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Saturday evening concert with ROBIN WILLIAMSON, founder member of the Incredible String Band and master Bard, multi-instrumentalist and storyteller. He has a particular interest nowadays in the early settlers of Celtic Britain, as does "First Chaired Bard of Ynys Witrin" Tim Hall, who has been booked to play a support set. Also performing will be the newly chaired "Fourth Chaired Bard of Ynys Witrin" (that’s Glastonbury to the uninitiated!) who will be invited to perform their winning poetical Gorsedd entry to the at the beginning of the evening. Only £7.50 to Megalithomania ticket-holders. £12.50 otherwise. Check out his official website: www.pigswhiskermusic.co.uk
Previous Performers at Megalithomania 2008 & 2007:
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Dirk's website www.dirkcampbell.co.uk
Ed n Will's website www.myspace.com/awalkaroundbritain
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On
St Dunstan's Day, May 19th 2007, the Gorsedd of Ynys Witrin
will chaired a new Bard of Glastonbury. It always happens on
this date and in 2007 it coincided with the Saturday evening
of the annual Megalithomania conference. The Chair
is contested by open competition annually, each contestant
performing for up to 15 minutes on a given theme, chosen by
the previous Bard. The move to reinstate the Bardic Chairs
of Albion has been ongoing for some years now, there being
historical evidence of ancient Bardic Chairs (Gorseddau) in
many locations throughout Britain. The Chairs are usually
associated with high places, mounds, forts and sacred hills
throughout Britain. |
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In
the late eighteenth century Welsh scholar and eccentric
Iolo Morgannwg was instrumental in reviving the spirit
of Druidry and almost singlehandedly creating the Eisteddfod
tradition (translation: 'a sitting') which flourishes
in Wales today. Also at around the same time there were
moves to revive the ancient Bardic Chairs in England;
these Chairs fell into disuse however, with the exception
of the Gorsedd of the Bards of Kernow, Cornwall, which
continues to the present day. In recent years, Tim Sebastian
(who died recently) was a key figure in the extended
revival of Gorseddic Bardism in England, establishing
a Chair in Bath some ten years ago, and assisting with
the Gorseddau of Caer Abiri (Avebury), Caer Wyse (Exeter)
and Glastonbury, referred to by its ancient name of
Ynys Witrin (probable translation: 'The Isle of Glass').
The
movement continues apace, with the recent publication
of Kevan Manwaring's 'Bardic Handbook' (Gothic Image
publications, 2006) and the continued establishment
of new Gorseddau throughout Britain. |
Here in Glastonbury,
Chaired Bard Tim Hall (pictured above) claimed the first Chair
of Ynys Witrin at the instigation of the then 'Glasonbury Order
of Druids' on St Herve's Day 2005, and was seated on a heavy
Golden Chair made of recycled lorry parts by a local artist,
the late Richie Bond. Tim was then charged with organising the
next year's competition.
The
Gorsedd of 2006 was contested by 9 local poets, storytellers
and musicians, with opening heats at Glastonbury Assembly
Rooms and finals at the White Spring on Wellhouse Lane.
On the theme of Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Faeries (who
is rumoured to dwell in the catacombs beneath the Tor,
or perhaps upon it), the competition was entertaining,
fascinating and of a very high standard. After a long
and difficult discussion, due to the very high standard
of entries, the judges chose to re-chair Tim, based
on the outstanding quality of his epic Ode (all sung
and accompanied on guitar), 'The Ravens', which was
loosely based on an ancient Celtic text on Gwyn ap Nudd.
Nathan
Lewis Williams edited the Bardic Booklet, 'The
Bards of Ynys Witrin' which contains many
of the lyrics from 2006's competition. To
order a copy of the booklet, or for further information, email info@bardic.org. The bardic.org website is growing rapidly and will soon
have further details on the Gorsedd of Ynys Witrin and
other Gorseddau. www.bardic.org |
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© photo by Emma Stoner |
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