Category: Music

Sing me a song

By Simon

Recently I’ve noticed that my motivation to study languages is low. I listen to online radio stations in various language every day; I’m reading literature in Welsh, Irish, French and Manx at the moment; and I speak my languages with myself and with others when the opportunity arises. Occasionally I’ll listen to and/or read a lesson in one of the languages I’m dabbling with at the moment (mainly Czech, Russian and Breton), however I’m not strongly motivated to learn the languages and don’t study them everyday.

I’ve been thinking about other ways to study and practise using my languages that will interest me more and have realised that what I really enjoy is singing. So maybe I could try learning songs in the languages I want to study and practise. I already know quite a few songs in English, Irish, Manx, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh, and in the Bangor Community Choir and other groups I’ve sang with, we’ve learnt songs in various other languages, including Bulgarian, Corsican, Croatian, Georgian, Greek, Sindebele, Spanish, Xhosa, Yoruba and Zulu.

What I’d like to learn is songs that most people in a particular country or who speak a particular language know. The kind of songs you might learn at home and/or at school, including children’s songs, which can be good for learning basic vocabulary. So any suggestions are welcome, including words, translations, recordings and so on.

I’m particularly interested in songs in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Breton, Cornish, Czech, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese), Japanese. I’ll also share them with you in the songs section of Omniglot.

Sing for Water London

By Simon

I will be singing with the Bangor Community Choir and many other choirs from around the UK at Sing for Water London, part of the Thames Festival, on Sunday 11th September 2011. The aim is to raise funds for Water Aid.

The Bangor Community Choir will be singing by HMS Belfast on the South Bank from about 12.15pm, and the massed choirs will be singing in the Scoop next to City Hall from 2pm.

Please come along if you can, and if you’d like to contribute to Water Aid, please go to: http://www.justgiving.com/simon-ager/

Panceltic concert

By Simon

Last night I went to a great concert in St John’s (Balley Keeill Eoin) at which all the modern Celtic languages were sung and/or spoken, as well as English and French. It was wonderful to hear them all, and I even understood odd bits of the Cornish and Breton, the only Celtic languages I haven’t got round to studying yet.

I think it was the first time I’ve heard Breton spoken and sung live – I have heard recordings before though. I thought that it sounds kind of similar to French, but when you listen closely you realise that it isn’t French at all.

I spoke to various people in Manx, English, Welsh, French and a bit of Irish, and joined in with songs in Manx and Scottish Gaelic at the session in Peel (Purt ny hInshey) after the concert.

An Irish group called Guidewires will be playing in Peel tonight, supported by a Manx group called Scammylt, and before that there’s a talk on Welsh poetry by Mererid Hopwood.

Tomorrow I’m off to Gleann Cholm Cille in Donegal for a week of Irish language and music at Oideas Gael’s Irish Language and Culture Summer School.

Come-all-ye

By Simon

Last night I went to a fascinating talk by Cass Meurig about the history of the crwth (a type of medieval bowed lyre) and its place in Welsh music and tradition, which included songs in Welsh.

After the talk there was a very enjoyable ‘Come-all-ye’ singing session lead by Clare Kilgallon and members of Cliogaree Twoaie (‘Northern Croakers’), a Ramsey-based choir who sing in Manx and English. There were songs in Manx, English, Welsh and Cornish, and I did a Scots lullaby (Hush, Hush, Time to be sleeping).

I think the phrase ‘come-all-ye’ refers to the type of songs known as “Come all ye’s”, which tend to begin with “Come all ye (sons of liberty/ good people/ tramps and hawkers etc) and listen to my song”. That’s according to Dick Gougan anyway. We didn’t actually sing any such songs last night though.

Wedi 7

By Simon

Neithiwr roedd y Clwb Uke Bangor ar S4C ar y rhaglen Wedi 7 (tua diwedd y rhaglen) – ein ychychdig eiliadau o enwogrwydd! Ro’n innau ar y rhaglen yn siarad yn fyr yn Gymraeg efo Meinir Gwilym, y gohebydd crwydrol ar gyfer Gogledd Cymru, ac un o fy hoff cantorion Cymraeg.

