Report from Dave Richardson

Just a perfect day....

Thus it was at Gwehelog on Saturday 17th July.

Writing this a week later - I went on holiday on the Sunday - the details of the singing have unfortunately become too blurred to provide a commentary but here are some general impressions and highlights that have stayed with me:

Imagine a pretty, cared for, white-washed Chapel with a small Churchyard sat atop a hill and surrounded by hedged fields and trees, this is the Gwehelog Methodist Chapel.

Further imagine the whole bathed in sunshine and thronged with singers greeting and carrying out their appointed tasks. The expectancy mounted as the Harmonium (for the Sankey sing) was 'test driven', the food gathered, the seating arranged and the water urn switched on....

The opening prayer was delivered by the local Minister and started with a moments silence. As the 'buzz' subsided the deep quietness that ensued came as a shock, we have all but lost this in much of our small busy island.

The singing was spirited throughout the day, and was particularly strong after lunch with the arrival of fresh voices. Numbers? 40-50, plus some local singers who moved in and out during the day. The parts were fairly well balanced, we could always do with more front bench tenors, and we were light on occasions on the Alto bench mainly due to a number doubling tea duties!

Lacking custom-built concrete food tables for dinner outside in the Churchyard, we had wallpaper pasting tables and fine they were as was the shared food. Along with other aspects of a singing, we in the UK are gradually understanding the reason and benefits of operating in a traditional way.

Visitors? Diane Mennella of New York and her two sisters, what charming people. Diane was instrumental in helping us maintain our 'edge' and drive throughout the day as she moved from part to part, though the basses were thankfully spared :) Just before lunch saw the surprise arrival of Barry and Shelly Phillips of Santa Cruz. They were able to come due to the cancellation of an event involving Ravi Shankar and a Greek Island! - at least that's what I think they said. As Ken described at the close - 'We have had visitors from all over, even some from as far as Abergavenny'! (the nearest large town).

There were at least two people leading for the first time and the pieces led reflected our becoming gradually more adventurous in searching out the wonderful and inspiring pieces present in the Sacred Harp.

So to the Sankey portion of the day.

My 'directing the singing' as Ken Baddley grandly described it in his flyer involved little more than providing opening remarks, selecting a couple of pieces by way of illustration and then asking people to name their favourite from the selection which we promptly sang. We were very fortunate to have Chris Gardener accompany us on the Chapel Harmonium / American Reed Organ (manufactured in Battlebro'  USA). The instrument is not an easy one on which to play the lively rhythms of many of the Sankey pieces but Chris did a fine job.

As the singing started the Chapel filled with local singers, most carrying their own copy of the stubby Sacred Songs and Solos 1200 book. The singing as could be expected given where we were, was lovely and the harmonies rolled around the Chapel. We sang 22 of the 26 pieces selected for the booklet and one piece - 'When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder' - we sang twice, once requested and once to finish, and what a finish! It's as well the roof was high and well maintained!

For me it was a privilege to share this part of the day with the local singers for whom these Gospel Hymns have been an ever present part of their singing and worship lives.

I left after this part of the day so cannot comment on the evening's activities, though as I left there was talk of meeting in a pub to sing some West Gallery music!

'Just a perfect day...', our thanks to Ken for providing the opportunity for us all to be part of it.

Report from Diane Menella

When Ken Baddley sent out the invitation to join him in Gwehelog, Vale of Usk, Wales to sing, I felt I couldn't resist (since traversing the back roads of Sand Mountain and actually finding Macedonia, no challenge seems too great). The building (and the way to find it) was as advertised ..... filled to capacity, standing room only at times, the sound was full and glorious.

The Sacred Harp portion of the day was opened and closed with prayer, with grace asked at lunch time and included a sweet, solemn memorial lesson led by Bernard Collard.

It seemed to me that the ranks were swelled by local residents for the Sankey portion. My hostess, regular attendant at a local Presbyterian church, was very well acquainted with the hymn book and explained that at least once a month, their Sunday service includes mostly singing from same (this region is served by itinerant preachers as congregations are small). Doesn't this have a familiar ring? And they know and sing all the verses to beloved tunes such as Rock of Ages, When the Roll is Called up Yonder (with answer-back bass in the chorus), Shall We Gather at the River and more. I might have been in Georgia except for the one-lane country roads with hedges 8 feet above the roof of the car on either side !

