Familiar face wins second chair honour
AVERY familiar face stood as the trumpets sounded across a packed pavilion, calling on the winning poet to stand.
T James Jones was chaired at the final Gorsedd of Bards ceremony at this year’s National Eisteddfod.
He won the handsome chair for a poem or collection of poems in strict metre of no more than 250 lines on the theme of Gorwelion (Horizons).
After the ceremony he said the poem was a portrayal of Iolo Morgannwg. A stonemason, he is regarded as the father of the Gorsedd of Bards and “one of the most intelligent and creative Welshmen ever seen”.
This is the second time for him to win the National Eisteddfod Chair, following his success at the Flintshire National Eisteddfod in 2007.
He has also won the Eisteddfod Crown twice, in Fishguard in 1986 and Newport two years later in 1988.
A published poet, stage, radio and
television dramatist, he wrote Dan y Wenallt, his translation of Under Milk Wood, by Dylan Thomas. This play was written under the dark clouds of the Second World War, which threatened to obliterate the human race.
He is a former Archdruid and is used to the pomp and honour of the Eisteddfod’s Gorsedd ceremonies.
Keen-eyed Eisteddfodwyr noticed he was not on the stage at the start of the ceremony sitting alongside former archdruids who include his brother, John Gwilym Jones.
He said: “This poem was created during a politically tumultuous period for Wales. But by accepting Iolo Morganwg, the Freedom Poet’s hopeful vision, we may, during this frightful time, withstand the imperialistic oppression of Britishness.”
The adjudicators were Myrddin ap Dafydd, Llion Jones and Ieuan Wyn.
Delivering the adjudication, Llion Jones said only seven poets had entered.
Referring to the poem by Wil Tabwr (James Jones’ nom de plume) he said: “This is a poem celebrating the creative and radical spirit which was so much part of Iolo, and which is, according to the poet and Iolo alike, invaluable to the survival of a nation.
“He takes a look back at centuries of poetic tradition, from Catterick to Cilmeri, and he hears nothing but bardic eulogies.
“The three of us are in agreement, Wil Tabwr’s composition is well ahead in the race for this year’s Chair, due to its ambition, its orientation, its thoughts and its prosody.
“But Wil has not made it easy for us as adjudicators either. The work is undoubtedly in strict metre, and includes a number of cleverly linked passages of cynghanedd, but the question whether it is in fact an ‘awdl’ or a collection of poems will be discussed in detail over the next few months.
“Wil Tabwr has created a dramatic and innovative poem, which is wholly worthy of the Conwy County National Eisteddfod Chair.
“I’m sure Iolo himself would be in his element thinking that today’s Gorsedd honours a poet who continues to sing ‘above the blackness of the precipice’, demanding to show that there is still a chink of light in the darkness.”
Originally from Newcastle Emlyn, Jim now lives in Radyr, Cardiff.