Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru
Cyfres y Cewri: 37. Leah
Cyfres y Cewri: 37. Leah
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Disgrifiad Cymraeg / Welsh Description
Hunangofiant y gantores a'r hyfforddwraig cerdd dant a chanu gwerin adnabyddus, sy'n wreiddiol o Fôn ond a ymgartrefodd yn ardal Dinbych ers blynyddoedd lawer. Yn fam i bedwar o blant, mae'n fawr ei pharch yng Nghlwyd a thu hwnt, yn arbennig am ei gwaith yn hyfforddi a meithrin cantorion ifanc.
Disgrifiad Saesneg / English Description
The autobiography of Leah Owen, singer and renowned exponent of cerdd dant and folk singing, who originates from Anglesey, but has settled in the Denbigh area for many years. A mother of four, she is held in high esteem in Clwyd and throughout Wales for her contribution in nurturing young singers to a high standard.
Manylion y cynnyrch / Product details
- ISBN 13
- 9780860742890
- Gwales Code
- gwales.com.9780860742890
- Gwerthwr / Vendor
- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru
- Long Title
- Cyfres y Cewri: 37. Leah
- Awdur / Author
- Owen, Leah
- Current Price ex VAT
- £8.95
- Current Price inc VAT
- £8.95
- Availability Status (EN)
- Available
- Availability Status (CY)
- Ar gael
- Dyddiad cyhoeddi / Publication Date
- 2013-07-16
- Cyhoeddwr / Publisher
- Gwasg Gwynedd
- Media Type (EN)
- Paperback / softback
- Media Type (CY)
- Clawr meddal
- Pages
- 216 pages
- Size
- 123 × 182 mm
- Language Code
- Welsh
- Categori / Category
- CY: Atgofion a Hunangofiannau (yn Gymraeg) | EN: Autobiographies and Reminiscences (in Welsh)
- Is-gategori / Subcategory
- CY: Atgofion a Hunangofiannau - Benyw (yn Gymraeg) | EN: Autobiographies and Reminiscences - Female (in Welsh)
Adolygiad y Cyhoeddwr / Publisher Review
Leah yn edrych yn ôl ar y dwys a’r digri Does dim angen poeni am ddyfodol dwy o grefftau diwylliannol hynaf Cymru, gyda cherdd dant a chanu gwerin mor boblogaidd ag erioed ymhlith pobl ifanc. Dyna farn y gantores a’r hyfforddwraig adnabyddus, Leah Owen, yn ei hunangofiant newydd sy’n cael ei gyhoeddi yr haf hwn. Mae’r hunangofiant Leah , a gyhoeddir gan Wasg Gwynedd fel rhan o Gyfres y Cewri, yn gyfle i ni fynd o dan groen un o gymeriadau amlycaf y byd gwerin a cherdd dant wrth iddi edrych yn ôl a hel atgofion am ei bywyd a’i gyrfa. “Mi ges i fy mhiano cynta pan o’n i’n saith oed. Ro’n i wedi bod yn swnian ers tro, ac o’r diwedd mi brynodd Dad a Mam un ail-law i mi am chwephunt. Dyna’r chwephunt ora iddyn nhw wario arna i erioed!” meddai Leah, sydd bellach yn athrawes bro yn ardal Dinbych. Mae’r gyfrol yn mynd â ni’n ôl i’w magwraeth ym Môn, at hwyl a charwriaethau’r brifysgol a’r Coleg Normal ym Mangor, cyn cyfarfod ei chymar oes, Eifion, ac at y cyfnod cyffrous o briodi a magu pedwar o blant yn ardal Dinbych – i gyd i gyfeiliant swynol y llu o gantorion a chorau mae hi wedi’u dysgu a’u meithrin ar hyd y blynyddoedd. Dywed Leah: “Ro’n i’n meddwl i ddechrau bod rhywun yn tynnu ‘nghoes i pan ges i lythyr trwy’r post gan Bethan Gwanas yn gofyn i mi sgwennu hunangofiant! Dwi’n dal i weithio, a bellach yn nain sy’n gwarchod hefyd, felly roedd dod o hyd i amser i sgwennu’n dipyn o her, ond er gwaetha’r gwaith caled dwi’n wirioneddol falch mod i wedi derbyn y cynnig. “Mae rhywun wedi bod i gymaint o’r steddfodau ‘ma ac ati nes eu bod nhw i gyd wedi mynd yn un cowdal yn y cof, ond dwi wedi bod yn cadw hen doriadau papur newydd a dyddiaduron ar hyd y blynyddoedd, felly roedd hynny’n dod â llawer o atgofion yn ôl.” Cafodd flas mawr ar gystadlu pan oedd hi yn ei harddegau, er ei bod yn cyfaddef mai’r prif gymhelliant i’r holl steddfota yn y cyfnod hwnnw oedd cael cyfarfod hogia golygus fel Cefin Roberts, Rolant Hughes, Robat Wyn a Mei Jones! Aeth yn ei blaen i sefydlu a hyfforddi partïon a chorau ac unigolion di-ri ar hyd a lled Gogledd Cymru, ac mae’r canu wedi rhoi cyfle iddi deithio a gweld y byd y tu hwnt i Gymru hefyd, gan gynnwys teithiau hwyliog i’r Almaen gyda Chôr Hogia’r Ddwylan. Mae Leah yn berson gonest iawn, ac mae’n rhoi ei barn yn ddiflewyn-ar-dafod am sawl peth yn y gyfrol hon. Mae’r llyfr hefyd yn esbonio sut mae hynny wedi arwain unwaith neu ddwy at dynnu ambell nyth cacwn go fawr i’w phen! Yn 2010, derbyniodd Leah glod swyddogol am ei chyfraniad aruthrol yn meithrin cantorion ifanc pan enillodd fedal Syr T. H. Parry-Williams yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Glyn Ebwy. Serch hynny, dywed nad dyna’r prif uchafbwynt a ddaw i’r cof wrth edrych yn ôl ar ei bywyd: “Oedd, roedd ennill y fedal honno yng Nglyn Ebwy yn sicr yn un o’r uchafbwyntiau, ond yr hyn dwi’n ei gofio’n fwy na dim ydi’r teimlad o foddhad sydd ’na i’w gael wrth weld pobl rydw i wedi’u hyfforddi yn ennill ac yn llwyddo. “Ro’n i’n arfer hyfforddi Jade Davies, ac mi fuodd hi’n llwyddiannus mewn sawl steddfod a gwŷl dros y blynyddoedd. Bellach, mae Jade wedi gwireddu breuddwyd a chael rhan flaenllaw yn y sioe Les Misérables yn y West End yn Llundain, a dwi’n cofio cael neges gan Sue, ei mam, yn dweud ‘Thank you so much for believing in her at such a young age; you were her inspiration.’ Mae neges felna’n golygu cymaint i mi – pethau felly sy’n aros yn y cof. “Dwi’n gwybod o brofiad bod cael rhywun i gredu yn eich dawn yn gallu gwneud i chi fynd yn bell. Mrs Myra Jones, gwraig i weinidog yn Llangefni ac un oedd yn weithgar iawn hefo pobl ifanc yr ardal yn y cyfnod pan o’n i’n hogan ysgol, oedd y dylanwad mwya’ arna i, yn bendant. Hi ddysgodd bron bopeth i mi am ganu o bob math, gan gynnwys sut i ennill a cholli’n urddasol. “Mewn ffordd, rydw i’n dilyn yn ôl ei thraed hi, ac yn trio gwneud be oedd hi’n ei wneud – sef pasio’r grefft a’r traddodiad ymlaen i’r genhedlaeth nesaf.”
