ABOUT US

In October 2015 the BBC National Orchestra of Wales embarked on an ambitous tour of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, including a community residency celebrating the 150th anniversary of

Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia. Members of the orchestra, along with harpist Catrin Finch, conductor Grant Llewelyn and animateur Andy Pidcock, worked with over 1000 childen in a series of 29 school and community workshops culminating in 2 gala concerts in the Predia Ferial at Trelew.

During these workshops it quickly became apparent to the BBC musicians that most of the schools they visited had no instrument resources at all. A suitcase full of handheld percussion brought from Wales allowed 60 children to play music together and

teachers and pupils in Patagonia were overawed by this simple collection of instruments.

Chris Stock, Principal Percussionist of BBC NOW, found that even the INTA Youth Orchestra had only the percussion instruments that the players could gather and bring with them. This was a collection of oil drums, a couple of basic snare drums and a few local ethnic bombos. In the Specialist Music School 805 in Puerto Madryn the percussion tutor Jorge Ciar taught on a toy painted glockenspiel - there are no timpani in the whole of the Chubut Province. It was then that Chris decided to set up the Patagonia Instrument Project.

The aim of the project is to collect and deliver musical instruments that are simply not accessible to pupils and teachers in Patagonia, either because of financial constraints or lack of availability. These do not need to be new, just good quality, robust instruments that will serve their purpose for the specialist teachers who need them. Using our network of fellow professional musicians we can restore and renovate any instruments that are donated to a good standard.

We face the major hurdle of the high cost of transporting these instruments some 7,500 miles from Wales to Patagonia. We have logistical contacts in place in Argentina as well as the support and guidance of the British Council in Wales to help with this, but donations will be essential to the ongoing success of the project.

It is hoped that these musical instruments will nurture the enthusiasm and excitement the BBC NOW encountered from the staff and pupils in Patagonia, helping to build on the legacy of their visit in an area that has a significant cultural and historical connection to the land and people of Wales.

Registered Charity No. 1170987

Patron: Catrin Finch

AMDANOM NI

Ym mis Hydref 2015 cychwynnodd Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC ar daith uchelgeisiol i'r Ariannin, Chile a Uruguay, gan gynnwys cyfnod preswyl cymunedol yn dathlu 150 mlynedd ers sefydliad Y Wladfa, yr anheddiad Gymreig ym Mhatagonia. Mae aelodau o'r gerddorfa, ynghyd a'r delynores Catrin Finch, arweinydd Grant Llewellyn ac animeiddiwr Andy Pidcock, wedi gweithio gyda dros 1000 o blant mewn cyfres o 29 o weithdai mewn ysgolion ac yn y gymuned, gan ddiweddu mewn dau gyngerdd gala yn y Predia Ferial yn Nhrelew.

Yn ystod y gweithdai hyn daeth yn amlwg yn gyflym i gerddorion y BBC nad oedd gan y rhan fwyaf o ysgolion yr ymwelwyd â nhw unrhyw adnoddau offerynnol o gwbl. Roedd gês llawn o offerynnau taro a ddygwyd o Gymru yn caniatáu 60 o blant i chwarae cerddoriaeth gyda’i gilydd, a roedd athrawon a disgyblion ym Mhatagonia yn cael eu rhyfeddu gan y casgliad syml hwn o offerynnau.

Roedd Chris Stock, Prif offerynnwr taro BBC NOW, wedi canfod fod gan hyd yn oed y Gerddorfa Ieuenctid INTA dim ond yr offerynnau taro y gallai'r chwaraewyr casglu a dod gyda nhw. Roedd hwn yn gasgliad o ddrymiau olew, un neu ddau o ddrymiau fagl sylfaenol ac ychydig o bombos ethnig lleol. Yn yr Ysgol Cerddoriaeth Arbenigol 805 yn Puerto Madryn roedd y tiwtor taro Jorge Ciar yn dysgu ar lockenspiel degan wedi’i baentio - nid oes unrhyw timpani yn y rhanbarth gyfan o Chubut. Dyna pryd oedd Chris wedi penderfynu sefydlu Prosiect Offeryn Patagonia.

Nod y prosiect yw prynu a chyflwyno offerynnau cerdd sydd ddim ar gael i ddisgyblion ac athrawon ym Mhatagonia, naill ai oherwydd cyfyngiadau ariannol neu ddiffyg argaeledd. Nid oes rhaid i'r rhain fod yn offerynnau newydd, ond rhaid eu bod yn gadarn, ac o ansawdd da, er mwyn gwasanaethu eu pwrpas i'r athrawon arbennigol cerdd sydd eu hangen. Gan ddefnyddio ein rhwydwaith o gerddorion proffesiynol gallwn adfer ac adnewyddu unrhyw offerynnau sy'n cael eu rhoi i safon dda.

Rydym yn gwynebu rhwystr mawr o gost uchel o gludo offerynnau 7,500 milltir o Gymru i Batagonia. Mae gennym gysylltiadau logistaidd yn eu lle yn yr Ariannin, yn ogystal â chefnogaeth ac arweiniad y Cyngor Prydeinig yng Nghymru i helpu gyda hyn, ond bydd rhoddion yn hanfodol i ganlyniad llwyddiannus y prosiect hwn.

Y gobaith yw y bydd yr offerynnau newydd yn magu’r brwdfrydedd a cynnwrf a rhoddodd y staff a'r disgyblion ym Mhatagonia i cherddorion BBC NOW, ac yn helpu i adeiladu ar etifeddiaeth eu hymweliad mewn ardal sydd â chysylltiad hanesyddol sylweddol i'r tir a phobl Cymru.

Supported by Teithiau Tango