DESCRIPTION:
VOICING THE VERSE : Y GERDD AR GÂN 8/35
Dafydd Llwyd o Fathafarn (c.1395-c.1486): Awdl i Ddewi (dyfyniad) / Awdl to St David (excerpt).
Tref./arr. Peter Greenhill. Performed by / Perfformiwyd gan
Twm Morys, Gwilym Morus, Gareth Siôn, Peter Greenhill, Gorwel Roberts. © Copyright Bangor University and Beyond Text

This is an excerpt from the debut performance of Datgeiniaeth, the group reviving the lost medieval art of that name, at Bangor University in Wales in May 2009. Datgeiniaeth was the rhythmic vocal art of performing bardic verse in medieval Wales, with percussive or stringed accompaniment. Bardic verse was not designed as poetry to be read privately but as lyrics for musical delivery, full of rhythmic trickery, each line rich with complex rhymes and alliterations. The focus was on the tongue, used as a percussive instrument, and not on singing melodies. This extraordinary style of vocal music has been revived using the original bardic grammars and musical records (particularly the Welsh harp tablature copied by Robert ap Huw in the early 17th century) by the musician and scholar Peter Greenhill through decades of investigation.

Datgeiniaeth gratefully acknowledges the support of the Arts Council of Wales, Siubhal, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the University of Wales in preparing this performance.