Calon Lân

I don't think I'd ever come across the Welsh song Calon Lân before moving here 10 years ago.  But I quickly discovered that as a Vicar, it's one song which I need to be able to sing in Welsh (the other being the National Anthem).  It's a common choice for funerals and, at least in my experience, Calon Lân is never sung in English.

Before going any further, here are the words, in Welsh with an English translation, courtesy of Wikipedia:

The words of Calon Lân were written by Daniel James (1848 - 1920).  He was born in Treboeth, a village which is now a suburb of Swansea.  His father died when he was 13, which forced Daniel to leave school and begin work as a labourer.  He studied Welsh poetry in his spare time, taught by D W Thomas of Mynyddbach Chapel.  He began to write poetry, and took the Bardic name Gwyrosydd (so he's generally referred to as Daniel James Gwyrosydd).  He published three books of his poetry: Caneuon Gwyrosydd (1885); Caniadau Gwyrosydd (1892); and Aeron Awen Gwyrodsydd (1898).   

Daniel had a hard life; having supported his mother and family after his father died, he married twice, and had a total of seven or eight children of his own.  In addition, he took on five step-children when he married his second wife.  He was widowed twice, and supported his large family by working in steel and tin works, and subsequently as a miner, until he was 68 years old.  He then worked as a cemetery caretaker, before retiring a couple of years before he died.   

The words of Calon Lân were published in Gwyrosydd's second book in 1892.  He was well known for spending much time in the pub.  There are descriptions of him sitting amongst friends and admirers, in an unusually high chair, composing verses which he would then exchange for drinks.  There's a strong tradition that Calon Lân was originally written at such time, on the back of a cigarette packet.

The tune which is synonymous with Gwyrosydd's words was written by John Hughes (1872 - 1914) - not to be confused with John Hughes (1873 - 1932), who wrote the tune Cwm Rhondda!  The tune Calon Lân was written for and inspired by the words, although it seems that it was sung to several other tunes before this became the standard.  John Hughes was born in Pembrokeshire, but spent most of his life in the Swansea area, and knew Gwyrosydd personally.  

As I've mentioned previously, the tune Calon Lân is very similar to the tune Dim ond Iesu (see previous post Dyma gariad fel y moroedd/Here is love vast as the ocean).  I once had an argument with my children, who insisted that the two tunes were actually one and the same.  It was only after I'd shown them the score of each that they accepted that they are two different tunes.  I can find no suggestion as to whether or not John Hughes was inspired by Dim ond Iesu, which was first published in America in 1877.

By the time of the Welsh Revival of 1904-05, Calon Lân had become a favourite with Welsh congregations, and it was one of the most popular hymns sung during the Revival.  Today, it's a popular choice for funerals here in Wales, and is also a rugby anthem, sung before almost every match played by the Welsh national Rugby Union team.  It's known as Wales' second national anthem.  My children were taught it at primary school, and I assume that almost every child who attends school in Wales will learn Calon Lân at some point.  The song is such an important part of Welsh culture that it has both a society dedicated to promoting and preserving its history and heritage, and its own centre at the Mynyddbach Chapel, where Gwyrosydd attended worship as a young man, and where he is buried.  

David writes in Psalm 24 (here quoted from the ESV):

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
     And who shall stand in his his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Calon Lân could be a meditation on these words - what a song to be so deeply embedded in Welsh culture!

With my Liverpool connections, I couldn't resist sharing this recording by the Liverpool Welsh Choral!  

Picture: 'Proverbs 4:23' by Leonard J Matthew licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 (with frame and background added)

As well as the sites linked above, in preparing this post I have also consulted the following blog posts: Felin Fach, Resolven History Society, and Garw Valley Heritage Society.