Cymdeithas Corau Meibion Cymru
Welsh Association of Male Choirs
NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD - LLANTWD,NORTH pembrokeshire
The National Eisteddfod is held in Wales during the first week of August. In 2026 it falls from August 1 to 8. It’s an annual festival that lasts for eight days. Alternating between north and south Wales, the ‘Maes’ (venues where events take place) change every year, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and hosting hundreds of stands and stalls. This festival is the showcase for music, dance, literature, visual arts, and original performances. It’s an inclusive and popular festival, inviting Welsh learners and those who don’t speak Welsh. So, if you are a non-Welsh speaker, you’re always welcome.
(English follows) Hoffai Cymdeithas Corau Meibion Cymru estyn ein llongyfarchiadau twymgalon i Derrick Rowlands am y fraint a'r anrhydedd o gyhoeddu ei urddo i'r Orsedd gan yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol. Mae Derrick wedi chwarae rôl allweddol yn y Gymdeithas wrth drefnu ein cyngerddau unedig, a llywio ein gwaith gyda mudiadau allanol eraill. Mae Derrick yn aelod o Gôr Mynydd Mawr ac fe fydd yn cael ei urddo yn yr Eisteddfod ym Mhontypridd 2024 am ei wasanaeth i gôrau meibion. Ardderchog Derrick
The Welsh Association of Male Choirs would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Derrick Rowlands for the great honour. of being chosen to join the Gorsedd of the National Eisteddfod. This honour is bestowed on Wales's most notable people and those that have contributed above and beyond in the enhancement of Welsh and Welsh language culture. Derrick has played a key role on the Association Executive, including a pivotal role in organising our mass concerts and in liaising and representing the Association in the wider community. Derrick is a member of Côr Meibion Mynydd Mawr and will be elevated to Yr Orsedd during this summer's festival 2024 in Pontypridd for services to male choral singing. Brilliant Derrick
Royal National Eisteddfod and choirs – history and practicalities
Historical context The association between Male Voice Choirs and the Eisteddfod is both long and proud, dating as far back as the Swansea Eisteddfod of 1863 with a competition for 'male voices from mixed choirs'. The onset of the industrial revolution led to the burgeoning of choirs, and it was common for audiences of 20,000 to flock to the Pavilion to watch the male choir competitions. Striking examples included the notable Eisteddfod again in Swansea in 1891 where 10 choirs competed for 5 hours with Pontycymer victorious.
After the ebb and flow of the inter-war years, choirs came back with a vengeance with Treorchy claiming the notable quadruple success in Eisteddfodau between 1946-9 and taking the standard of choral singing to a brand-new level. Many of our current choirs were formed in the 1950s and 60s and saw competing at the Eisteddfodau as a means of acquiring welcome publicity and immense prestige.
The Eisteddfod visits different parts of Wales – alternating between South and North Wales. The last 5 were held in Abergavenny, Bodedern (Ynys Môn), Cardiff, Llanrwst, and Tregaron. This year's Eisteddfod was in Boduan (near Pwllheli), and the next two in RCT (Pontypridd) & Wrexham. Many choirs use the location as a spur to form or enter competition. Only Boys Aloud for example was established with the purpose of competing at the Heads of the Valley Eisteddfod in 2010 and last year's winners in Tregaron were Ceredigion based 'Ar ôl Tri'
Competitions There was previously one competition for male voice choirs of no less than 20 voices taking place on the final Saturday of the Eisteddfod (usually the 2nd Saturday in August). Choirs provide a programme of no more than 12 minutes but at least one piece must be unaccompanied, and one piece must be by a composer with links to Wales. The victors receive a cup awarded by the Welsh Association of Male Choirs and a cash prize from separate sponsors of £750. There are also cash prizes for those coming 2nd and 3rd. Performers at the Eisteddfod must abide by the rule to sing in Welsh – as this festival is a showcase of the Welsh language, it is commonly held that any slackening of this rule will lead to a 'slippery slope'. However, there is widespread provision for non-Welsh speakers and Welsh learners and many Eisteddfod attendees and stall holders don't speak the language. Numbers of choirs competing have fluctuated from a low point of 6 at the Cardiff Eisteddfod in 2018 to 15 in Llanrwst in 2019
An evolving Eisteddfod
The Eisteddfod is constantly evolving and in recent years the Pavilion has been increasingly used to showcase evening concerts, which very occasionally have featured male voice choirs. This is leading to tightening and curtailing the time available for competitions, and there is an active debate and a further period of consultation on what this may mean for the choral competitions.
The revamped 2024 programme heralded some of the biggest changes in years and member choirs are encouraged to take a detailed look as there may be opportunities to compete beyond the confines of the traditional male voice choral competition which will continue to take place on the last Saturday.
There will now be at least one choral competition on each day of the Eisteddfod. This starts on the opening Saturday when there will be a competition for choirs from the local eisteddfodau. On Sunday there will be a brand new competition for choirs new to the Eisteddfod with an encouragement for community choirs to present. Monday will now stage the competition for choirs over the age of 60 and Tuesday for choirs under the age of 25. Wednesday will host on open competition for all choirs. On Thursday there will be a competition for Ladies choirs (referred to as S/A voices) together with a choral competition for Welsh Learners. Friday will see three choral competitions - 'Cerdd Dant' choir, Mixed Choir, and Folk music choir.
For choirs not wishing to go down the competition route, there are alternative opportunities to perform on the 'maes'. At Boduan this year, several local Male Voice Choirs have been given a slot of up to an hour to perform on 'Llwyfan y Maes' – a covered but open area where food and drink is served.
