St. David, the Patron Saint of Wales.

March 1st, St. David’s Day, a national day of celebration in Wales since the Middle Ages.

This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we honor St. David with an hour of Welsh music – interestingly, all of it in some way connected to the harp.

The structure of Grace Williams’ “Penillion” (1955) draws on the ancient Welsh practice of improvising vocal counterpoint to a traditional melody played on the harp. However, in this instance, so as not to be swallowed up by the rest of the orchestra, the role of the harp is assigned to the trumpet.

Then we’ll hear a set of variations on a traditional Welsh melody, “Megan’s Daughter,” by the 19th century harpist John Thomas. In 1861, Thomas was given the bardic name, “Chief Musician of Wales.” In 1872, he became harpist to Queen Victoria.

Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel will be heard in his first ever commercial recording, of a Welsh song on text by Caradog Pritchard, extolling the virtues of the Ogwen River. “The River’s Song” is sung to the accompaniment of the harp, as set by Elsbeth M. Jones. Terfel is joined by his former school chum, the tenor John Eifion.

Finally, we’ll have a Harp Concerto (1970), written by William Mathias. According to the composer, the first movement is connected with the land and seascapes of South West Wales, where the music was composed; while the slow movement is a landscape of the mind, reflective of the great elegies of early Welsh poetry. The last movement, a spritely jig, brings the piece to a joyful and rhythmic conclusion.

I hope you’ll join me in the wearing of the leek for St. David’s Day – “And God Created Great Wales” – tonight at 10 ET, with a repeat Wednesday evening at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at http://www.wwfm.org.

More about the Welsh custom of accessorizing with leeks here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/4805288/Wearing-leeks-on-St-Davids-Day.html

BONUS: Welshness in Shakespeare:

http://asc-blogs.com/2014/02/27/st-davids-day-and-welshness-in-shakespeare/