Cerdd Dant (lit. String Music)

Around this time of the year the annual Gŵyl Cerdd Dant (Cerdd Dant Festival) is held in Wales, like the National Eisteddfod its location moving from one year to the next. Cerdd Dant is one of those traditions unique to Welsh culture, and one that is fairly difficult (from my experience at least) to understand. Cerdd Dant does not mean 'Tooth Music' as I once read somewhere (though that is propably an easy mistake to make!), but rather 'String Music' (Tant/string, mutates after 'cerdd' giving Dant, which means 'tooth'!).

Basically 'Cerdd Dant' is singing accompanied by a harp, but one particular form called 'penillion' is perhaps unique to Welsh music. In penillion the harp plays a melody (known as a 'cainc') while the singer/s sing a completely unrelated song or 'counter melody' over the top. Normally the singing will start each verse a few bars into the 'cainc', with the object being to finish at the same time. Often the harp may be playing in 3/4 time for instance while the singing may be in 2/4 or 4/4, creating 'interesting' effects and rhythyms. Penillion may have developed from a sort of musical challenge, with bards competing to create the most unlikely marriages of song and melody, and there is undoubtedly a real skill to making the whole thing work.

Though much of modern day Cerdd Dant is fairly traditional, modern songs can be given the 'Cerdd Dant' treatment as well, giving the whole thing a more contemporary edge and keeping it a living tradition.

Cerdd Dant is I suppose a traddodiad enjoyed by many Wales, but one that many would be happy to see die out! being an aquired taste many have no wish to aquire! S4C give the annual Gŵyl Cerdd Dant plenty of coverage so you can make your own mind up!!