Page 7 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

Switch to online classes enables top harpist to teach protégé

7,500 miles away in Patagonia

By Ceidiog Hughes

A switch to online classes
because of the covid crisis has
enabled an acclaimed music
centre in North Wales to pro-
vide lessons around the world.
Among the tutors at Canolfan
Gerdd William Mathias
(William Mathias Music
Centre), which has bases in
Caernarfon, Denbigh and
Ruthin, is internationally
renowned harpist Elinor Bennett
who is now teaching one of her
young protégés 7,500 miles Teenage harpist Helen Green being taught on Zoom by
away in the Welsh colony of acclaimed harpist Elinor Bennett, with former student Esyllt
Patagonia in Argentina. Roberts de Lewis who now lives in Patagonia
The long-distance tutoring Acclaimed harpist Elinor Bennet
through the medium of Welsh is keep music lessons available musician who was official
a dream come true for talented and its teachers in work through harpist to Prince Charles from CGWM director Meinir After they met Esyllt recog-
teenage harpist Helen Green the pandemic. 2000-2004. Llwyd Roberts said: “There’s nised Helen had great potential
who loves the lessons with her The live lessons take place Elinor said she would not be no question we’ve faced and would benefit from more
music idol. online through the video com- able to mentor Helen so easily unprecedented obstacles sus- advanced tutoring. Esyllt con-
The centre has managed to munications platform Zoom. without help from Canolfan taining musical education provi- tacted Elinor to ask if she could
continue to conduct 65 per cent Elinor said she immensely Gerdd William Mathias sion during the pandemic, but recommend a good mentor and
of its one-to-one lessons since looks forward to the fortnightly (CGWM) of which she is a we’ve succeeded in adapting all was thrilled when Elinor took
the coronavirus pandemic lessons with Helen and enjoys long-standing supporter. our regular projects to offer on board the task herself.
struck. catching up with news in ‘beau- CGWM was established in some online provision. It’s Helen and her mum, a violin-
Within a week of going into tiful Patagonia’ which she has 1999 to improve access to opened our eyes to opportuni- ist, were delighted.
lockdown in March, the lessons visited three times. instrumental and singing lessons ties for using this as a method of Elinor said: “Helen is such a
moved online – something that She said: “The miracles of for the North Wales community delivering activities in the keen, self-motivated student, a
also allowed the centre to modern technology have been and provide a work outlet for future. real pleasure to work with. She
extend its reach well beyond its hugely beneficial during this self-employed music teachers. “Face-to-face lessons are the was improving noticeably after
traditional heartland. difficult period for musicians It encompasses 42 freelance best option and we can’t wait to just five sessions and is current-
Some face-to-face lessons worldwide. tutors who offer individual and be able to return all our projects ly preparing to join a virtual
have now resumed but centre “Despite this we’ve struck up group tuition to more than 500 face to face but in some circum- online performance with other
director Meinir Llwyd Roberts an exciting connection which people on a weekly basis across stances where this isn’t possible CGWM students. We’re hope-
revealed the virtual lessons are Helen and I look forward to the board from pre-school to the online facility is a great ful of arranging it soon. She has
here to stay for those who are every two weeks. pension ages. alternative option. We’ll be con- also taken part in a music festi-
unable to attend lessons in per- “It takes great preparation on These are normally in-person tinuing to offer it in the long val in Buenos Aires.”
son. both sides to make it work and activities at Galeri Caernarfon, term, post pandemic.” Patagonia is a Welsh-lan-
That’s music to the ears of we have to factor in the three or satellite centres at Theatr “One only has to look at the guage colony on Argentina’s
15-year-old Helen who said: “I hour time difference but so far Twm o’r Nant, Denbigh, and remarkable example of Elinor border with Chile first inhabited
feel so lucky that we have the the lessons are going fantasti- Capel Tabernacl, Ruthin and in and Helen to see how music by Welsh settlers in the 19th
technology to do this. To have cally well.” the wider community. education really can transcend century. It is the only part of the
Elinor as my mentor is a real Elinor holds an OBE and has Face-to-face activities were boundaries whether they be world other than Wales where
privilege, a chance to learn so performed with the English put on hold during the summer geographical, physical or emo- Welsh is commonly
much. It’s the second-best thing Chamber Orchestra, London lockdown and recent Wales tional.” spoken. Helen lives in Gaiman,
to having her in the room. She’s Symphony Orchestra and firebreak. But helped by funds Elinor was put in contact with near Trelew, in the Chubut area.
an extraordinary teacher, an the Philharmonia Orchestra, as from the Arts Council of Wales’ Helen and her music-loving Anyone wanting to find out
amazing harpist.” well as giving regular recitals stabilisation fund made possible family by another of her former more about Canolfan Gerdd
The trans-Atlantic connection on BBC radio and television. by The National Lottery, and students, Esyllt Roberts de William Mathias can visit:
is one of the remarkable Her past students include the the willingness of tutors to Lewis, who grew up in Wales www.cgwm.org.uk
achievements secured by the former Royal harpist Catrin adapt, most of its music projects but moved to Patagonia to
centre which is working hard to Finch, now a renowned classical were transferred online. teach.

