Y Cambro-Brython polka

The first version is the key in which Kilbride play it (Amaj), and the second , is in the one in the Welsh Tunebook ‘ Blodau’r Grug’ .

Now te, we come to pronounciation.

Y…….say……uh ( as in….say that again.)
Cambro…….say…..cam brow ( as in …pass me the cam…bro )
Brython……..say……Bri..thon (Bri.. as in Brick )

This is the first tune on Track 1 on the Kilbride album Music from Cardiff, even though the trak listings says different,
anyway here’s the link for the 2nd tune on Track 1 ,‘Dic y Cymro’

https://thesession.org/tunes/8905

see the comments page for an ABC in A maj.

Selected and arranged by Alex Hamilton
Revised by Robin Huw Bowen
Cymdeithas Ddawns Werin Cymru / The Welsh Folk Dance Society, 1992

~ another take in G Major

Page 23, tune #39b: “Y Cambro Brython” (3 of 3 for this dance)

~ | BG B :| ~ I suspect you meant to write ~ | BG G :| ~ in keeping with ~ | cA A :| ~

However, you have given it IDENTICAL, right down to the layout of the bars, as the source just given above, “Blodau’r Grug”. You’ve just transposed it up from that to A Major, and then following it with the exact key from the book, G Major, note three lines as given in the book, atypical for ABC notation that is usually laid out in the usual 4-bar phrases ~

K:Gmaj
d | Bd ce | dB AG | Gg dB | AA Ad | Bd ce |
dB AG | Bd Ad | BG G :|: d | g2 dB | g2 dB | Gg dB |
AA Ad | g2 dB | g2 dB | Bd Ad |BG B :|

There is respect for giving ones exact sources, that honesty, if only a little when it is lifted from someone else’s hard work. For a more meaningful respect, that is reserved for those who actually bother to take the time and consideration to transcribe from someone’s playing, like the way the Kilbride’s take it, or how you play it yourself, free of the tyranny of dots, and having given it some time to make it your own ~ or how your local sessions or mates take it. I seriously doubt that Kilbride played it note for note from the sheetmusic. Unfortunately I don’t have that recording on hand right now or I’d do a transcription, and check to see if the ‘speed’ affected the audio to sound half or a full step higher than it actually was played, not uncommon, especially with tape and earlier recordings, sometimes done by the audio junkies in processing.

I’ll see if I can find that recording, but In the absence of that for the moment, here is a different take for this in G, not by any book, having played and danced to this one ~

X: 2
T: Y Cambro-Brython
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K:Gmaj
|: d/c/ |\
Bd ce | dB A>G | Gg dB | A2- Ad/c/ |
Bd c/d/e/c/ | dB AG/A/ | Bd Ad/c/ | BG G :|:
|: (3d/e/f/ |\
~g2 dB | ~g2 dB | Gg dB | A2- Ad |
ga/g/ dB | g/a/g/e/ d>c | B/c/d A/B/c/d/ |BG G :|

Please give contributions more thought next time Abram. They are welcome, but try not to pirate the hardwork of others, and if you do, at least give full credit… You might also arrage your ABCs in 4-bar phrases, a generally accepted and practiced norm… Best of luck for the future…

K:Gmaj
|: d | Bd ce | dB AG | Gg dB | AA Ad |
Bd ce | dB AG | Bd Ad | BG G :|
|: d | g2 dB | g2 dB | Gg dB | AA Ad |
g2 dB | g2 dB | Bd Ad | BG G :|

Novello & Co. Ltd., London, 1935

Page 9: “The Cambro Briton” ~ in 2/4

Mellor collected this air from “Skillern’s Country Dances for 1799”

“Cambro Britons”

& “Cahusac - Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1799”
“The Cambro Britains”

http://www.colonialmusic.org/

& priceless, the collection in the British Library
http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/pcroom/BLcat.htm

& also appreciated, the E.F.D.S.S. library at Cecil Sharp House, London
http://www.efdss.org/

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dihome.html

The last valued resource still awaits more entries, hopefully, but is a priceless treasure trove of historical ‘dots’ for dances, the accompanying music too. It doesn’t yet include Skillern’s works…

Hugh Mellor’s arrangment for piano, and his source, Skillern, is in G Major and the basic melody is exactly the same as in the collection “Blodau’r Grug”, as given here, the simpler transcription. It is also AABB and 2/4…

I’ve corrected the mistakes in ABC notation, apologies for vagueness in sources and layout. Consider my pen’ol kicked.
Amaj transcription as near as damn it the way Kilbride Played it on their album ‘ Traditional fiddle music from Cardiff ’ available from Fflach website.
music for the people, by the people, to the people, we all agree.

Here’s link for Fflach

http://www.fflach.co.uk

As a matter of some interest as at this moment in time , Blodau Grug, Tro Llaw and Cadw Twmpath are all out of print!!

The album/track is also available on ‘i tunes’ just put Kilbride into search then click album then click play on 1st track and listen to snippet of Cambro

Abram, last I checked “Blodau’r Grug” and “Tro Llaw” were still available, at least in my brother-in-law’s Welsh shop… I’ll have to ask him, since he’s in the business… 😉

Even so, your own take on this tune, or someone else’s, or your local session or mates, is much more interesting than lifting notes from a collection, out-of-print or not. You could always then reference that in the ‘comments’.

It is good to see these old ‘country dance’ tunes are getting some continued exercise, airing…

What is your relationship with this one? Do you play it? Has it been in your repertoire for some time? Do you play it dot-for-dot, or do you have your own way with it? Give us your take on it, as you play it? Is it a tune your particularly fond of, or not? 😏

At the moment I am friends with this tune, well the ‘Kilbride Set’ and have fun playing the three tunes with a friend of infinitely more experience, knowledge and age and patience than me.Though my Daughter said she recognised the tune from school (Urdd). I am discovering my Welsh musical heritage and was imagining that other folk who visit the site were aswell, lets face it, Welsh Tunes are nowhere near as well known/popular/prevelant/visible, as their Irish Brothers. Very interested in your Brother-in-Law’s shop could you send me his shops contact details to see if he would sell me“Tro Llaw”, if he has a copy. My local music shop only have “Cadw twmpath left” (they told me the other two are out of print, ‘for now’.) Diolch yn fawr iawn i ti.

Cool! ~ That I love, the personal touch, and the connection with your daughter and the URDD…

I’ll do that, contact family tonight and see if he still has it or can get a copy for you. There are others that might interest you, but I’ll email you on those, in case you’d like me to see if he has any in stock or can chase them up for you.

If you can, a transcription of how you or the Kilbride’s take it would be welcome here too. If no, I could do a transcription of the Kilbride’s take on it and add it here.

X: 3
T: Y Cambro-Brython
S: The Kilbride Brothers
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Amaj
|: c>e df | ec BA | Aa ec | B2- BB |
ce df | ec BA | ce Bd |[1 cA A2 :|[2 cA ce ||
|: a2 ec | a2 ec | Aa ec |
[1 B2- Be | a2 ec | a2 ed | ce Bd | cA ce :|
[2 B2- BB | ce df |ec BA | ce Bd | cA A2 |]

~ down to basics, the first bar also played simply |: ce df |…

Robin Huw Bowen (on his album “The Road to Aberystwyth) calls the tune ”Y Cambro-Frython“, as does Bernard Kilbride in a YouTube video (but the tune of which is actually ”Dic Y Cymru).