Anthologies   •   Cofio D.J.

image
image image image
  • Cofio D.J.
    • 1973 - Sain SAIN 1006 D LP (UK)
  • Side One
    1. Rhydcymerau (S. Idris Evans) — Côr Telyn Teilo
    2. Gweddi (Yn Angladd D. J. Williams) ]Part of the prayer at the funeral of D. J. Williams] — T. J. Davies
    3. Cywydd Mawl I D.J. (Detholiad) [reads his eulogy to D.J. (Selection)] — Waldo Williams
    4. Teyrnged Yn Yr Angladd [Part of her tribute at the funeral.] — Cassie Davies
    5. Anerchiad Yn Ysgol Y Preseli [Part of his speech at Ysgol y Preseli] — D. J. Williams
    6. Saethu'r Wiwer (Hen Dŷ F farm) (D. J. Williams) — Aled Gwyn
    7. Y Capten A'r Genhadaeth Dramor [tells the story of 'The Captain and the Foreign Mission' (Excerpt)] (D. J. Williams) — Vernon Jones
    8. Teyrnged Yn Yr Angladd [Part of her tribute at the funeral] — Cassie Davies
    9. Y Gladgarwr ['The Patriot' by W. R. Nicholas (Excerpt)] (W. Rhys Nicholas) — T. James Jones
    10. Daw, Fe Ddaw Yr Awr Yn Ôl Imi [sings verses for D. J. at the funeral] — Dafydd Iwan
  • Side Two
    1. D. J. (Gwenallt) — Aled Gwyn
    2. Teyrnged Yn Yr Angladd [Part of his tribute at the funeral] — Lewis Valentine
    3. Anerchiad Yn Ysgol Y Preseli [Part of his speech at Ysgol y Preseli] — D. J. Williams
    4. Y Wên Na Phyla Amser ['The White One Who Has Time'] — Dafydd Iwan
    5. Teyrnged Yn Yr Angladd [Part of his tribute at the funeral] — Lewis Valentine
    6. Teyrnged Mewn Cyfarfod Yn Abergwaun [Part of his tribute in a meeting to D.J. in Fishguard] — Gwynfor Evans
    7. Anerchiad Yn Yr Un Cyfarfod Yn Abergwaun [Part of his address at the same meeting in Fishguard] — D. J. Williams
    8. Cadwodd Y Ffydd ['Keep the Faith' by Margaret Bowen Rees] (Margaret Bowen Rees) — T. James Jones
    9. Gweddi (Yn Angladd D. J. Williams) [Part of the prayer at the funeral] — T. J. Davies
    10. Y Shirgar Anobeithiol (D. J. Williams) — T. James Jones
    11. Anerchiad Yn Abergwaun [Part of his speech in Fishguard] — D. J. Williams
    12. Cywydd Mawl I D.J. (W. Leslie Richards) — Côr Telyn Teilo
  • Credits
    • Cynhyrchydd [Producer]: T. James Jones
    • Arweinydd [Conductor]: Noel John (Tracks: 1)
    • Llun y clawr [Cover photo]: Dr. J. Glyn Jones
    • Cynllun y clawr [Cover design]: Dafydd Iwan
    • Cyhoeddwyd gan Bwyllgor Etholaeth: Plaid Cymru Caerfyrddin
      • [Published by Constituency committee: Plaid Cymru Carmarthen]
  • With thanks
    • to Gerwyn Griffiths and Berian Williams for valuable material on tape,
    • to Wasg Gomer for permission to use extracts from 'Hen Dŷ F farm', 'Y Cawr O Rydcymerau', 'Storiau'r Tir', and the Tribute Volume to D.J.,
    • and to the authors of the poems for permission to use again.

Sleeve Notes

This record is not a tribute to a politician, to a writer, or to a philosopher, but a tribute to a warm-hearted Welsh man, and to the 'round life' he had. This is a man who embodied the spirit of our nation, who burst with enthusiasm and joy, a man for whom nationalism was something as natural as life itself. Yes, he was an incomparable poet, an entertaining and polished conversationalist, a politician at his best, and a natural scholar, — but what made him the idol of a nation was the force of his happy, cheerful and unchanging personality.

Although his appearance and posture did not fit the popular formula, he had what is known today as 'charisma', that indefinable thing that makes a man a hero and an idol. And yet, that didn't matter to him, because he didn't care about popularity, attention, or credit. He lived for Wales, and for the sake of Wales, and while following that lofty path, his concern for 'small things' which in his eyes were so vitally important, never ceased.

This record was based on tape recordings made of D.J. himself in Fishguard and in Crymych, which gives us a glimpse of the modest warmth of his personality, and of his calmness and talent as a storyteller, together with reports of his work before an audience, and a remarkable recording of Waldo Williams reading his poetry salute to D.J. in Fishguard in 1964. Added to these were recordings of the memorial service in Rhydcymerau on the day of the funeral, and songs and chatter that were recorded later.

The result is a special and unique record in Welsh which will help, we hope, to keep alive the memory of one of the great Welshmen of our time.

Translated from Welsh via Google Translate.