Hwb ariannol i raglen gerddoriaeth gorawl Cadeirlan Bangor
Mae Cadeirlan Deiniol Sant ym Mangor wedi derbyn £29,500 gan y Cathedral Music Support Programme i gefnogi cynnyddu oriau gwaith y clercod lleyg, sef oedolion a chantorion proffesiynol sy'n canu yng nghôr y Gadeirlan.
Mae bywyd cerddorol y Gadeirlan wedi cael adfywiad sylweddol ers penodi Joe Cooper, yn Gyfarwyddwr Cerdd yn 2021. Mae Joe wedi mynd ati i recriwtio Ysgolorion Corawl a choryddion sydd wedi rhoin bywyd newydd i weinidogaeth gorawl yr Eglwys Gadeiriol.
Mae côr y Gadeirlan yn enwog am ei gerddoriaeth gorawl ogoneddus, ac am gyfansoddi a chomisiynu darnau pwrpasol sy'n dathlu'r traddodiad Cristnogol Cymreig. Yng Ngwasanaeth Cysegru Esgob Tyddewi yn 2024, perfformiwyd cerddoriaeth newydd am y tro cyntaf, gyda chôr Cadeirlan Deiniol Sant yn canu gosodiad gwreiddiol o destunau'r Cymun gan Joe Cooper, yn seiliedig ar donau emynau adnabyddus Cymru. Perfformiwyd anthem arbennig hefyd , a gyfansoddwyd gan ŵr Joe, Simon Ogdon.
Yn fwy diweddar, ar Ddydd Gwener y Groglith eleni, perfformiwyd "Yr Oedd Gardd ~ There Was a Garden," am y tro cyntaf. Cyfansoddwyd y gwaith hwn gan y cerddor enwog Alex Mills ac mae’n seiliedig ar gerddi llai adnabyddus na chafodd erioed eu cyhoeddi gan R.S. Thomas.
Dywedodd Joe Cooper, "Bydd cefnogaeth gan y Cathedral Music Trust yn ein helpu i barhau i godi safon cerddoriaeth ym Mangor - yn y Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg. Mae ein Côr yn cynnwys llawer o gerddorion ar ddechrau eu gyrfa, a bydd y wobr hon yn ein helpu i roi profiadau iddynt fel y gallant hwythau ddod yn arweinwyr côrau'r dyfodol."
Mae’r Cathedral Music Trust wedi buddsoddi hanner miliwn o bunnau mewn cerddoriaeth eglwysig ar gyfer 2024 trwy raglenni cymorth ariannol yr Ymddiriedolaeth, gan gynnwys y CMSP a’r Church Choir Award. Bydd y gwobrau hyn yn cefnogi adrannau cerddoriaeth i barhau a hyrwyddo eu gwaith gwych yn eu heglwysi cadeiriol a'u heglwysi eu hunain, ac yn y gymuned ehangach – ledled Cymru, Lloegr a'r Alban. Bydd y cyllid a roddir i eglwysi cadeiriol fel Deiniol Sant yn cael ei ddefnyddio i hyrwyddo rhagoriaeth mewn cerddoriaeth gorawl ac organ, ac yn darparu cyfleoedd i bobl o bob cefndir ffynnu a datblygu.
Dywedodd Jonathan Macdonald, Cadeirydd Cathedral Music Trust, "Y buddsoddiad hwn o £500,000 yw’r swm blynyddol mwyaf erioed i Cathedral Music Trust ei ddosbarthu trwy ei rhaglenni cymorth ariannol. Mae ein heglwysi cadeiriol a'n heglwysi plwyf yn parhau i wynebu heriau ariannol wrth gynnal treftadaeth ryfeddol y cerddoriaeth gorawl ac organ, ac mae'r gefnogaeth hon yn arwydd o ymrwymiad parhaus yr ymddiriedolaeth i sicrhau dyfodol disglair i'r traddodiad annwyl hwn."
Funding boost for Bangor Cathedral’s choral music programme
Saint Deiniol's Cathedral in Bangor has been awarded £29, 500 from Cathedral Music Support Programme to support an increase in working hours for the lay clerks - professional adult choristers - who sing in the Cathedral choir.
The Cathedral's music life has been significantly reenergised since the appointment of Joe Cooper, Director of Music, in 2021. Joe has recruited new Choral Scholars and choristers who have refreshed the Cathedral’s choral ministry.
The Cathedral’s choir is renowned for its exquisite choral music, and for composing and commissioning bespoke pieces that celebrate the Welsh Christian tradition. At the Consecration Service of the Bishop of St Davids in 2024, new music was performed for the first time, with the choir of Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral singing a setting of the Communion texts by Joe Cooper, based on the melodies of well-known Welsh hymns. A special anthem, composed by Joe’s husband, Simon Ogdon, was also performed.
More recently, on Good Friday this year, the Cathedral choir premiered "Yr Oedd Gardd ~ There was a Garden," composed by renowned musician Alex Mills and based on unpublished poems by R.S. Thomas.
Joe Cooper said, “Support from the Cathedral Music Trust will help us to keep raising the standard of music in Bangor – in both Welsh and English. Our Choir includes many early career musicians, and this award will help us provide them with the experience to become the choir leaders of the future.”
The Cathedral Music Trust is investing half a million pounds in cathedral music for 2024 through the Trust’s financial support programmes, including the Cathedral Music Support Programme and the Church Choir Award. These awards will support music departments to continue and further their brilliant work both in their own cathedrals and churches, and in the wider community – across England, Scotland and Wales. The funding awarded to Cathedrals such as Saint Deiniol’s, will be used to champion excellence in choral and organ music, and provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to thrive and develop.
Jonathan Macdonald , Chair of Cathedral Music Trust said, “This investment of £500,000 represents the largest annual sum Cathedral Music Trust has ever distributed through its regular financial support programmes. Our cathedrals and parish churches continue to face financial challenges in sustaining the nation’s wonderful heritage of choral and organ music, and this support signals the Trust’s ongoing commitment to securing a bright future for this cherished tradition.”