Historical Notes
Ar Hyd y Nos’ is a traditional Welsh folk song sung to a tune that was first recorded in 1784 in Edward Jones’ Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards. However, the Welsh words now associated with the tune were written by John Ceriog Hughes, much later in the nineteenth century than the setting of this book. In his useful reference book, Caneuon Enwog Cymru/Famous Songs of Wales, Hywel John describes its use in The Beggars Opera. I can find no evidence of its inclusion in modern versions of the play but, as it was a ballad opera and therefore subject to change, I have decided to trust Hywel’s research. Especially as, according to Arfon Gwilym of Cwmni Cyhoeddu Gwynn, it was a well known tune in nineteenth century England and used in other operas such as Dibdin’s L