Last night Bangor Uke Club was on the S4C programme Wedi 7 (towards the end of the programme) – our few moments of fame! I appeared briefly on the programme talking in Welsh with Meinir Gwilym, the roving reporter for North Wales, and one of my favourite Welsh singers.

Canu am Ddŵr y Gogledd

By Simon

Côr Canu am Ddŵr y Gogledd yn canu tu allan neuadd y dre Manceinion

Ddoe es i i Fanceinion efo’r Côr Cymunedol Bangor i gymryd rhan mewn Canu am Ddŵr y Gogledd neu Sing for Water North. Daeth tua 300 o bobl o gorau o ogeledd-orllewin Lloegr a gogledd Cymru efo’n gilydd i ganu ac i godi pres am yr elusen Wateraid. Mi adawon ni Fangor am 8 o’r gloch y bore ac aethon ni mewn coets i Fanceinion.

Ar ôl cyrraedd yn Manceinion, mi dreulion ni y bore yn ymarfer yn y neuadd mawr yn neuadd y dre – neuadd ac adeilad syfrdanol efo acwstig gwych. Ar ôl tamaid o ginio, dechreuodd y berfformiad tu allan neuadd y dro yn Sgwar Albert efo côr o Fanceinion yn canu dwy gân, ninnau yn canu dwy gân, ac yna pawb yn canu efo’n gilydd. Wrth i ni gorffen y gân olaf, mi gyrhaeddodd y parêd Dydd Manceinion.

Pan cyrhaeddodd y parêd aeth hi yn swnllyd iawn yn y sgwar ac mi dihangon ni i Starbucks am banaid a sgwrs. Yna aeth rhai ohonon ni i oriel celf Manceinion, ac yna mi aethon ni gatre.

Mae fideos y perfformiad ar gael ar YouTube.

Ukelele

By Simon

My new ukulele

Chionnee mee ukelele jea, as riyr hie mee dys yn Bangor Uke Club, possan noa y ghow toshaight kuse dy çhiaghteeyn er dy henney. Honnick mee posteyr my-e-chione, as smooinee mee dy beagh vooar yn spoyrt eh, as dy beagh eh taitnyssagh – as va eh. Va tree deiney elley ayn riyr – ta unnane oc jannoo ukeleleyn, ta unnane troggal pannylyn greiney, as er lhiam dy vel unnane jannoo studeyrys er yn kiaull.

Laa ruggyree

By Simon

Ta mee nane as daeed bleeaney d’eash jiu, as ta my voir ayns Bangor yn jerrey shiaghtin shoh. Hie shin dys cuirrey kiaull yindyssagh riyr; dee shin kirbyl ayns thie lhionney ynnydagh jiu, as hemmayd dys cuirrey kiaull elley noght. Ghow mee arrane ayns yn cuirrey kiaull riyr rish yn sheshaght chiaullee cohellooderys Bangor, agh bee mee ayns yn lught eaishtagh noght.

Breithlá

Tá mé daichead a haon bliain d’aois inniu, agus tá mo mháthair anseo i mBangor an deireadh seachtaine seo. Chuaigh muid chuig ceolchoirm iontach aréir; d’ith muid lón i dteach tábhairne áitiúil inniu, agus beidh muid ag dhul chuig ceolchoirm eile anocht. Chan mé sa ceolchoirm aréir leis an cóir pobail Bangor, ach beidh mé sa lucht éisteachta anocht.

Penblwydd

Dw i’n pedwar deg un blwydd oed heddiw, ac mae fy mam yma ym Mangor y penwythnos ‘ma. Mi aethon ni i gyngerdd wych neithiwr; mi fwyton ni ginio yn nhafarn leol heddiw, ac mi awn ni i gyngerdd arall heno. Mi ganes i yn y gyngerdd neithiwr gyda’r côr cymunedol Bangor, ond bydda i yn y cynulleidfa heno.