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A fo ben, bid bont – the Welsh for ‘he who leads, let him be a bridge’, sums up the bridge of music opportunities for young people in North Powys provided by visionary leaders over fifty years ago, nurtured from then until now by many others and, it is hoped, will be led in the future by visionaries for another fifty years.
The Montgomeryshire County Youth Orchestra (MCYO) of 32 instrumentalists rehearsed for the first time at the Newtown Grammar School Hall on Friday, 30 November 1956 – three months after the arrival of Peter Davies as County Music Organiser, and performed at the 1957 Newtown Children's Festival. His imminent publication ‘A Bridge of Opportunity’ will be of special interest to us all. Our debt to him for his work in Montgomeryshire is immeasurable.
After the 1958 County Children’s Festival (Festival of Wales year) in which 1900 pupils from every school took part, the Education Committee, composed of enlightened educators such as Sir George Hamer, Alderman Dafydd Jones and Cllr Mrs Garbett Edwards, endorsed the County Music Scheme. This provided individual tuition on every orchestral instrument and voice at centres across the county: unique in the Principality. This bridge of opportunity led to Montgomeryshire musicians taking their place in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales (NYOW), progressing from zero in 1956 to 1 (1957), 8 (1962), 11 (1963), 18 (1964) and providing over 50% of Mid Wales’ Youth Orchestra (made up of 5 counties) in the early 60’s.
The pivotal year for the orchestra was 1960, when it met fortnightly on Friday nights. The BBC television documentary of MCYO and broadcasts of commissioned works by Welsh composers (Daniel Jones: Adar Rhiannon) celebrated the vision. The MCYO was the first county youth orchestra to tour Germany (1964), with a third of the players by now already members of the NYOW. Several went on to become principal players in professional orchestras beyond the borders of Wales.
Each decade of the orchestra’s development, including its visionary bridging to become the North Powys Youth Orchestra (NPYO), has similar stories of success. It is a privilege for me to have played a part in it.
Lady Hooson
President of the Friends of the NPYO
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Cerddorfa Ieuenctid Gogledd Powys - 2012
A fo ben, bid bont – geiriau sy’n dweud y cyfan am y bont o gyfleoedd cerddorol a roddwyd i bobl ifanc Gogledd Powys gan arweinwyr â gweledigaeth dros hanner can mlynedd yn ôl, a gynhaliwyd gan arweinwyr tebyg o hynny tan nawr ac, y gobeithir, gaiff ei arwain gan rai sydd â gweledigaeth am yr hanner can mlynedd nesaf.
Daeth Cerddorfa Ieuenctid Maldwyn (CIM) gyda 32 o offerynnwyr i ymarfer am y tro cyntaf yn Neuadd Ysgol Ramadeg y Drenewydd ar nos Wener, 30 Tachwedd 1956 – tri mis ar ôl i Peter Davies gymeryd y swydd fel Trefnydd Cerdd ym Maldwyn, gan berfformio yng Ngwyl Plant y Drenewydd yn 1957. Bydd ei lyfr ‘A Bridge of Opportunity’ o ddiddordeb mawr i ni i gyd. Mae ein dyled iddo am ei waith yn Sir Drefaldwyn yn anfesuradwy.
Ar ôl Gwyl Plant y Sir yn 1958 (blwyddyn Gwyl Cymru) lle bu 1900 o blant o bob ysgol yn cymeryd rhan, aeth y Pwyllgor Addysg ati, dan arweiniad goleuedig rhai fel Sir George Hamer, Henadur Dafydd Jones a’r Cynghorydd Mrs Garbett Edwards, i gytuno’r Cynllun Cerdd Sirol. Cytunwyd i ddarparu hyfforddiant ar gyfer pob offeryn cerdd a gwersi lleisiol ar draws y Sir: hyn yn unigryw yng Nghymru. Rhoddodd y bont o gyfleoedd yma gyfle i gerddorion ifanc Sir Drefaldwyn i dderbyn lle yng Ngherddorfa Ieuenctid Genedlaethol Cymru (CICC), gyda dim un aelod yn 1956, 1 (1957), 8 (1962), 11 (1963), 18 (1964) a thros 50% o’r Sir yn offerynnwyr yng Ngherddorfa Canolbarth Cymru (5 Sir) yn y chwedegau cynnar.
Y flwyddyn dyngedfennol oedd 1960, gyda’r gerddorfa yn ymarfer erbyn hyn bob pythefnos ar nos Wener. Dathlwyd gweledigaeth CIM gan raglenni dogfen ar deledu a radio’r BBC, gan gynnwys cyfansoddiadau wedi eu comisiynu gan gyfansoddwyr o Gymru (Daniel Jones: Adar Rhiannon). CIM oedd y gerddorfa ieuenctid gyntaf i fynd ar daith i’r Almaen (1964), gyda traean o’r offerynnywr nawr yn aelodau o CICC. Apwyntiwyd nifer i swyddi mewn cerddorfeydd proffesiynol y tu hwnt i Gymru.
Gyda phob degawd yn hanes y Gerddorfa, gan gynnwys y pontio cyffrous i ffurfio Cerddorfa Ieuenctid Gogledd Powys (COGP), ceir storiau o lwyddiannautebyg. Mae wedi bod yn fraint i mi gael chwarae rhan yn y datblygiadau.
Lady Hooson
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