EIFIONYDD

Composer: John Ambrose Lloyd

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Tune Information

Title: EIFIONYDD
Composer: John Ambrose Lloyd
Meter: 8.7.8.7 D
Incipit: 11232 17125 17121
Key: g minor
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

John Ambrose Lloyd (b. Mold, Flintshire, Wales, 1815; d. Liverpool, England, 1874) [composed] EIFIONYDD. The tune...appeared in Ieuan Gwyllt's (John Roberts's) important tune book Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol (1859). Largely self-taught, Lloyd was a major presence in the Welsh music scene of his day. He was an adjudicator at the National Eisteddfodan (singing festival) in Wales and at other choral festivals and was founder of the Welsh Choral Union of Liverpool. Lloyd composed three cantatas, including The Prayer of Habakkuk, and published two collections of hymn tunes: Casgliad o Donau (1843) and Aberth Moliant (1870).

Joseph Parry (PHH 18) judged EIFIONYDD the best hymn tune by a Welsh composer. The tune is named after a district in North Wales famous for its poets during the nineteenth century. In rounded bar form (AABA') and in minor tonality, the tune is eminently suited to part singing, though that may be reserved for stanza 3b and stanza 4. The final stanza could conclude with a Picardy third (a raised third on the final chord). Another option (unusual, but not unheard of with other Welsh tunes) is to shift to G major for the entire fourth stanza! That may require a bit of practice on the part of the organist and choir, however, and should follow only a suitable interlude that indicates clearly the change to major tonality.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1998 [Hymnary editor's note: original quote corrected with information provided by Bert Polman, PsH Hsndbook editor]

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7424
Text: Who Is This, So Weak and Helpless?
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
The Cyber Hymnal #11095
Text: Look, O Christian!
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)
The Cyber Hymnal #14534
Text: എഴപ്പെട്ട ശിശുവാമീ
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #202
Text: Song of Jonah
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)

Instances

Instances (1 - 8 of 8)
Text InfoTune InfoScoreAudio

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #202

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7424

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #11095

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #14534

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #239

Page Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #49

Page Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #83

TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #330

Include 8 pre-1979 instances
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