Cwrs Cymraeg Follows Prince Madog to Alabama
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The North American Welsh Newspaper® Papur Cymry Gogledd America™ Incorporating Y DRYCH™ © 2016 NINNAU Publications, P.O. Box 712, Trumansburg, NY 14886 Vol. 41, No. 6 November-December 2016 Cardiff Celebrates Roald Dahl’s 100th Birthday By Lise Hull On 17 and 18 September, thousands of people swarmed Cardiff city center for the start of the Roald Dahl City of The Unexpected celebrations. Castle Street was jam-packed as peo- ple gathered at the end of a pro- cession that had seen a giant peach travelling through the streets of the Welsh capital. The two-day event, a collaboration between National Theatre Wales and the Wales Millennium Centre, has been months in the planning and involved a cast of thousands. The action unfolded when a giant peach was hoisted from a construction site by a crane. As well as the procession, onlook- ers also saw foxes scaling the Rochester last hosted the National Gymnafa ganu in 1953. castle, giant frogs embedded in the historic building’s walls come to life and witches casting a spell on shoppers. The Roald Dahl 100 celebra- Return to Rochester tions coincide with “Wales: Year of Adventure’” in 2016. Aaron Hywel Owen Griffiths dressed up as Willy Wonka for Born in Llandaff, Cardiff on 13 Roald Dahl Day at Gwaelod y Garth School, Cardiff. After 64 Years! By Richard P. Donohoe flour mills along the Genesee September 1916, Roald Dahl devised a treatment for his sick City of the Unexpected, the himself was no stranger to River and then as a major hub son, which would go on to help Wales Programme will include On September 5 and 6, 1953, of manufacturing. Several of the adventure, whether as a child thousands of children to this a citywide performance cele- getting up to well-documented 2000 Welsh folks from across region’s universities, notably day. Still known in the medical brating all things Dahl, pro- the continent and around the the University of Rochester and mischief in the local sweetshop profession as the Wade-Dahl- duced by National Theatre or as a young pilot during world converged on Rochester The Rochester Institute of Till valve, it was used to relieve Wales, and Wales Millennium for the 22nd Welsh National Technology, have renowned World War II. In his writing for hydrocephalus, a condition that Centre, and a program of out- children, Roald Dahl took his Gymanfa Ganu. In the pro- research programs. In addition, can leave patients with enor- reach events by Literature gram, Lynn Watkins, president Rochester is the site of many characters and readers on a mously swollen heads due to an Wales taking the wonders of series of unforgettable adven- of the sponsoring committee, important inventions and inno- accumulation of fluid in the Roald Dahl and his characters wrote: vations in consumer products. tures, including James’s transat- skull. Dahl began work on the far and wide. Roald Dahl’s lantic flight in a giant peach, “There is a certain sense of The Rochester area was the valve after five-month-old son work will also be celebrated challenge in bringing the birthplace of such corporations Charlie’s journey through Willy Theo developed the condition through an exhibition of illus- Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and Gymanfa Ganu to Rochester as Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, and after being struck by a New trations by Quentin Blake and one of the truly great musical Xerox that conduct extensive Sophie’s travels with The BFG. York taxi in December 1960. World Book Day. Interestingly, Dahl also centers in America. To the research and manufacturing in During 2016, in addition to Eastman Theater of the the fields of industrial and con- University of Rochester, have sumer products. come the greatest of musical Like Buffalo, Rochester is artists, the finest of choral close to Welsh-American popu- groups. The Eastman School of lations in New York, Cwrs Cymraeg Follows Prince Music of the University is one Pennsylvania and Ohio, and of the outstanding schools of its Welsh-Canadian populations in kind in the country. Rochester Ontario. Madog to Alabama knows its music thoroughly. The Welsh were hardly By Maegan Langer You will meet this challenge of noticeable as a community early Rochester’s musical tradition, on. There was no Welsh church We’ve heard the legend of my fellow Welshmen, at this or Welsh organization. A small Madog ab Owain Gwynedd, the coming Gymanfa Ganu...You number of Welsh-born residents twelfth-century Welsh prince will carry on the precious, were scattered throughout who sailed to America long priceless heritage of your race– Monroe County. Several before Columbus. What is per- the heritage of music in song. Rochesterians of colonial-peri- haps less well known is he’s Reach deep into your Cymric od Welsh heritage, however, believed to have