Welsh Journals

Montgomeryshire Harpers. By ERFYL FYCHAN. Oral tradition of eminent harpers is rapidly being forgotten and household names of a quarter of a century ago are in many instances now unknown. It is greatly to be regretted that so little has been preserved of the history of some of our best known county har- pers. In many instances it is only a name that has been preserved, and it is a brief biography of some of these harpers that is being attempted in the following pages. Many a beautiful air, many an in- teresting episode, and many an exquisite performer has passed away unwept, unhonoured, and unsung." The tradition of harp-playing in Wales is both ancient and honoured, a tradition which has con- tinued unbroken down to the present day. The triple-harp, our national instrument has practically disappeared, owing to the better construction of the pedal harp, and the fact that it is more easily kept in tune. As the old harpers pass away, so the triple-harp which was once the joy of prince and peasant, has nearly become a stranger in its own home. Dance bands blasting their jarring notes through the loud speaker is the common music of many homes nowadays, and the soothing strains of the harp are only occasionally heard..Mont- gomeryshire can boast of having produced in the past some ex- cellent players, and even to-day, one of the finest harpists in the whole of Wales is a Montgomeryshire lady. When we remember that there was once a family of harp-makers at Llangynog, harps, at one time must have been common in the county. It would be interesting to know what has happened to the harps made at Llangynog. Maybe, some are still preserved in out of the way farmhouses, while others have been allowed to become worm-eaten and unglued. It is a sad fact that to-day there is not a single harp-maker in Wales, though we still proudly refer to our country as Gwlad y Delyn." If the harp is to be restored, it must be brought once again to the homes of the people, to places of worship and to the schools. The past shows that its patrons were many, and an account of the Montgomeryshire harpers would not be complete without reference to one who during his life time did so much for Welsh music and minstrelsy. Bennett Nicholas, was the eldest son of Nicholas and Sarah Bennett, of Glanyrafon, Trefeglwys. Born in 1823, he was educated