Cwm Rhondda
Cwm Rhondda is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes (1873–1932) in 1907. The name is taken from the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley.
It is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams' text "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer", originally Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch in Welsh. The tune and hymn are often called "Bread of Heaven" because of a repeated line in this English translation.
For Welsh hymns, the tune is most commonly used as a setting for Wele'n sefyll rhwng y myrtwydd by Ann Griffiths, and it was as a setting of this that the tune was first published in 1907.
Tune
It is sometimes said that John Hughes wrote the first version of the tune, which he called "Rhondda", for a Cymanfa Ganu in Pontypridd in 1905, but it is more likely that it was written for a festival there in 1907, when the enthusiasm of the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival still remained.The present form was developed for the inauguration of the organ at Capel Rhondda, in Hopkinstown in the Rhondda Valley, in 1907. Hughes himself played the organ at this performance. The name was changed from "Rhondda" to "Cwm Rhondda" by Harry Evans, of Dowlais, to avoid confusion with another tune, by M. O. Jones.
The hymn is usually pitched in A-flat major and has the 8.7.8.7.4.4.7.7 measure which is common in Welsh hymns. The third line repeats the first and the fourth line develops the second. The fifth line normally involves a repeat of the four-syllable text and the sixth reaches a climax on a dominant seventh chord – emphasised by a rising arpeggio in the alto and bass parts. The final line continues the musical development of the second and fourth.
On account of these vigorous characteristics, the tune was resisted for some time in both Welsh and English collections but has long been firmly established.
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Hymn text: 'Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer'
Present-day
The following are the English and Welsh versions of the hymn, as given in the standard modern collections, based on a verse in the Book of Isaiah. These English lyrics may also be interpreted as referencing the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit, making it a popular hymn during communion prayer. It is especially popular in Anglican churches, and is particularly associated with the Church in Wales.The Welsh version shown above is a somewhat literal re-translation from the English version back into Welsh. Earlier versions of the hymn book published jointly by the Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists had a version with five verses that was otherwise much closer to Pantycelyn's original Welsh text.
History
is generally acknowledged as the greatest Welsh hymnwriter. The Welsh original of this hymn was first published as Hymn 10 in Mor o Wydr in 1762. It comprised six verses. It was originally titled Gweddi am Nerth i fyned trwy anialwch y Byd.Peter Williams translated the hymn which was published in Hymns on various subjects, 1771, with the title Prayer for Strength. This translation is the only Welsh hymn to have gained widespread circulation in the English-speaking world. The present-day Welsh version, given above, is essentially a redaction of the original to parallel Peter Williams's English version. A result of the translation process is that the now-familiar phrase "Bread of heaven" does not actually occur in the original; it is a paraphrase of the references to manna.
The Welsh word Arglwydd corresponds to the English Lord. Peter Williams used Jehovah in his translation of the lyrics. Although some English-language hymnals today have replaced "Jehovah" with "Redeemer", it's common to see the hymn with the original English translation that includes the Divine Name.
The following version of the original is taken from Gwaith Pantycelyn. All but the second verse is given, with minor variations, in the Welsh Hymnbook of the Calvinist and Wesleyan Methodists, published by the assemblies of the two churches.
Meanings
The hymn describes the experience of God's people in their travel through the wilderness from the escape from slavery in Egypt, being guided by a cloud by day and a fire by night to their final arrival forty years later in the land of Canaan. During this time their needs were supplied by God, including the daily supply of manna.The hymn text forms an allegory for the journey of a Christian throughout their life on earth requiring the Redeemer's guidance and ending at the gates of Heaven and end of time.
Instances of use
The hymn has been sung on various British state occasions, such as the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the weddings of wedding of Prince [William and Catherine Middleton|Prince William and Catherine Middleton] and wedding of Prince [Harry and Meghan Markle|Prince Harry and Meghan Markle], and also the service of reflection for Queen Elizabeth II in Wales at 2022.The hymn is also featured prominently in the soundtrack to the 1941 film How Green Was My Valley, directed by John Ford, using the version given in "History" above. The soundtrack, by Alfred Newman, won that year's Academy Award for Original Music Score. It is also featured at the beginning of The African Queen, with Katharine Hepburn singing and playing the organ. Only Men Aloud! also sang an arrangement by Tim Rhys-Evans and Jeffrey Howard on the BBC 1 Show Last Choir Standing in 2008. They subsequently released it on their self-titled début album.
The hymn was the informal anthem of Wales in the "Green and Pleasant Land" section of the 2012 [Summer Olympics opening ceremony]. The hymn is also used by freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England.
The BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave used the song in the episode "The Beast In The Cage". The lyrics were altered to be about the main character, Victor Meldrew.
Hymn text:
Despite the history of the tune and its common English text, the usual tune-words pairing in Welsh is quite different. Arglwydd, arwain... is usually sung to the tune Capel y Ddôl and Cwm Rhondda is the setting for the hymn Wele'n Sefyll Rwng y Myrtwydd by Ann Griffiths:Other English hymn texts
Some hymnals use this tune for the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory" written by Harry Emerson Fosdick in 1930.Others use it for "Full salvation! Full salvation! Lo, the fountain opened wide" by Francis Bottome.