The
Plygain Service
From The Memories of Catherine Parry,
Llanllyfni, 1989 I
would go to St Rhedyw's Church for the Plygain before
6 a.m. but in 1970 it was changed to 7 a.m. A church
service for the whole parish - the three churches,
Llanllyfni, Penygroes and Talysarn uniting to sing
carols; the congregation singing alternately with
the soloists, duets or parties, and a few men and
women reading part of the Holy Scripture. The season
of peace and goodwill. The word Plygain derives from
the Latin pulli cantus, that is to say the crowing
of the cock at break of day.
Gathering
together in the parish church of Llanllyfni for the
Plygain service is an old custom. I would venture
to say, after asking some of the oldest members of
the church(and no one able to give a definite answer)
and doing some arithmetic, that it is about two hundred
years old. This continuing tradition is a notable
feature of Llanllyfni. The fourth generation of the
family of John Parry the sexton, who kept the Bermo
Inn, keep the tradition alive. He had two sons, Pitar
and Henry Richard Parry (the latter passed from us
in 1952) who had enchanting voices, as did the whole
family. They would sing duets, one singing tenor
and the other singing the melody, and all would enjoy
listening to them, especially "Carol y Blwch",
and naturally his two daughters had the last two
lines from the many verses of "Carol y Blwch" on
the gravestone of their father, Henry Richard Parry
in Gorffwysfa Cemetery, Llanllyfni. I was given permission
to include the two lines, and here they are:
'Mae'r bedd yn dy goleu mae'r lamp yn y gell,
I’r saint i ail wisgo cyn mynd i le gwell.'
And
there were Huw and Harri Parry, Liverpool House,
two cousins of my father, but no relation to the
family of the Bermo Inn. I remember them when I was
a child singing 'Carol y BIwch' and my Uncle Harri
beating the church floor with his stick to keep time.
( My Uncle Harri used the stick because he was crippled
by rheumatism.) Unaccompanied singing was the practice
in those days, and the church was overflowing with
people.
Long
may the special singing at the special time continue,
that is to say singing carols on Christmas morning
in Llanllyfni Church. It is difficult to imagine
a better way to begin celebrating the Festival. I
would like to add that Maldwyn Parry, (double winner
of the most prestigious prize for solo singers at
the National Eisteddfod) is a grandson of the said
John Parry the sexton. It is he who keeps the family
tradition alive, by leading and training parties
for the Plygain service every year. He is also the
organist of St. Rhedyw's, and very active with sacred
song there. |
