THE latest community news from Aberystwyth.

Rotary Club

MEMBERS and their guests enjoyed an enthusiastically entertaining and informative talk on military marching music by Colonel Kingston, former Director of Army Music, who has retired to the New Quay area.

Colonel Kingston took us back to the early days of fife and drum bands in the 17th century, where their duties included communicating orders on the battle field and especially setting the pace of an army’s advance in the face of the enemy. The key features of marching music on campaign are rhythm (pace), tune (readily memorable) and simpler harmonies (easily played).

He illustrated his talk with many examples of the different styles of marching music: concert march, with its quicker tempo and more complicated rhythms and harmonies, ceremonial march, for example at the Trooping of the Colour, and slow march, used for sombre occasions such as the Remembrance Day Service or state funerals.

Marching music was used to encourage factory production during both World Wars, especially among munition workers, as a means of raising morale and setting the pace of work.

It has of course far wider social importance, being extensively used in film TV and radio productions. Many well-known composers turned their hand to marching music, including Beethoven, Schubert, Fuecik and Elgar.

Among the most recognisable in Britain is of course Colonel Bogey’s March, by Kenneth Alford, whose estate benefited enormously from its unauthorised in Bridge on the River Kwai, while it was still under copyright.

In the USA, John Philip Sousa became known as the American March King for his numerous marching tunes and the design of the distinctive sousaphone, extensively used in American marching bands. Colonel Kingston also played marches from France, Germany and the USA to illustrate the distinctive styles of each country.

The club president, Derrick Whiting, gave warm thanks to Colonel Kingston, for his excellent and inspirational talk which the audience had found so enjoyable.

Tir Coed

TIR Coed is an Aberystwyth based charity which engages people with woodlands through volunteering, training and bespoke activities. These are designed not only to develop skills, but also improve the woodland environment.

Over the past 16 years, Tir Coed has evolved and developed its activities and 2016 proved to be a particularly successful one in its life. The end of the year saw the completion of its very successful VINE Project - Volunteering in the Natural Environment.

VINE has been operating in woodlands near Aberystwyth, Lampeter and Llanidloes for the past three years. Over this period the very demanding outreach targets for the project set by its funders, have been exceeded by 300 per cent and nearly 2900 people were referred to it from 88 organisations.

Over the past 18 months, much behind-the-scenes work has been ongoing developing the charities next major initiative, The LEAF Project - Learning for Educational Achievement and Fulfilment.

There has been considerable interest in LEAF which has led to innovative partnership working with 16 organisations across the environmental, cultural and therapeutic sectors. No less than 130 organisations across Powys, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion have been involved in shaping the project and 120 will be referring people to it.

With funding secured from the LEADER programme in Powys, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion and match funding from Natural Resources Wales, a LEAF Pilot project started in December 2016 and training courses will commence from the end of January.

The LEAF Project is designed to enable deep rooted changes to take place in each participant’s life, offering bespoke progression that works with the skills and aspirations of the individual.

Further information on Tir Coed and its ground-breaking activities is available from Ffion Farnell, the director on 01970 636909

Plascrug Bridge Club

3 JANUARY: 1, Margaret James and Pamela Woodhouse; 2, Jeff Thomas and Gwynant Edwards; 3, Vicky Edwards and Margaret Ellis. 10 January: 1, Gwynant Edwards and Jeff Thomas; 2, Doreen Anthony and Dylan Raw-Rees; 3, Sue Sherman and Anne Edwards; 4, Margaret Ellis and Vicky Edwards.

Cymdeithas yr Aelwyd

NOS Wener, 13 Ionawr, croesawyd Dana Edwards gan ein cadeirydd, Menna Evans.

Ers tua 20 mlynedd bu Dana’n gwneud gwaith ymchwil ar gyfer rhaglenni radio a theledu. Y gyfres y bu’n gweithio arni’n ddiweddar oedd ’Dylan ar Daith’ pan fu’r newyddiadurwr Dylan Iorwerth yn adrodd hanes rhai o’r Cymry sydd wedi gwneud eu marc ar y byd, ac erbyn hyn mae Dana’n gweithio ar yr ail gyfres.

Soniodd Dana am ei gwaith ditectif wrth fynd o wlad i wlad i chwilio am Glenys James ar gyfer y rhaglen ’Lleisiau Patagonia 1902’ a adroddodd stori ryfeddol y Cymry adawodd y Wladfa yn 1902 i sefydlu bywyd newydd yng Nghanada.

Yna gwelsom glipiau o’r rhaglen honno a hefyd o’r rhaglen ’Cymry Rhyfel Cartref Sbaen’ oedd yn adrodd hanes Capten Roberts a’i ferch Fifi, a’r ddwy nyrs Nora Silverthorne a Margaret Powell fu’n gweithio mewn amgylchiadau erchyll yn Guernica yn 1937.

I orffen soniodd Dana am y gwaith ymchwil gwahanol sydd ei angen ar gyfer ysgrifennu nofelau a sut y mae’r rhyngrwyd wedi bod o gymorth mawr iddi.

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