{"id":14665,"date":"2022-06-13T17:10:34","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T16:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.limearchive.org.uk\/?page_id=14665"},"modified":"2025-12-02T18:07:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T18:07:41","slug":"origins","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.limearchive.org.uk\/cy\/eisteddfod-story\/origins\/","title":{"rendered":"Gwreiddiau"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Clayton Russon<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Harold Tudor<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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W S Gwynn Williams<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n

In 1944 the National at Llandybie opened with an international concert on the Saturday before Eisteddfod week. Its records state \u201cThis concert stunned the people by its magnificence. Who can forget the singing of the Polish Army or that of Marian Nowakowski, or Liza Fuchsora and Edward A. Kilenyi on the piano …there was an international atmosphere in the Eisteddfod from start to finish. The people were given the opportunity to compare their standards with the best from foreign lands; the overseas visitors were given the opportunity to learn about Wales, its autonomy and its aspirations.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Inspired by Sl\u00e1vik\u2019s ideas and the Llandybie experience, Tudor slowly fermented the concept of a postwar international eisteddfod, and in Spring 1945 resolved to make it happen with choirs from many countries. At the Rhosllanerchrugog National Eisteddfod in August 1945 Tudor discussed the concept with W.S. Gwynn Williams, music director of the Gorsedd and a Llangollen resident[CA1]. Tudor approached the National Eisteddfod seeking to add international competition days to the 1947 Colwyn Bay festival, but the idea was rejected because of the National\u2019s concerns about being overstretched, given the expected difficulties of post-war reconstruction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Gwynn Williams and Tudor sought venues for their festival in towns across North Wales, without success, but in Spring 1946 a solution close to home arose. George Northing, Kistory master at Llangollen Grammar School and Gwynn Williams\u2019 neighbour on Abbey Road, became chairman of Llangollen Urban District Council in the early April elections. On May 24 his council agreed to develop the festival; on June 4 the decision was enthusiastically captured in the local news sheet, the Tuesday Review.<\/a>[CA2]<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

An organising committee was formed, with key posts for Northing (Chairman), Gwynn Williams (Music Director) and Harold Tudor (Publicity Director). A prominent Welsh businessman, Clayton Russon, became a very active President. <\/a>[CA3]<\/a>\u00a0A town meeting in July won further support, and by August sufficient funds (\u00a31,100) had been raised to carry the initiative through to the first ticket receipts. The town recreation field would be the site, a marquee seating 6000 was hired from a company in Chester, and the British Council promised to find overseas choirs. Leading Welsh talents were enlisted to design a trophy and craft a motto<\/a>[CA4]\u00a0. A room was donated by the Royal Hotel to use as an office, committees were established to cover aspects like hospitality for the competitors and organising the field;<\/a>[CA5]<\/a>\u00a0 newspapers, newsreel companies and broadcasters were alerted and cajoled into recording and reporting; seats were borrowed from chapels; cheap train fares for competitors were negotiated, and extra ration coupons and paper for programmes were easily extracted from helpful ministries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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40 applications were received and accepted from choirs in 14 countries. Most were from the UK. In June 1947 the town waited for the choirs to arrive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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\u00a9 Chris Adams 2022<\/p>\r\n

Daeth yr awgrym cyntaf y gellid addasu\u2019r cysyniad Cymreig unigryw o eisteddfod i hybu cytgord rhyngwladol ym mis Awst 1943, pan ymwelodd pedwar uwch aelod o lywodraethau alltud y cynghreiriaid ag Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru ym Mangor.<\/p>\r\n

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1943 National Eisteddfod, Bangor<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

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Y rhain oedd Dr Miha Kick (Dirprwy Brif Weinidog Iwgoslafia), Msr Jules Hoste (Dirprwy Weinidog Addysg Gwlad Belg), Msr Juraj Sl\u00e1vik (Gweinidog Mewnol Tsiecoslofacia) a Msr B. Karavaev (Rwsia). Trefnwyd y daith gan y Cyngor Prydeinig; tywysydd y blaid oedd Harold Tudor, newyddiadurwr o Lerpwl a aned yng Nghoedpoeth a oedd hefyd yn gweithio i\u2019r Cyngor Prydeinig fel cynrychiolydd rhanbarthol cynorthwyol, yn gofalu am Ogledd Cymru o\u2019u swyddfa ym Manceinion.<\/p>\r\n

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Juraj Sl\u00e1vik<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

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Roedd Juraj Sl\u00e1vik yn fardd nodedig yn ogystal \u00e2 gwleidydd uchel ei barch, llysgennad Tsiecoslofacia i UDA ar \u00f4l y rhyfel. Ysgrifennodd draethawd am ei brofiad ym Mangor, \u201cEisteddfod Y Cymru\u201d, gan bwysleisio pedwar pwynt:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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