Learning Welsh in Lockdown

By Liz Williams this can be done from the com- My great-grandfather was a
fort of home. There are now so Welsh minister in Wisconsin,
For those who may be staying many resources available at our and I was able to translate an
inside more than usual this win- fingertips, including those on article about his ordination in a
ter, why not take the plunge into the Welsh Government’s Welsh-language newspaper
learning Welsh? After my city LearnWelsh.cymru website or from 1926. I also found an arti-
(Melbourne, Australia) under- through the Duolingo language cle on my great-great-grandfa-
went one of the strictest app. ther, who immigrated from
COVID-19 lockdowns in the Learning Welsh helped me Wales to upstate New York in
world earlier this year, I found get through our 111-day lock- 1886. The article was written
an unexpected opportunity to down in Melbourne earlier this after his death and provided the
improve my Welsh. year. It gave me something pro- most comprehensive picture of
I grew up in upstate New ductive to focus on during a his life that I had read to date,
York in an area that still had time when many other activities filling in gaps in his life story
strong ties to Wales after waves had ceased. Although it can be that were previously unknown
of Welsh immigrants settled challenging and frustrating Liz Williams to me. I had to use a Welsh-lan-
there in the 18th and 19th cen- when first starting out, learning I started watching Welsh connection to heritage it gave guage dictionary and translation
turies. I grew up singing hymns a language also provides space television and listening to me. As my Welsh improved, I app for this process, but being
in Welsh at the Gymanfa Ganu for quick wins. Since there was Welsh radio as something new was able to recognize more and familiar with word mutations
events that my father, Jay nowhere for me to go but up, I to do. Within a few weeks, I more words, and identify sen- and common sentence structures
Williams, conducted in New felt satisfaction with each new was hooked on the many story tence structures. This meant I helped with the task.
York state and other parts of the word or phrase or grammar rule lines of Rownd a Rownd (which could translate some old news- Our strict lockdown is over
American northeast. But it was- I learned. It was important to I watched with English subti- paper articles and documents here in Melbourne, but I am left
n’t until I was older that I start- feel a sense of purpose and tles). This program, and others, that had previously been inac- with a deeper love of the lan-
ed to learn what those words accomplishment during such an can be viewed from around the cessible to my family because guage and appreciation for my
meant. unsettling time. world through the S4C website. they were written in Welsh. Welsh-American roots.
I first attempted to learn the Studying Welsh during lock- I have also recently begun read-
language in 2012, when I heard down also kept me entertained. ing Coed y Brenin by Colin
about the Say Something in We went nearly four months Jones, a book specifically Is your subscription up to date?
Welsh online language course. without being able to leave the designed for learners with a
Since then, I have been part of a house, aside for one hour of murder mystery, shady charac- Please check your mailing label and if the date is 12/20 or earlier,
few in-person classes, first in exercise per day or to go to the ters and crystal balls.
Pittsburgh and now in grocery store. This meant I But one of the best parts of it is time to renew.
Melbourne. But even without an spent a lot of time entertaining learning Welsh while in lock- You can renew online: www.ninnau.com
in-person class, it is still possi- myself through digital plat- down was the deeper sense of
ble to learn the language and forms. Thank you for supporting Welsh news in North America

January-February 2021 NINNAU Page 7