There was yet more singing in the evening and on into the night ..... gracious hospitality extended at every turn. Great thanks to Ken for getting the word out and shepherding us through the day.

p.s. that's Gway log or Gway-hay log

Report from Helen Brown

The day dawned bright and sunny, although thankfully not too hot. We made the short journey by car from our accommodation, following the directions that Ken had given us to get to Gwehelog Methodist Chapel. We meandered through some wonderful countryside and proceeded until we ran out of hill (as Ken had described) and there, at the top of the hill, stood a small grey-painted chapel, tranquilly surrounded by the most wonderful view of Welsh hills, trees and sheep. Inside the Chapel, people were gathering and an expectant buzz echoed all around the room.

At 10.00am Ken asked a local minister, Catherine Campbell-Hyde, to lead us in prayer, and the buzz subsided. As part of that prayer, a short time of silence was observed as we prepared for the day ahead. How powerful was that silence! And very moving.

The singing commenced with Ken leading song on page 34b. The notes resounded around the wooden ceiling and the plaster walls to create a splendour of harmony. The day progressed and several of the locals (a lot of whom were farmers getting ready for the harvest) came and went and came back again! and as the numbers swelled and the voices warmed up, the singing really exceeded our greatest expectations.

The assembled company came from all over the UK all the usual people who frequent just about every singing there is - and we were fortunate to have several people with us from the States. Diane Mennella from New York (a well known and wonderful Sacred Harp singer with whom I had the pleasure to sing at the National in Birmingham in June), together with her two sisters, Carol Keith from Memphis, Tennessee and Virginia McNay, from London, England! Shelley and Barry Phillips from California joined us just in time to partake of the fantastic dinner on the grounds. Well actually it was on a pasting table and a church pew, but you know what I mean. We still can't compete with the amount of food that appears for the Southern singings but this was not far short. The weather was good enough to enjoy the meal outside and the wonderful surroundings and fellowship that ensued just served to ensure that the remainder of the day was as good, if not better, than the morning had been.

Judy Whiting called the class to order after lunch by leading song on page 350, Nativity. This had been specifically requested as Shelley and Barry Phillips wanted to hear a West Gallery song. Well ... Nativity is set slightly differently from our own English version, but the thought was there.

The Memorial Lesson was led by Ken Baddley in a particularly moving gentleness, after which Bernard Collard led song on page 163b, "China". I always have difficulty in singing this (I want it sung at my funeral) and the whole togetherness and atmosphere of the singing made it harder than ever. But what wonderful words they are!

As I looked around the room, people had been visibly moved and, as we progressed further into the afternoon's singing, some of the locals who had managed to stay for the whole day were quite openly and obviously enthralled and spiritually uplifted by this wonderful singing and the purpose for which it was created.

To mention any lessons or leaders in particular (other than those already reported) would be almost impossible as there were too many good leaders and lessons for me to distinguish between them. Perhaps worth a mention though are those who were new to standing in the square. Antonina Spittal (with Sheila Smith) and Jan Wilson (on her own but with lots of help from the front row tenors of course).

The singing ended with Ken Baddley leading song on page 99 - a splendid rendition of "Gospel Trumpet", a great way to finish a great day. It seemed as if we had only just begun singing and could have gone on for hours.

We did in a way. After a much needed cup of tea, we commenced with a singing of Moody and Sankey hymns. Far more of the locals arrived to join us for this after all, they knew what this bit was all about. We had a wonderful two hours of singing with the small Chapel bulging at the seams. The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows as we sang "To God be the Glory", a particular favourite of mine as it was one of the hymns sung at my wedding to Ted and at the baptisms of both of our children, "When the roll is called up yonder", "Rock of Ages" and others too numerous to mention. Chris Gardner did a magnificent job of playing the harmonium to accompany our singing. I thought he was going to take off at one stage so vigorous were his efforts.

As we finished at 6.00pm, the expressions of sheer delight on the faces of just about everyone in the Chapel told the story of what a wonderful day of singing had been experienced. We knew that a big impression had been made on the locals - they told us so. Having not known anything about Sacred Harp singing they had arrived not knowing what to expect and been completely bowled over by the singing, the spirituality, the people and the welcome that they had received. Does that sound familiar? I hope so.