Arglwydd Dyma Fi


Funerals can sometimes be fondly remembered because of attention to detail
Sylvia's family personalised her service with some lovely details
A humorous eulogy
The moving welsh Hymn " Arglwydd dyma fi"
Which means " lord ! Here I am"
The Memorial hall tables decked out with crisp white tablecloths each one complete with a vase of 
Sweet summer flowers.
A proper Welsh tea table heavy with bara brith and lashings of tea
And the melancholic sense of an end of an era


33 comments:

  1. I found the welsh hymn truly moving , the genuinely good singers within the church delivered that song with so much power , it was wonderful to hear it sang in such a setting . Sylvia was an astonishingly strong woman , and I don't just mean when she was poorly . I think she might have just shed a tear herself today ......then got on with her day !

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    1. Four or five of the male voice choir where there jason
      I agree the natural harmonies made the hairs on my neck stand up

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  2. Listening to this is quite a stirring experience, but Welsh Male Voice Choirs usually are.

    I don't know if you're old enough to remember the time on TV when every month there was a Sunday evening 45-minute programme called 'Land of Song', hosted by Ivor Emmanuel, who also sang - and consisting entirely of songs in Welsh, many of which had a religious slant. The title theme music was 'The Ash Grove'. Even though I couldn't understand a word I always watched it - but this was way back when there were only two channels. I think the 'other side' actually closed down for an hour on Sun evenings.

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    1. I don't remember it ry.. But I do remember I've being famous for initiating the welsh singing in the ranks of the soldiers in ZULU

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    2. That should read IVOR

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    3. :-) I prefer the first way you wrote it. The vision of yourself in the role of Private Owen-look-you bucking up soldiers of the British infantry at Rorke's Drift with a sterling rendition of 'Land of My Fathers' is now seared in my imagination for ever.

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  3. a beautiful song. a nice way to go!

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  4. That's what you call a grand send-off. It's so sad to see anyone leave this life but what gives us some comfort at times, is the funeral.

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  5. A beautiful hymn.
    RIP Sylvia.

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  6. how that music just brings the earth to the sky and the sky to the earth...

    Rest in Peace, Sylvia xoxox

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  7. The funeral sounds comforting, with lots of appropriate and thoughtful touches.

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  8. That was beautiful, John. I'm grateful it had the printed words along with the song - the words actually made some sense to me. I know I heard Welsh spoken in the pubs when I was there, but then that was decades ago! Cheers to Sylvia!

    Nancy in Iowa

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  9. What a beautiful tribute to the wonderful lady whom I only heard of through your blog a short while ago. I couldn't see the hymn on your post so downloaded one by Cerys Matthews. We had a similar one in English in the Anglican Church. Please DO tell about your fame in Zulu singing. Greetings, Jo

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  10. Anonymous5:08 pm

    It sounds like a lovely send off.

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  11. It sounds just like a North Yorkshire funeral John = up here folk like a good send off with plenty of hymn singing, a good eulogy and above all plenty of food afterwards. it was quite foreign to me when I first moved up here but now I take part in it with good heart.

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  12. Oh - I am genuinely sorry. This morning, I thought that Sylvia was one of your chickens, and that is not meant as a bad-taste joke, I promise.

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  13. I'm pleased that it went well John. Few things in life are as stirring as a Welsh hymn beautifully sung.

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  14. OMG that is beautiful. Thank you. And I am so very sorry for the loss of your friend. I wish I had known her.

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  15. Tom, Sylvia is a grand name for a chicken. John tells us stories about chickens & villagers so well x

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  16. Very sorry for the loss of Sylvia John.

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  17. A heart-warming post. Thank you.

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  18. Welsh singing can send shivers along one's spine - such is its tuneful loveliness. It sounds as if Sylvia's family, friends and acquaintances did indeed give her a perfect "send off". Lovely.

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  19. Thanks for posting that hymn, John - it took my breath away. Sylvia sitting on that cloud would have enjoyed the singing and her day too.

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  20. Truly a fitting 'send-off' for Sylvia, John.

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  21. Wonderful singing. As a bonus it sent me off to another wonderful experience with Sir Harry Seccombe singing with a lovely Welsh Choir. There's really nothing that equals it for spine-tingling listening.
    A fitting sendoff.

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  22. Bless her soul, what a fine send off!

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  23. My condolences on the loss of Sylvia. That hymn is really quite moving.

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  24. What a wonderful send-off for Sylvia - I just love any Welsh singing.

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  25. Honestly funerals can be really wonderful celebrations of life and it sounds like Sylvia's was just that.

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  26. Fly with the Angels Sylvia... That choir was just beautiful.

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  27. *hugs* God bless. ♥

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  28. I find it quite difficult to listen to Welsh songs sung by Welsh male voice choirs; it must be the Welshman in me, water seems to spill from my eyes. RIP Sylvia.

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  29. RIP, Sylvia.

    I'm with Cro.

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