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Draft:Llio Rhydderch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Llio Rhydderch (born 1937)[1] is a Welsh harpist, famous for playing the Welsh triple harp, known in Welsh as Telyn Deires (English: Three-row Harp). She is said by some to be the "foremost exponent of the Welsh triple harp today".[2] In 1961, she married her husband Graham Loveluck, at St. Davids Church, Bangor.[3]

Early life and education

[edit]

Llio was brought up surrounded by music; her father, Prydderch Williams, was a penillion singer and poet, and due to her mother's tuition, she began playing the piano at the age of 2.[4] In Llio's youth, Nansi Richards would frequently come to her house in Bangor. Whilst there, Nansi would often play the harp, as her father, would sing accompaniments in a cerdd dant style.[5] Subsequently, she began learning to play the harp under the tuition of Nansi at the age of 8. Instead of a classical approach of reading sheet music, she learnt by watching and listening to Nansi play, and then copying her.[1] This method of playing by ear is common amongst folk and traditional musicians. By 1950, she was already playing at the Gorsedd, where her father sang penillion with her accompaniment.[6]

She was taught at the Ysgol y Merched (English: Girls' School) in Bangor, before being awarded a scholarship to go to Aberystwyth University, where she studied Welsh and music.[4][7]

Musical career

[edit]

Despite starting to play music at a young age, it wasn't until 1997 that she recorded her first album. Prior to starting a family, she had toured Europe. However, the culmination of having children and her parents needing to be taken care of, lead her to take a break from music.[4] Then in 1997, Ceri Rhys Matthews convinced her to record the album Telyn on the fflach:tradd label, a subsidiary of Fflach.[5] The rest of her albums, Enlli, Gwenllian, Melangell, Carn Ingli, and Sir Fôn Bach, have also been released on this label.

Groups and collaboration

[edit]

In 1996, she, along with Stephen Rees and others, formed the society for traditional musical instrument of Wales, Clera.[8] She has also founded a group, Telynwyr Llio (English: Llio's Harpists), of young Welsh harpists, whom she teaches in the same style as she was taught by Nansi Richards.[9]

She has an extensive record of collaborations, with the likes of John Cale for the film Great Mistake,[7] Nansi Williams on her tour in America,[5] and Max Boyce on Hiraeth (Longing).[10]

Along with Huw Roberts [cy], she has written the book Telynorion Llannerch-y-Medd [cy] (English: The Harpers of Llannerch-y-Medd).[11]

Awards

[edit]

In 1955, she became a member of the Gorsedd at the National Eisteddfod in Pwllheli.[1] In 2018, she was awarded an honorary fellowship from Bangor University and a poem by Ifor ap Glyn was written to commemorate the achievement.[12] In 2020, her album, Sir Fôn Bach, was shortlisted for the Welsh-language album of the year.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Rhydderch, Llio (g.1937)". Porth Esboniadur. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  2. ^ Hafana, Cerys (2 August 2022). "Celebrating the Welsh harp and our traditional Celtic folk roots". Wales. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  3. ^ "Wedding of Noted Harpist". Newspapers.com. Daily Post (Merseyside ed.). 3 August 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Cardwell, Bruce (2013). "Llio Rhydderch". The Harp in Wales. Seren. pp. 83–87. ISBN 9781781720806.
  5. ^ a b c "Llio Rhydderch, y delynores draddodiadol sy'n 'athrylith arallfydol'". BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  6. ^ "May 19, 1950, page 8 - Holyhead Anglesey Mail at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Llio Rhydderch". BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Clera - The First Ten Years". www.clera.org. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Reviving the tradition of centuries". Lancashire: Liverpool Daily Post. 21 August 1998. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  10. ^ "Hiraeth (Longing)". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  11. ^ "Telynorion Llannerch-y-medd". Google Books. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  12. ^ "Llio". Literature Wales. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Welsh Language Album of the Year shortlist announced". Eisteddfod. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2026.

Category:1937 births Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University Category:Living people Category:Welsh folk harpists Category:Welsh harpists