Caneuon Heddwch, Sain SCD2710

Caneuon Heddwch

The years 2014 to 2018 will naturally be a period of recalling one of the worst disasters in modern history, known as The Great War, with the loss of over 10 million lives. And despite being called ‘the war to end all wars’, it led eventually to World War II, and the loss of a further 55 million human lives. Recalling such a tragedy will inevitably be seen by many as a cause for celebrating military prowess, bravery and glorious victory. But to most people, it will be a time of remembering lost relatives, families torn asunder and homes destroyed. And for some a time of remembering those who refused to join the war, and who suffered scorn and imprisonment as ‘conshies’. The pain and tragedy of war, and the bravery and suffering of those who fought and of those who stood as conscientious objectors, has been the stuff of songs throughout the ages.

This compilation records the reaction of the poets and singer/songwriters of Wales to war. And just as those who die on the field of battle are mostly young men and women, so most of these songs – though not all – are also the work of young men and women. Songs of peace written and sung by young people who live in a world full of violence and military conflict, but aspiring to a world of peaceful coexistence. The recurring theme of most of these songs is not an idealised, sentimental concept of peace, but the human tragedy of young soldiers living with death, surrounded by suffering, bravery and fear. War is seen not as an epic film with a cast of thousands, but more often than not, through the eyes of a single soldier. And it is not surprising in a Welsh language compilation that the figure of Ellis Humphrey Evans (aka the poet Hedd Wyn) is the subject of three of the tracks.

One of the best anti-war songs ever written is Eric Bogle’s Green Fields of France, and it is heard here in two versions, by Leah Owen and Plethyn, and the Welsh adaptations, by Eifion Lloyd Jones and Myrddin ap Dafydd, are excellent examples of how to adapt songs from one language to another without losing any of the original’s power. The stark, ugly reality of war is here in abundance, be it through the eyes of the young man who writes to explain why he cannot kill another human being, or the injured soldier who has seen his friend blown to pieces in Iraq, or the young man killed in Northern Ireland in Huw Chiswell’s Rhywbeth o’i le, or Meic Stevens’ sailor uncle in Cân Walter, but also there is beauty. The beauty of united voices singing the famous ‘englynion’ composed by R. Williams Parry to Hedd Wyn and Waldo Williams’ pacifist ode Y Tangnefeddwyr in the powerful setting by Eric Jones, and the soulful beauty of Karl Jenkins’ Benedictus from his Mass for Peace.

Tracks –

1: Englynion Coffa Hedd Wyn - Cantorion Colin Jones

2: Gwaed ar eu Dwylo - Plethyn

3: Cân Walter - Meic Stevens

4: Y Tangnefeddwyr - Côr CF1

5: Mistar Duw - Edward H. Dafis

6: Gwelais Feysydd Rhyfel - Heather Jones

7: Sgrifen ar y Tywod - Geraint Lovgreen

8: Cân yr Adar Mân - Tecwyn Ifan

9: Byd o Heddwch - Côr Godre'r Aran

10: Cân y Milwr - Dafydd Iwan

11: A Glywi Di? - Gwenan Gibbard

12: Y Ffoadur - Huw Jones

13: Ellis Humphrey Evans - Mim Twm Llai

14: Rhywbeth o'i Le - Huw Chiswell

15: Y Milwr - Hogia'r Wyddfa

16: Dim yn Ein Henw Ni - Twm Morys

17: Amser Maith yn Ôl - Tudur Huws Jones

18: Yr Arwr - Leah Owen

19: Benedictus - Serendipity

Bydd y cyfnod 2014 i 2018 yn gyfnod o gofio. Cofio‘r gyflafan waedlyd a elwir Y Rhyfel Mawr, pan gollodd miliynau o bobl eu bywydau, y rhan fwyaf ohonyn nhw yn ddynion ifanc, ym mlodau eu llencyndod. Diau y bydd y cofio i rai yn ymylu ar ddathlu, dathlu dewrder a gwrhydri militaraidd a buddugoliaeth dros y gelyn. Ond i’r lliaws mawr, cyfnod o gofio perthnasau a gollwyd fydd hwn, ac i eraill cofio rhai a safodd yn erbyn rhyfel, ac a ddioddefodd wawd a sen, a gwaeth, fel ‘conshis’. Ac yn sgil y cofio a’r dathlu, yr hiraeth a’r dagrau, bydd y cwestiwn yn codi dro ar ôl tro: ‘Pam, pam, ac i beth?’.