landed in the souls and sing with the harmony loom larger than life: Rush area of Mobile, Alabama. This and the hwyl of the uncon- Rhees, the president who trans- July, Cymdeithas Madog decid- quered and unconquerable peo- formed the University of ed it was time to follow in his ple you are.” Rochester into a modern univer- footsteps! On August 31–September 3, sity, and Lewis Henry Morgan Cwrs Dinas y Roced-The 2017, the 85th Welsh National whose work on Iroquoian kin- Rocket City Course, our fortieth Gymanfa Ganu returns to ship earned him the title “Father annual week-long Welsh Rochester, after sixty-four of American Anthropology.” course, took place at the Cwrs Cymraeg 2016 Class Photo, taken by Ted Davis years, as the centerpiece of the By 1900, there were only University of Alabama in expanded North American fifty-nine Welsh-born residents Huntsville. Local organizers Cwrs Cymraeg! Cenedlaethol at Cardiff Festival of Wales. in Rochester, but over the next Robert and Meagan Davis went As usual, we dove right into Metropolitan University and Rochester is New York’s two decades their numbers all out to make it an extraordi- intense Welsh learning on teaches the Welsh Degree third largest city and the center increased modestly as more nary week for everyone right Monday morning. We wel- course at Swansea University of a metropolitan area compris- Welsh immigrants and descen- from the start. Not only did they comed quite a few locals and and the University of South ing six Upstate counties, with a dants of Welsh immigrants provide dozens of home-baked first-timers this year, resulting Wales in Treforest. He also regional population exceeding came to participate in the Welsh cakes for the opening in a large class of level-one stu- writes a weekly column for the 1,000,000. Rochester economy. After reception, they topped it off dents. We also welcomed a new Welsh magazine, Golwg. Rochester was one of World War I, the Welsh indus- with a visit from the Sugar tutor, Cris Dafis. Cris works We work hard at Cwrs America’s first boomtowns. It trial economy took a nosedive, Belle Cupcake Truck just for rose to prominence as the site of with the Coleg Cymraeg (Continued on page 3) (Continued on page 3) NINNAU™ What's Inside Ninnau This Month! The North American Welsh Newspaper® Papur Cymry Gogledd America™ 2) Incorporating Y Drych™ Bookshelf . 20-22 Obituaries. 33 Caneuon . 20 Politics. 6 Copyright 2016 NINNAU Publications, Inc. ISSN 0890-0485 Coming Events. 36 Social Scene. 24-27 NINNAU means “us” or “we also” and is pronounced “nin-eye.” Croesair . 35 Sportscene Wales. 8 Answering the need for a stronger link between the many Welsh Eisteddfod. .5, 28-29 Wales Review . 18, 34 communities of North America. Y Drych means “the mirror.” Friends . 4 Welsh Lesson . 34 Telephone: 607-279-6499 Gair o Toronto. 35 Welsh Ministers. 30 NINNAU Publications, Inc Genealogy . 4 Y Drych . .20-22 Holy Wells of Wales . .7 On going series: Dr. Megan Williams, Editor and Publisher Humor . 8 Mametz Wood. 30 ([email protected]) John Good Literary. 19 Michael D. Jones Family . .31 Dr. Arturo Roberts, Founder, Editor Emeritus NAFOW. 10-17 Reese Hughes Letters. 32 ([email protected]) Olga Williams, Founder Mair Roberts Bonnin, Web Page and Social Media Manager Letters to the Editor. Calgary Welsh Society Arthur I. Roberts, Systems Manager Letters should be Jayne Pryddarch (1922-2003), Founding Editor concise and deal Volunteers Shine! Wilfred Greenway (1920-2008), Founding Patron with one subject. W. Arvon Roberts, Bob Roser, William G. Williams, Historians Typed letters are To the Editor: val was a true highlight. Their Martha Davies, Y Drych Historian preferred, but hand- smiling faces, red bandanas and Llongyfarchiadau to the cowboy hats amped up the fun, Columnists & Department Heads: written letters are acceptable, provided Welsh North American but the dedication of the volun- David Barry, Sportscene Wales; Martin Clarke, In the Valley; William Association for an outstanding teers helped things run more F. Griffiths, Historical Vignettes; Wendy Hughes, Welsh Legends & that names are print- North American Festival of efficiently. Their enthusiasm Traditions; Lise Hull, Wales Review; Ann Jones, Come and Talk; ed legibly. They Wales in Calgary! Every part of was certainly infectious! Diolch Notes from Wales; Tom Jones, Birds of Wales; Prof. Dylan Jones- must be signed with the festival was truly first class, yn fawr iawn to Elaine Evans, OBE, Business; Joan Owen Mandry, Welsh Hymnwriters & name and address. from the opening ceremony to Westlake and Dave Matthews Poets’ Corner; James Thomas, Feature Columnist; Janet Watkins Send your letter by the gymanfa in Knox United and their entire committee for a Masoner, Feature Columnist; Louis Miller, Finding Wales in America; e-mail or regular Church. But I have to say that job well done! Dave Parry, Interviews; Edward W.