I so agree with you about the hymn Calon Lan. It is truly inspiring. I do remember listening to that sung with so much fervour in the Chapel many times. I have heard it several times and at the moment I have it on CD by Katherine Jenkins.
I agree with the rolled "r" sound and some of my teachers will roll it with great emphasis but others just twill the sound which I find I can manage.
Unfortuately my English education damaged any ability of me to pronounce the "R" in the word ruler for example without a distinct inflexion and I just cannot change it, but in speaking Welsh (or attempting to) there are no problems.
Michael
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If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart Nelson Mandela
I in fact say dwêd and sometimes dêd, and with gwneud, i vary from gnêd to nêd!
I was delighted to hear that your daughter's singing Hen Wlad! I am almost reduced to tears when I hear Hen Wlad. Did you use my syllabic structure of Hen Wlad or was that too hard?
I cannot sing, so I tend to mouth the words because I do not want to ruin our graceful national hymn (which is actually sung in churches in Wales as a hymn), but I am considering singing lessons just so I can proudly express my love for my homeland!!!!
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Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i´m gwlad Tra môr yn fur I'r bur hoff bau O bydded i´r heniaith barhau
Children are just amazing in their ability in picking up languages. I wish I had their sponge-like brain! I did use the syllabic structure. Now I sing in that way all the time. When my son plays Hen Wlad, I start singin no matter what I'm doing! Never mind my shaky voice!
OK, I'll work on Calon Lan next. I know the hardship of rolled r's. I couldn't do it at all but I think I can do better now (not completely of course.) So with practice maybe we can all improve.
It'll be great if you could take singing lessons along with your piano lessons.
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Weithiau, mae'r ateb i'n problemau o dan ein trwynau, dim ond bod angen i ni gymryd cam yn ôl ac edrych eto. - Stuart Kerner
The program I purchased from Lingua Shop Teach me Welsh has a vocab section which gives you a word and the audio will pronounce the word in Welsh for you so you can hear the different inflections used in the Welsh language, there is also a section where you can speak into a mic and it will tell you if you are pronouncing the word correctly. I would recommend it to all Welsh learners. It is an inexpensive program for under $100 And the speakers are all welsh so it is pure Welsh you hear.
Gyda llaw, ydy'n wir bod Emyn Cenedlaethol Llydaw yn gyfieithiad uniongyrchol Hen Wlad o Gymraeg i Lydaweg? By the way, is it true that the Breton National Hymn is a direct translation of Hen Wlad from Welsh to Breton?
Today in lit class, we were asked to write a poem we know off by heart, thinking I was being smart, I wrote Hen Wlad to the disappointment of the lecturer. She was expecting something more academic than the most common poem of all.
The sheet music is very simple though - I'm approaching Grade 4 in piano now. I have been practising ready for St. David's Day. Is the sheet music you bought for your son to play as simple as this, Gwen?