THE ROOTS OF ‘PLYGAIN’* The word comes from the Latin ‘pulli cantus’, meaning the song of the cockrel. Originally, the Plygain was simply an early morning service in the church. It eventually came to mean a service on Christmas morning itself. In the early twentieth century, for example, the Llanerfyl Plygain started at 5.00 a.m. On Christmas Eve, servants and farmworkers working away would return home and would spend the hours up to the service making toffee and practising their carols. Evidence from various parts of the country suggest that some of these early morning services could become rowdy, especially if alcohol was involved. This was probably one reason why some services were abandoned. Another possible reason was the need to get out of bed so early! In Montgomeryshire in particlular, two factors helped the tradition to survive: the services were gradually moved from early morning to evening, and they were also spread out over a period of weeks rather than one day. This meant that everyone could support each other’s services, creating a network of plygain services. * In Montgomeryshire, it is called ‘plygien’, but in other parts of Wales - e.g. Ceredigion. - it was called ‘pylgen’.

What is Plygain? A Plygain is a special form of carol service held in parts of Wales around Christmas - a service with its emphasis on singing traditional carols, unaccompanied. Many of these carols are very old. By 2020 there were around 40 of these services in different parts of the country, from early December until late January. The services are held in chapels as well as churches. Some of the plygain’s features make it unique: 1. Anyone can take part - as long as the conventions and customs are respected. 2. The form of the service. Apart from a short service (a reading, a prayer, a carol for the congregation), no words are spoken. The singers come forward whenever they feel like it: soloists, duets, trios and groups, large and small, and sing one carol. There is no pre-arranged order. When it becomes obvious that anyone who wishes to sing has done so, that brings the first ‘round’ to a close. 3. Usually at that point the congregation sing another carol, and the service moves on to the second ‘round’. This time the singers will come forward in exactly the same order as the first round. A third round may then take place - depending on the number of performers present, but this is the exception. The service ends with the male singers coming together to sing ‘Carol y Swper’ (the Supper Carol). It so happens that a supper is then provided to the singers in the vestry or local hall. 4. Everyone sings unaccompanied. One convention is that no-one sings a tune or set of words already sung by someone else. This means that everyone has to come prepared, with extra carols in reserve. The stronghold of the tradition is the old Montgomeryshire (north Powys), where a network of services thrive. In those areas the tradition has continued unbroken for countless generations. There are a few other areas with an unbroken tradition also: Sïon Chapel, Lloc, Flintshire* and St Rhedyw Church, Llanllyfni in the Nantlle Vale. The tradition once belonged to most of Wales, but it disappeared gradually from most areas. Up until the 1960s and 70s the rest of Wales was largely unaware that the tradition was still alive in mid-Wales. However, the tradition was ‘rediscovered’ by the St Fagan Welsh Folk Museum, through the work of Roy Saer in particular. An EP record was released, followed by an LP record, leading to renewed interest in Wales as a whole. This eventually led to the tradition being reintroduced in parts of Wales from where it had long disappeared. * unfortunately, Sïon Chapel, Lloc, was forced to close following the Covid pandemic, ending a 180 year tradition (it had been going since 1840).

This website was put together through the joint efforts of : Ceris Gruffudd, Ffion Mair, Roy Griffiths, Rhian Davies, Gareth Williams, & Arfon Gwilym. Dyluniwyd gan H G Web Designs, Y Bala

THE ORDER OF THE SERVICE 1. The opening parts The minister or vicar prays, reads from the scriptures and asks the congregation to sing. He or she will then declare: “The Plygain is now open.” 2. The First Round If children are taking part, or the church or chapel’s own party, they will usually come forward first. Afterwards, any individual or party can come forward whenever they wish. The order is never arranged in advance. If more than one party gets up, they will have to agree wich one/ones come forward and which one/ones wait for the next opportunity. Only one carol is sung at a time. It doesn’t matter if there is some delay between the performances. Indeed, that can add to the atmosphere, and rushing can disturb this mood. It should always be remembered that the Plygain is a service and not a concert. There is therefore no clapping. If there’s a longer pause than usual, this is a sign that everyone who wishes to sing has done so. That is the end of the first ‘round’. 3. A Carol for the Congregation. 4. The Second Round The second round will follow in exactly the same order as the first. If the number of performers is small (six for example), a thrid round may follow. If there around eight or more performances, two rounds is usually the norm. 5. The final part At the end of the second (or third) round, the congregation will sing another carol. The tradition afterwards is that all individuals or parties who have taken part are called forward to sing ‘Carol y Swper’ (The Supper Carol). In Montgomeryshire and surrounding areas, the age old custom is that only the men sing this carol: this is part of the tradition. The vicar or minister will then give the blessing. 6. Supper A light supper is prepared in the vestry or local hall (or sometimes in private homes).

FEATURES AND CONVENTIONS OF THE TRADITIONAL PLYGAIN SERVICE Note: These are not rules: more like customs that have developed over time. There has never been any central body or organisation to lay down the law, and so they are not ‘policed’ in any way. Respecting these customs is a matter of courtesy. Open to the world The Plygain is open to everyone: anyone can take part. Order The order is not arranged in advance. In the first part of the service, anyone who wishes to take part can choose when they want to get up and sing (but the following round/rounds will follow the first round; see point 4, The Second Round under ‘Order of Service’. A capella/unaccompanied Everone sings unaccompanied, apart from the organ for the congregational singing, and sometimes for the younger children. Parties/individuals A variety of performances follow: individuals, duets, trios, quartets, etc. At one time, a party of more than six were the exception, but they are now more common. A choir is almost never seen. Pitchfork The pitch is usually decided with a pitchfork . Copy A copy is always used; singing without one would seem out of place! Old carols Carols in a modern idiom are the exception. New and recent carols are heard, but they are carols that reflect the style and mood of traditional ones. Musical arrangements For plygain singers, the word ‘arrangement’ means no more than a basic harmonisation in two, three or four parts. In some printed collections, some more advanced or ‘clever’ arrangements are seen, but these are hardly ever heard in the plygain services. Not every party will sing exactly the same notes or words on the same carol - a sure sign that these carols were first learnt by ear. No repeating No words or tune is ever repeated. This means that everyone taking part must ensure they have enough carols in reserve, in case. Singing style The style is simple and unadorned, with the emphasis on the natural fall of the words - just like singing a folk song. Language The language of the service is Welsh.