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Corau a'r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Frenhinol – yr hanes ac ymarferoldeb
Cyd-destun hanesyddol Mae'r cysylltiad rhwng corau meibion â'r Eisteddfod yn hen hanes balch yn deillio mor belled ag Eisteddfod Abertawe 1863 pan darparwyd cystadleuaeth 'i feibion o gorau cymysg'. Cafwyd twf aruthrol yn ein corau yn sgîl y chwyldro diwydiannol, a doedd hi ddim yn eithriad I weld torf o 20,000 yn mynychu'r Pafiliwn ar gyfer cystadleuaeth y corau meibion. Enghraifft nodedig oedd Eisteddfod 1891, eto yn Abertawe pan y cystadlodd 10 o gorau am 5 awr gyda Phontycymer yn fuddugol.
Ar ôl llanw a thrau y blynyddoedd rhwng y rhyfeloedd, daeth y corau meibion yn ôl i'w bri gyda Trecori yn llwyddo am bedair blynedd o'r bron rhwng 1946-9 gan fynd â chanu corawl i entrychion newydd. Crewyd nifer o'n corau presennol yn y 1950au a'r 60au ac ystyriwyd cystadlu yn yr Eisteddfod fel modd i gynnal balchder a chreu cyhoeddusrwydd iddynt.
Mae'r Eisteddfod yn ymweld â chymunedau gwahanol yn flynyddol am yn ail rhwng y Gogledd a'r De. Cynhaliwyd y 5 diwethaf yn Y Fenni, Bodedern (Ynys Môn), Caerdydd, Llanrwst, a Thregaron. Flwyddyn hon roedd yr Eisteddfod ym Moduan (ger Pwllheli), flwyddyn nesaf yn RCT (Pontypridd),ac yna Wrecsam. Mae nifer o gorau yn defnyddio lleoliad yr Eisteddfod fel hwb i greu côr o'r newydd neu benderfynnu cystadlu. Er enghriafft Eisteddfod Blaenau'r Cymoedd yn 2010 oedd yr ysgogiad i greu Only Boys Aloud, ac enillwyr Tregaron oedd côr Ar ôl Tri o ardal Ceredigion.
Cystadleuaethau Roedd un gystadleuaeth o'r blaen ar gyfer corau meibion o ddim llai na 20 llais ar ddydd Sadwrn ola'r Eisteddfod (fel arfer yr 2ail Sadwrn yn Awst).. Mae pob côr yn cyflwyno rhaglen hunan-ddewisiad ddim hwy na 12 munud. Rhaid i un darn fod yn ddi-gyfeiliant, ac un darn gan gyfansoddwr â chysylltiadau amlwg â Chymru. Mae'r buddugwyr yn derbyn cwpan a gyflwynir gan Gymdeithas Corau Meibion Cymru a'i chadw am flwyddyn a rhodd o £750 gan noddwyr ar wahan. Mae rhoddion hefyd i'r sawl sy'n ail a thrydydd. Mae'n rhaid I berfformwyr ganu yn gyfangwbl yn y Gymraeg – gan fod hon yn unig ŵyl pob oedran i arddangos yr iaith i'r byd mae'r trefnwyr am ochel rhag y llwybr llithrig. Er hynny mae darpariaeth lled eang i'r sawl nad sy'n siarad Cymraeg a dysgwyr ac mae nifer sy'n mynychu a deiliad sdondinau ddim yn medru'r Gymraeg. Mae nifer y corau meibion sy'n cystadlu yn amrywio o bwynt isel o 6 yng Nghaerdydd yn 2018 I 15 yn Llanrwst y flwyddyn ganlynnol.
Yr Eisteddfod yn addasu Mae'r Eisteddfod yn addasu'n gyson gyda defnydd cynyddol o'r pafiliwn gyda'r nos ar gyfer cyngherddau mawrion yn hytrach na chystadlu, gydag ambell i Gôr Meibion yn ymmdangos. O reidrwydd mae hyn yn tynhau a lleihau yr amser a glustnodir ar gyfer cystadlu. Mae yna gryn drafodaeth ac ymgynghoriad pellach am yr effaith ar gystadleuaethau corawl.
Mae'r rhaglen wedi ei ail-wampio yn cynnig rhai o'r newidiadau mwyaf i gystadleuthau'r prif lwyfan ers blynyddoedd ac annogir ein corau i ddwys ystyried y rhaglen gan fod cyfleoedd yn codi i gystadlu tu hwnt i gyfyngderau'r gystadleuaeth i gorau meibion fydd yn parhau i gael ei gynnal ar y Sadwrn olaf.
Fe fydd o leiaf un gystadleuaeth gorawl bob dydd yn yr Eisteddfod flwyddyn hon. Ar y Sadwrn cyntaf ceir cystadleuaeth i gorau yn cynrychioli'r Eisteddfodau lleol. Ar y Sul fe fydd cystadleuaeth newydd sbon i gorau sy'n newydd-ddyfodiaid i'r Eisteddfod gyda'r annogaeth i gorau cymunedol ymddangos. Ar ddydd Llun tro corau dros 60 oed fydd wrthi a ddydd Mawrth, y sawl o dan 25 mlwydd. Ar ddydd Mercher bydd yna gystadleuaeth agored i bob côr. Ar ddydd Iau fe fydd yna gystadleuaeth i gorau merched (llais S/A) a chystadleuaeth i gorau dysgwyr. Ar y dydd Gwener fe fydd tri cystadleuaeth gorawl - côr Cerdd Dant, côr cymysg, a chôr alawon gwerin..
I'r corau hynny nad ydynt am ddilyn trywydd cystadleuol, mae yna gyfleon amgen ar y maes. Ym Moduan flwyddyn hon, roedd nifer o gorau meibion lleol wedi cael cyfle I berfformio am hyd at awr ar lwyfan y maes, lle agored gydag ychydig o gysgod yn y man lle gweinir bwyd a diod fel arfer.