renewed popularity for the performance of the song, especially with Welsh Male Voice Choirs. Two of the most widely recognized choral renditions are by the

Treorchy Male Voice Choir Treorchy Male Choir, also known as Treorchy Male Voice Choir, is a choir based in Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley, Wales, United Kingdom. History Choirs have existed in the Rhondda Valley for more than a 150 years and Treorchy is one of the be ...

,and the Neath Male Voice Choir. The song is often performed at the

Principality Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...

during the Welsh rugby team's home matches, and the

Morriston Orpheus Choir The Morriston Orpheus Choir ( cy, Côr Orpheus Treforys, link=no), based in Morriston, near Swansea, Wales, is a male voice choir, one of the best-known in the UK. History The Choir was formed on April 23, 1935, by Ivor E. Sims and in its early ...

recorded a version of the song for the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, o ...

s official album in 2006.

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various sty ...

has performed the song throughout his career, most notably a 1992 TV performance on the

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking ...

programme '' Heno''. Opera singer,

Bryn Terfel Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, (; born 9 November 1965) (known professionally as Bryn Terfel) is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and '' ...

recorded a choral version of the song on his album "We'll Keep a Welcome".

Cerys Matthews Cerys Matthews (; born 11 April 1969) is a Welsh singer, songwriter, author, and broadcaster. She was a founding member of Welsh rock band Catatonia and a leading figure in the " Cool Cymru" movement of the late 1990s. Matthews programmes an ...

recorded a guitar version for her 2010 album ''Tir'',

In popular culture

The song features in

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's Academy Award-winning film ''

How Green Was My Valley ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...

'' and also in the last scene of the

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...

-based movie ''

Twin Town A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

'', where it is sung by members of many local choirs, including the

Pontarddulais Male Choir The Pontarddulais Male Choir ( cy, Côr Meibion Pontarddulais) is a Welsh male voice choir from Pontarddulais near Swansea, Wales. It is the most successful choir in Wales and is internationally renowned having performed in many parts of Europ ...

. At a key moment of the plot, the protagonist in the 1992 Welsh-language film ''

Hedd Wyn Hedd Wyn (born Ellis Humphrey Evans, 13 January 188731 July 1917) was a Welsh-language poet who was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I. He was posthumously awarded the bard's chair at the 1917 National ...

'', which was nominated for an Academy Award, sings it to his former fiancée. It is both played and discussed in the episode "Death and Dust" of the show ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'', during a visit to Wales by detectives from an English village. Myfanwy Thomas is the main character in Daniel O'Malley's '' The Rook''. In Torchwood, the pterodactyl that is kept by the Torchwood team as a pet is called Myfanwy.

References

* * * *

External links

Midi rendition

Trelawnyd Men's Choir Performs "Myfanwy"

Morriston Orpheus Choir Performs "Myfanwy"

Myfanwy - Neath Choir (Welsh-English Lyrics)

Mal Buck at Tonyrefail Workingmen's Club
{{authority control Compositions by Joseph Parry Welsh folk songs 1875 songs Welsh patriotic songs