Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to eveyone who has followed our blog and supported our project - thankyou!

 

There were good intentions yesterday to go for a New Year walk from Mynyddbach but the weather got the better of us.  However, despite that we had a very successful morning with new faces turning up to find out more about the new and exciting Calon Lan Centre.  There was a slide show giving information about the history of Mynyddbach, a look around the Chapel and a muddy visit to the grave of Daniel James.  Then it was cawl, bara brith and pizza - but not necessarily in that order!  Thank you to everyone that came and also to those who gave their time and made the morning a success.

Oral History

Bev and I recently spent an informative morning with Ivor Williams of Treboeth Historical Society where we discussed the origins of the Society and Ivor's involvement, personal and local history and of course Daniel James.  This was the second oral history we have completed plus we have some written memories from Alan Beddoe highlighting aspects of life at Mynyddbach.  In due course we will spend some time transcribing and summarising this information along with that provided by Miriam Evans.  There are also some other people who we are going to speak to and who knows what we may find out!

Animation Progress

We met with Nick and the animation team at Mynyddbach Chapel on Friday.  Despite bone chilling temperatures, we soon had the chapel warm and welcoming and the meeting went really well.

The Daniel James Project team spent an enjoyable two hours chatting through Daniel's life to enable the animation team to put together a storyboard for the film.  Although we can't get every piece of research into the animation (that would take many many hours of viewing!!!), we have all highlighted the important aspects that should be covered and which will be really interesting to watch.

Oral History Interviews

Bev and I have started our oral history interviews and last Wednesday 13 February, we spent a delightful afternoon in the company of Miriam Evans.  Miriam was born in Treboeth and has lived there all her life and before she retired she was the Headteacher of Gwyrosydd Infants School.  This interview was very special for me as Miriam was my Headteacher when I was an infant!

Miriam recalled a variety of memories about the Treboeth area from her life as a child and up to more recent years.  Areas that were covered included:

• the role that the Chapel in Welsh life and Welsh culture
• living conditions - including memories of the thatched cottage that Daniel James lived in
• the geography of the local area in times gone by
• education of children
• warm memories of her father and grandfather

Her grandfather was an acquaintance of Daniel James and she explained that Gwyrosydd had written a poem about her father, entitled Y Baban ar fin y Dibyn (which roughly translates as 'The child on the edge of a precipice') which relates to a time when her father would have been playing in a quarry area just behind Miriam's house.  This is a very personal memory and a direct link to Daniel James!

Over the coming weeks we have a more oral histories lined up  - so watch this space!

Cymanfa Ganu - a night to remember!

The Cymanfa Ganu was a roaring success!  The pews of the chapel were full and the congregation was in good voice, led by Huw Rees who proved to be an entertaining conductor!  A fitting tribute to Daniel James and the Mynyddbach Chapel was given by Huw Tregelles Williams.  The chapel organ, played by organist Reverend Grenville Fisher, and accompanied by Adam Croucher,  was rousing in the amazing acoustics of the room and the vocal contribution of Gwyrosydd School and Bryn Tawe School was beautiful.

Teresa and myself gave a small speech outlining the project's aims, research and future plans.

Having never been to a Cymanfa Ganu before, I was uncertain what to expect.  What I did discover  was that of a truly beautiful experience.  To be part of such a celebration of song where the whole congregation came together in a relaxed and fun way was a pleasure to be involved with.  Thank you to all that attended!

Reverend Grenville Fisher, Huw Tregelles Williams, Huw Rees, Teresa Hillier, Bev Rogers & Kate Spiller 

Cymanfa Ganu for Daniel James

Mention of the Cymanfa Ganu in the Evening Post yesterday!

If you are in the area, come and see the beautiful Mynyddbach Chapel and celebrate the life and work of Daniel James with us.

It is on Wednesday 23 January 2013 at 7pm.

Mr Huw Tregelles Williams, OBE, DL, MA, B. Mus, FRCO, FKWCMD will be leading the programme of events and the conductor with me Mr Huw Rees, LRAM, ARCM, LLCM, FLCM.  Organist is the Reverend Grenville Fisher.

First visit to Mynyddbach Chapel

Today I made my first visit to Mynyddbach Chapel - important to the Daniel James story in so many different ways.  As a young child, Daniel lived nearby in a thatched cottage in Llangyfelach Road in Treboeth and he joined his family in regular worship there.  In later years Daniel was encouraged in his writing by members of the chapel. Finally, on his death in 1920, he was laid to rest in its cemetery.

The chapel was not at all how I imagined it.  Not knowing the area very well, I expected to find it on a main road nestled between other houses and buildings.  Instead, I turned off the main road and travelled down a short, quiet road with horses nibbling grass in fields to my right.  

Horses on the road to the chapel

The chapel faces you as you come to the end of the road, together with its neighbour, The Welcome Inn.  To the left of the Chapel as you look at its front is the cemetery which covers a total of around four and a half acres.  Overgrown but tremendously atmospheric, it has plots that date back to the early 1700s.  It is worth travelling to the site for the graveyard alone.

Mynyddbach Chapel

Mynyddbach Chapel cemetery

Inside the chapel, my breath was taken away.  First of all, the pure size of the actually chapel room is astonishing.  The two-storey seating, with its wooden benches, are still in situ and would have accommodated a huge congregation.  Ivor, our guide, explained that members of the congregation often brought their own cushions to make the services more comfortable!

Restoration work is being undertaken on the organ and Teresa and myself were lucky to hear a tune from it whilst we were there.  I can confirm that the acoustics of the chapel are wonderful!

The original character of the building still remains including the intricate painted metal railings and painted ceiling decoration.   

Painted metalwork

Ceiling decoration

Teresa and Bev at the pulpit

This will be the venue for the Cymanfa Ganu on Wednesday 23 January 2013.  It starts at 7pm and all are welcome.  I can't think of a more fitting place to celebrate the life of the bard Daniel James.

As to the meeting...it went brilliantly!  Connected Communities Project Co-ordinator Kate Spiller got some great ideas as to how the schools can get involved and what format the animated film might take.  The passion of Treboeth History Group members Ivor Williams and Geraint Williams to bring Daniel James' story to a wider audience was amazing - they have been tremendously welcoming and supportive to Kate, Teresa and myself and are keen to share the information they have acquired over the years whilst looking into the bard's life.  For us as University researchers, Teresa and myself got the chance to talk about our research so far and discuss the way forward, followed by our tour of the chapel and grounds.  

Geraint, Kate, Ivor and Teresa after the meeting

It was a great morning and I can't wait to go back!