December and January – mid winter, and not normally the months associated with tourism in Wales. But these months offer an opportunity to witness one of Wales’ oldest living traditions – namely Plygain – a Welsh service with an emphasis on carols, but always sung “a capella” and with its own set of rules and conventions.
The origins of the name are unclear but believed to come from “pulli cantio” – the Latin for the crowing of the cock in the early morning. Indeed, it was once sung at around 3am on Christmas day, believed to be the hour when the shepherds were visited by the angels. It’s a tradition that was, it has to be said, in decline although it survived in rural Montgomeryshire. However the form is now expanding, and I was lucky enough to attend a Plygain service last night in the inspirational surroundings of St Davids Cathedral in the city of the same name in Pembrokeshire.
As ever, these events have an etiquette all of their own. The service was almost exclusively in Welsh, and after initial prayers and a communal hymn (where all sang), the plygain began. A small group would rise, walk to the front, and after getting their pitch from a note played on a piano would begin their carol, unaccompanied and in close harmony. And now we come to one of the rules. No matter how good the song (and some were very very good!) there is never any applause. The convention is that the congregation remains silent whilst contemplating the message of the song.
The group then walk back to their place, sit down, and there’s a short, almost pregnant, pause. Eventually another group will rise and the process is repeated – so rule number two, there is no “master of ceremonies” and it’s regarded as “unseemly” to rush and be the next act. And the groups vary hugely – from the Bishop of St Davids who sang solo, a married couple, and a group including young people in their school uniform along with their teacher. All ages and as the mood took them, but with a common passion for the music, the language, and their surroundings.
There is one rule that does seem a little unfair. It’s frowned upon to sing a carol that’s already been performed – and if there’s no running order or organisation then how does a group know that their piece won’t be allowed as an earlier group has taken it? Well the fact is most groups will have a piece or two in reserve and can only hope that these have not also been already taken.
And so it goes on, traditionally this could last until dawn, until all have sung. A final tradition is that the last piece is “Carol y Swper” – the Supper Carol. All the men are invited to go to the front and sing this. One of the lines reads “mae’r swper yn barod, a’r bwrdd wedi gosod” – meaning “the supper is ready and the table is laid”, a hint perhaps that things now need to be wrapped up, whereupon the whole congregation is invited into the vestry or similar for the aforementioned meal.
And so it was last night. About 90 to 100 people, of all ages, were there, and the service lasted about 90 minutes, followed by food and lots of chat and laughter.
My partner, who is monoglot English and was brought up in England, came along with me. Despite not understanding more than a few words, she found the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable, sociable and almost inspirational – in a way a more authentic form of religious worship, largely stripped of the ceremony that can accompany such events.
So, if you are in Wales in the coming few months, try and see if there is a plygain near you. A handy website is https://plygain.org/home.htm and there’s an useful diary showing events. (It’s in Welsh, but as long as you know “Rhagfyr” and “Ionawr” are December and January you can work it out!!). It’ll be very different, but completely authentic, and you’ll be sure of a “croeso cynnes” – a warm welcome. And the supper won’t be bad either!