Page "Music of Wales" Paragraph 9

Welsh traditional music declined with the rise of Nonconformist religion in the 18th century, which emphasised choral singing over instruments, and religious over secular uses of music ; traditional musical styles became associated with drunkenness and immorality.

The development of hymn singing in Wales is closely tied with the Welsh Methodist revival of the late 18th century.

The hymns were popularised by writers such as William Williams, while others were set to popular secular tunes or adopted Welsh ballad tunes.

The appointment of Henry Mills as a musical overseer to the Welsh Methodist congregations in the 1780s saw a drive to improve singing throughout Wales.

This saw the formation of local musical societies and in the first half of the 19th century Musical primers and collections of tunes were printed and distributed.

Congregational singing was given further impetus with the arrival of the temperance movement, which saw the Temperance Choral Union ( formed in 1854 ) organising annual singing festivals, these included hymn singing by combined choirs.

The publication of Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol by John Roberts in 1859 provided congregations with a body of standard tunes that were less complex with unadorned harmonies.

This collection began the practice of combining together to sing tunes from the book laid the foundation for Cymanfa Ganu, hymn singing festivals.

Around the same period, the growing availability of music in the tonic sol-fa notation, promoted by the likes of Eleazar Roberts, allowed congregations to read music more fluently.

One particularly popular hymn of this period was " Llef ".