Mae cerddoriaeth wedi bod yn rhan o fy mywyd erioed. Fel plentyn bach, byddwn yn gwrando ar gerddoriaeth, yn dysgu geiriau ac alawon cymaint o ganeuon ag y gallwn i, ac yn canu popeth. I’ve always been involved with music, whether it was listening to it as a child, learning the song lyrics of as many songs and styles as I could, to singing at a variety of different venues.
Dechreuais ganu yn yr eglwys yn dair oed yn Adelaide, Awstralia a pharhau trwy gydol fy mhlentyndod i berfformio mewn gwahanol ddigwyddiadau mewn eglwysi. I started singing in church at the age of three in Adelaide, Australia and continued throughout my childhood to perform at various events at churches.
Mae cerddoriaeth yn fy nghyffwrdd. Mae’n rhan integral o bwy ydw i fel person, ac rwy’n caru pob math o gerddoriaeth yn amrywio o opera i glasurol, jazz a phop. Music moves me greatly, and has always been an integral part of who I am as a person. I have a love of various types of music ranging from opera to classical, jazz to pop.
Rwyf wedi perfformio ar y llwyfan ar wahanol adegau, gan gyfuno fy nghariad at ganu gyda chariad at y theatr, a mwynhau cymryd rôl cymeriad am noson. Yn y brifysgol, byddai fy ffrindiau yn aml yn fy nghlywed yn ymarfer yn uchel ar goridorau'r neuadd breswyl ar gyfer perfformiad o Pirates of Penzance a The Mikado gan Gilbert a Sullivan! Cefais fy nghlywed yn morio canu mewn ystafell newid siop unwaith, ond stori arall yw honno! I’ve performed on stage various times, joining my love of the theatre with that of song, assuming the role of a character for the evening. At university, my friends would often hear me practicing for the Gilbert and Sullivan performance of Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado loudly along corridors of the halls of residence! I was even heard singing in a shop changing room once, but that’s another story!
Cefais y syniadau cyntaf am y gân yn ystod y cyfnod clo. Rwy'n cofio troi'r pasta ar y stôf a hymian tôn anhysbys i mi fy hun. Tyfodd yr alaw yn gryfach, a dechreuais ffurfio rhai o’r geiriau. It was during the lockdown period when the idea first materialized. I remember stirring pasta on the stove and humming an unknown tune to myself. The melody grew louder, then the concept and the lyrics began to form.
Doeddwn i erioed wedi recordio fy nghân fy hun o’r blaen, ond yn ffodus roedd gen i hen ddictaffon rydw i’n ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer gwaith, felly fe wnes i afael ynddo a ‘dal’ y dôn ynghyd â’r geiriau cychwynnol. I’d never recorded my own song before, but luckily had an old dictaphone which I used to use for work, so I grabbed that and ‘trapped’ the tune along with the initial lyrics.
Unwaith roedd y cysyniad wedi tyfu yn fy meddwl, cysylltais â fy ffrind Tim Wright a gofyn iddo a fyddai ganddo ddiddordeb mewn gwrando gyda golwg ar ysgrifennu'r gerddoriaeth i mi. Cytunodd, a hanes, fel y dywedir, yw’r gweddill. Once the concept had grown in my mind, I contacted my friend Tim Wright and asked him whether he would be interested in taking a listen with a prospective view to writing the music for me. He agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Roedd y daith yn un gyffrous, o'r cysyniad gwreiddiol i'r greadigaeth derfynol. Roedd angen llawer o amynedd ond rhaid oedd dal i gredu. Fy nod bob amser oedd codi'r galon, cysylltu pobl â’i gilydd, hybu morâl a chreu teimlad cyffredinol o'r ysbryd teuluol rydym mor ffodus o’i gael ym Maes Garmon. Mae wedi bod wrth galon ethos ein hysgol erioed, felly ceisiais gasglu fy atgofion fy hun fel disgybl yn yr ysgol, a rhannu’r traddodiadau y bu’n fraint i mi ac eraill dros y blynyddoedd fod yn rhan ohonynt. What followed was quite a journey of discovery, from original concept to final creation. It involved a lot of patience and belief. My goal was always to lift the heart, to make people feel connected, to boost morale and to generally create a feeling of the family spirit which we are so fortunate to have within Maes Garmon. It’s always been at the heart of our school’s ethos, so I tried to gather my memories from when I myself was a student and share the traditions which both myself and the multitudes of others over the years have been privileged to be a part of.
Hanfod teulu oedd flaenaf yn fy meddwl. Yn ystod cyfnod o wahanu creulon oddi wrth y cysylltiadau teuluol sy’n cyfoethogi ein bywydau bob dydd, roeddwn i eisiau dal hanfod yr hyn y mae’n ei olygu i fod yn rhan o uned deuluol. The essence of family was foremost in my mind. During a time when there was such cruel separation from the familial ties which enrich our lives daily, I wanted to capture the essence of what it means to be a part of a family unit.
Cofiais atgofion melys o deithiau cerdded ysgol, ein hetifeddiaeth Gymreig, ein cariad at fynegiant trwy gyfrwng cân sy'n dal i fod yn ffocws canolog yn ein hysgol. Cofiais hwyl, rhannu, rhoi yn ôl, helpu yn y gymuned leol, estyn llaw o gyfeillgarwch i eraill. Daeth yr holl ffactorau hyn, ynghyd â phrif nod addysg Gymraeg i fodolaeth fesul llinell o fewn y gân. Rwy'n mawr obeithio y byddwch yn ei mwynhau... ac yn cydganu! I recalled fond memories of school walks, our Welsh heritage, our love of expression through the medium of song that is still very much a central focus of our school. The fun times, sharing, giving back, helping out in the local community, extending a hand of friendship to another. All these factors, along with the primary goal of Welsh medium education came into being line by line within the song. I really hope you enjoy it…and sing along!
Jacqui Jones 2023