By Vivien Bosley with Mona Everett
About 50 Welsh language learners and tutors descended on Elmhurst College,
near Chicago, for a week of intensive Welsh language study, mixed with a good
dose of fun. Cymdeithas Madog sponsored the annual summer course July 14-21,
which attracted students from all over the US and Canada.
This year’s Cwrs Cymraeg was organized by long-time attendee, Dick Myers
of Racine, WI. This was Dick’s third time serving as local organizer, so it’s no
wonder that everything came off without a hitch. Diolch yn fawr, Dick!
Three tutors from Wales come over each year to join four North American
teachers. All are very experienced in teaching Welsh to adults and provide
stimulating and useful materials for the learners who range from absolute
beginners to quite fluent.
It was a very intensive week, made to seem more so due to the abnormally
hot temperatures. Classes were held throughout the day, followed by
workshops, ‘study hall’, choir practice, and an evening activity. The week is often
the only opportunity students have to listen to Welsh being spoken by native
speakers and to practice their conversational skills.
Workshops were repeated each day, so students could go to a different one
every day. Topics included the Ancient Celts, Welsh folk music, contemporary
Welsh affairs, reading practice, a Welsh soap opera workshop, and Welsh poetry.
There was also an opportunity to contribute to the Cwrs newspaper.
As usual, evening activities included a welcome reception, a night of Welsh folk
dancing, a pub quiz, a games night with Scrabble in Welsh, and a movie night.
This year there were two films: one about the last performance of a pair of
Welsh entertainers, Ryan and Ronnie who were immensely successful in the 60’s
and 70’s. It was quite interesting, but paled in comparison to the documentary
called ‘Murray the Hump’, which was quite extraordinary. It turns out that the
subject of the film, Llewellyn Morris Humphreys was one of the most powerful
men in the Chicago underworld and the right-hand man to Al Capone. Humphreys
was a third cousin to Lord Dafydd Wigley, past president of Plaid Cymru.
Wigley found this out rather by accident and proceeded to extensively research
the man. Wigley is featured prominently in the film, and is shown on location in
the Chicago area. (Editor’s note: The September-October 2012 issue of Ninnau
featured a lengthy article by Dafydd Wigley about his infamous cousin.)
The mid-week trip was to Oak Park to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s house and
studio, where it was learned that his motto was ‘Y wirionaeth yn erbyn y byd’
(Truth against the World), a phrase used during the Gorsedd ceremony at the
National Eisteddfod. Afterwards, students had the option of exploring the city or
returning to campus.
One of the highlights of the week is always the Eisteddfod, based on the
tradition in Wales. Students submitted original writings in Welsh, which were
judged by the tutors. There were winners at three levels, and the top level winner
received the Cwrs Chair to take home for a year. This year, the winner of the
Chair was Ceri Eagling for her story about ‘The Wind’, which was the title of the
contest in the Windy City.
The other great evening was the last one– the Noson Lawen. What an
astonishing wealth of talent was displayed by the participants–lovely voices,
clever musicianship, dramatic reading, and amazing wit.
Several members of two local Welsh societies popped in and out during the week.
Members of the Cambrian Benevolent Society were a great help with registration
and airport transport. They, along with members of the Chicago Tafia, joined in for
the lively pub quiz night (participants needed all the help they could get to answer
the esoteric questions!), the Eisteddfod, Banquet, Nosen Lawen, and Sunday
Gymanfa.
Because Welsh Heritage Week was scheduled to be held the following week at
the same college, many of their students and teachers arrived early and were
able to attend some of the Cwrs events. Thanks to this arrangement, the Sunday
Gymanfa featured the outstanding direction of Gareth Hughes Jones from Wales.
Besides classwork, the Cymdeithas Madog Board meets exclusively throughout
the week to conduct business and elect new Board members. This year Maria
Bartholdi, Paul Batty, Mona Everett, and Robert Jones joined the Board.
Next year’s Cwrs Cymraeg will be held at Brock University in St. Catharine’s,
ON, near Niagara Falls, from July 20-27. More information will be posted
as it becomes available. Please check the website, www.madog.org, or follow
Cymdeithas Madog on Facebook.
Previously published in Ninnau & Y Drych, www.ninnau.com