Robert ap Huw (or ''Hugh''; c.1580 – 1665), was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

ist and

music copyist A copyist is a person who makes duplications of the same thing. The modern use of the term is mainly confined to music copyists, who are employed by the music industry to produce neat copies from a composer or arranger's manuscript. However, the ...

. He is most notable for compiling a manuscript, now known as the ''Robert ap Huw manuscript'', which is the main extant source of ''

cerdd dant , or ') is the art of vocal improvisation over a given melody in Welsh musical tradition. It is an important competition in . The singer or (small) choir sings a counter melody over a harp melody. History is a unique tradition of singing lyri ...

'' and is a late medieval collection of harp music. It is one of the most important sources of early Welsh music.

Life history

Robert ap Huw was born circa 1580, growing up in the settlement of Llanddeusant on the island of

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

. The grandson of the poet Sion Brwynog, Robert was related to the

Tudors of Penmynydd The Tudors of Penmynydd () were a noble and aristocratic family, connected with the village of Penmynydd in Anglesey, North Wales, who were very influential in Welsh (and later English) politics. From this family arose Owen Tudor, Sir Owen Tudo ...

.Davies (2008) p.766 In his later life he moved to

Llandegfan Llandegfan (; ; meaning ''The Church of St Tegfan'') is a village on the east of island of Anglesey in Wales. It is part of the community (Wales), community of Cwm Cadnant.Davies (2008) p.180 Population is around 1,580. History and description ...

where he became a gentleman farmer. He was an able poet, but was best known as a harpist, having graduated ''pencerdd'' (chief musician) by c. 1615.

The Robert ap Huw Manuscript

Around 1613, Robert ap Huw compiled a retrospective manuscript of harp music, the only reliable source of ''

'' to survive. The compositions within the manuscript include 31 in

tablature Tablature (or tab for short) is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering or the location of the played notes rather than musical pitches. Tablature is common for fretted stringed instruments such as the guitar, lute or vihuel ...

notation which are supplemented by a series of exercises on the 'twenty-four measures' of ''cerdd dant''. The compositions all date from between 1340 and 1500, and have clear associations with the

eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

repertory mentioned by

Gruffudd ap Cynan Gruffudd ap Cynan (–1137) was List of rulers of Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd from 1081 until his death in 1137. In the course of a long and eventful life, he became a key figure in Welsh resistance to House of Normandy, Norman rule. As a descen ...

. During the 18th century the manuscript came into the possession of Welsh poet and antiquary

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

. Morris had the manuscript bound with extra leaves added to the front and back, to which he added his own notes on the antiquities of

Welsh music The music of Wales, particularly singing, is a significant part of Welsh national identity, and the country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song".Davies (2008), pg 579. This is a modern stereotype based on 19th century conceptions o ...

. Upon Morris' death in 1765 the manuscript passed to his brother Richard, who at one stage lent the work to the noted Welsh harpist John Parry. The manuscript eventually found itself in the ownership of the London Welsh School, whose Governors presented it to the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

in 1844. The manuscript continues to be held by the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

, and is designated Additional MS. 14905. It is recognised as one of the key sources of early Welsh music.

Modern attempts to revive Welsh bardic music

Modern attempts to revive Welsh bardic music, with reference to the manuscript, are led by the musical ensemble Bragod and harpist Bill Taylor.Medieval Welsh Bardic Music
Interpreting the Robert ap Huw MS. by Bill Taylor

References

Bibliography

External links

* ''Website on the ap Huw manuscript with a downloadable facsimile of the manuscript'' * ''Video of Robert Evans and Mary-Anne Roberts of Bragod teaching music students about Welsh medieval poetry and music'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Robert Ap Huw Welsh harpists Music copyists People from Anglesey 1665 deaths Year of birth uncertain 17th-century Welsh musicians