Adolygiad y Cyhoeddwr / Publisher Review
A lifetime spent making music The future of two of Wales’ oldest musical traditions are in safe hands, according to the renowned singer and music coach Leah Owen. Her autobiography, which is published this summer, claims that folk singing and ‘cerdd dant’ (the art of performing poetry to harp accompaniment) are as popular as ever among children and young people in Wales. Leah , published by Gwasg Gwynedd as part of the series ‘Cyfres y Cewri’, gives us the opportunity to get to know one of the most prominent exponents of Welsh traditional music as she looks back on a fulfilling life and career. “My parents bought me my first piano when I was seven years old. I’d been nagging them for a while to buy me one, and they eventually found a second-hand one for £6. That was the best £6 they ever spent on me!” said Leah, who is now a part-time advisory teacher of Welsh as a second language in Denbighshire. The book takes us back to her upbringing on Anglesey, and to the buzz of university life at Bangor where she met her future husband, Eifion. They eventually settled down in Denbighshire and raised their four children there – all to the accompaniment of the hundreds of singers that she has coached and nurtured over the years. Leah said: “When I got the letter from Bethan Gwanas, who works as a creative editor for Gwasg Gwynedd, asking me if I’d like to write an autobiography, I thought initially that someone was pulling my leg! I’m still teaching most days of the week, and often look after my grandchildren as well, so finding the time to write was a real challenge. Despite all the hard work that penning my autobiography has entailed, I’m really glad that I accepted the offer. “I’ve been to so many Eisteddfodau and events throughout the years that all the memories seemed as one big mush in my head! But luckily, I’d kept all the diaries and newspaper cuttings that I’d been collecting over the years, and those were a great help in jogging the memory on many occasions.” Leah loved singing when she was a teenager, although she admits that the real motive behind all the competing in Eisteddfodau at that time was to meet handsome young men such as Cefin Roberts, Rolant Hughes, Robat Wyn and Mei Jones! However, the competing didn’t end there, and she went on to train numerous choirs, parties and talented individuals all over North Wales. Music has also given her the chance to travel beyond Wales, including lively trips to Germany with the Hogia’r Ddwylan choir and the United States with the Penrhyn Male Voice Choir. Leah is a very honest person. She’s not afraid to speak her mind, and she voices strongly held opinions on many issues in this autobiography. The book also reveals that this particular trait has led her into fairly deep waters a couple of times…! In 2010 she received national recognition for her huge contribution to Welsh culture when she was awarded the Sir T. H. Parry-Williams Medal at the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale. However, she concedes that this isn’t the main highlight that comes to mind when she looks back on her life: “Yes, being awarded that medal in Ebbw Vale was a massive honour, but what I treasure most is the feeling of satisfaction that I always get when those whom I have coached do well and succeed. “I used to coach Jade Davies as a singer, and she had many successes in festivals and Eisteddfodau over the years. By now, Jade has fulfilled her ambition and has been given a leading role in Les Misérables in the West End in London. I remember her mother, Sue, sending me a message saying, ‘Thank you so much for believing in her at such a young age; you were her inspiration.’ A message like that means so much to me – it’s things like that which makes it all worthwhile. “I know from experience that having someone believe in you can make all the difference. Mrs Myra Jones, a minister’s wife who worked tirelessly and voluntarily amongst young people in Anglesey when I was a schoolgirl, was the greatest influence on me, without a doubt. She taught me almost everything that I know about all aspects of vocal music, including how to win and lose graciously in competitions. “In a way, I’ve been following in her footsteps, attempting to do what she was doing – passing on the old traditions to the next generation.”
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