minstrel: When was it writ?

[Heather Rose Jones]

>Good Afternoon, one and all,
>
>Along with my attempts to learn period pieces I'm trying to filk period
>pieces in a period style.  (Only in Modern English; I just can't manage
>other languages...  Yet...)
>
>So last night on a drive home I came upon a filk for Ashgrove.  My searches
>have come up only with the unhelpful words "Traditional" and I'm trying to
>date the tune to period.  Often "Trad." means "Slightly Pre-Victorian" or
>"My Mom Sang It To Me" and is totally out.  Does anyone have a go/no go on
>its creation date?

The earliest known appearance of the tune (known in Welsh as "Llwyn 
Onn") is in Edward Jones' "The Bardic Museum" (vol. 2 of "Musical, 
Poetical, and Historical Relicks of The Welsh Bards and Druids" -- 
don't take this description too seriously) published in 1802.  In 
particular, the tune does not occur in the extensive publications of 
John Parry of Rhuabon published  in the mid 18th century.  (This 
information from the handy annotated bibliography in W.S. Gwynn 
Williams' "Welsh National Music and Dance".)

The tune does not show any particular archaisms in this context, and 
the most straightforward interpretation is that tune, in it's 
recorded form,  belongs to the later 18th century at the earliest.

Tangwystyl
-- 
*****
Heather Rose Jones
hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu
*****

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