Pobl ifanc iawn oedd y milwyr a gollwyd yn y rhyfel, ac ifanc oedd y rhai a wrthododd ymladd o gydwybod, ac y mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r caneuon yn y casgliad hwn, yn eiriau ac yn alawon, yn waith pobl ifanc. Pobl ifanc na fu’n rhaid iddyn nhw wynebu rhyfel, na wynebu’r dewis o ymuno â’r lluoedd arfog neu beidio, ond pobl ifanc sydd eto’n gorfod byw mewn byd lle mae rhyfel yn realiti dyddiol i rywun o hyd. A phobl ifanc sy’n nabod rhywun, neu sy’n perthyn i rywun, sydd neu a fu yn cerdded strydoedd Belffast, neu Fallujah neu Helmand, a gwn yn eu llaw.

Caneuon heddwch ydyn nhw i gyd, ond nid caneuon sy’n ceisio dianc rhag realaeth rhyfel, ond caneuon sy’n gweld y byd drwy lygaid a phrofiad y gwr neu’r ferch ifanc ar faes y gad, a’r fam a’r tad a’r plant gartref yn eu gwewyr. Cryfder llawer o’r caneuon hyn yw eu bod yn gweld rhyfel nid fel ffilm epig gyda miloedd o gast, ond fel profiad yr unigolyn – yr unigolyn.

Mae cân gref, ddi-addurn Gai Toms (Mim Twm Llai) i Ellis Humphrey Evans yn cyfleu’r drasiedi gystal â’r un; does dim sentiment nac arwriaeth yn y ffosydd, dim ond gwaed a mwd. Ond o’r hylltra erchyll hwnnw, cyfyd prydferthwch rhyfeddol englynion Williams Parry, Offeren Heddwch Karl Jenkins, a Thangnefeddwyr Waldo Williams ac Eric Jones. Un o’r caneuon mwyaf pwerus yw cân Eric Bogle Green Fields of France, a glywir yma mewn dwy fersiwn, y naill gan Leah Owen mewn addasiad dyfeisgar gan Eifion Lloyd Jones sy’n cydblethu teimladau Bogle gyda hanes Hedd Wyn a dau englyn Williams Parry, a’r llall gan Plethyn mewn addasiad gwahanol, ond yr un mor effeithiol, gan Myrddin ap Dafydd. Ac hefyd mae yma ganeuon i’n herio ninnau. Yden ni am barhau i ganu’n hapus ddiniwed am ymru fel ‘gwlad yr adar mân’, neu yden ni, fel Mererid Hopwood yng nghân Tecwyn Ifan, am agor ein llygaid i sylweddoli fod yna ‘adar’ llawer mwy peryglus yn nythu yn ein mysg? Dafydd Iwan, 2014 sy’n ysgrifennu at yr awdurdodau yng nghân Ffrangeg Boris Vian a gyfieithiwyd gan Huw Jones, ewyrth Walter Meic Stevens a fu farw ar y môr, y milwr clwyfedig a welodd ei gyfaill yn chwilfriw yn Irac a chael bod y byd wedi anghofio amdano, y llanc ifanc a laddwyd yng Ngogledd Iwerddon y canodd Huw Chiswell mor angerddol amdano, a’r milwr enwocaf o’r cyfan a laddwyd cyn iddo fedru eistedd yng nghadair ddu Yr Arwr.

Traciau -