Bryn Calfaria

Bryn Calfaria ("Calvary Hill") is a Welsh hymn tune written in 8,7,8,7,4,4,4,7,7 meter. The melody by William Owen is used as a setting for several hymns, most notably the English hymn "Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor" by George Hugh Bourne and the Welsh hymn "Laudamus". The tune is reputed to have been originally written by Owen on a piece of slate whilst on his way to work at the Dorothea quarry in Gwynedd, North Wales.[1]

The melody was the basis for Channing Lefebvre's orchestral composition Measures on an Old Welsh Tune, written in Nova Scotia in 1946 and premiered in Concord on December 7, 1947 by the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra.[2]

Music

{ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"church organ" \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 120 \voiceOne \clef treble \key g \minor \time 3/2 \language "english" d4 d g2 a bf4 bf bf2 a bf4 c d2 c4( bf) a a g1 d4 d g2 a bf4 bf bf2 a bf4 c d2 c4( bf) a a g1 g4 a bf2 g a4 bf c2 a bf4 c d2 bf4( d) ef8 d c4 d8 c bf4 c8 bf a g d'1 bf4 c d2 c4( bf) a a g1 \bar "|." } \new Voice \relative c' { \voiceTwo bf4 bf d2 d d4 d g2 fs g4 g g2 g g4 fs g1 bf,4 bf d2 d d4 d g2 fs g4 g g2 g g4 fs g1 g4 g g2 d a'4 g g2 fs d4 f f2 d4( f) ef4 f d ef ef ef8 g fs1 g4 g g2 g g4 fs g1 } >> \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"church organ" \clef bass \key g \minor \time 3/2 \voiceOne g4 g g2 fs g4 g d'2 d d4 d d2 ef a,4 d bf1 g4 g g2 fs g4 g d'2 d d4 d d2 ef a,4 d bf1 bf4 c d2 bf d4 d ef2 d bf4 a bf2 bf bf4 a bf g c c8 bf a1 g4 g d'2 ef a,4 d bf1 } \new Voice \relative c { \voiceTwo g4 g bf2 d g4 g g2 d g4 g bf,2 c d4 d g,1 g4 g bf2 d g4 g g2 d g4 g bf,2 c d4 d g,1 g'4 g g2 g fs4 g c,2 d g4 f bf2 bf, c4 f bf, ef a, c d1 g4 g bf,2 c d4 d g,1 } >> >> }

References

  1. ^ Laudamus (Bryn Calfaria) at oxfordwelshmvc.org.uk
  2. ^ "New Lefebvre Composition is Played by Orchestra" (PDF). The Diapason. 39 (2): 1. January 1, 1948.

Bibliography