GWYL CORRIS FESTIVAL

RHIF UN / NUMBER ONE

HYDREF / OCTOBER 2007

I ddechrau yn y dechrau. Noson o hydref yw hi, noson ddileuad heb seren i'w gweld a phentre Corris yn ddu fel y fagddu. Ar ôl sesiwn jamio lwyddiannus arall yn y Fraich Goch mae Andy a Matt yn trafod cael ychydig o fandiau lleol at ei gilydd i gynnal digwyddiad cerddorol. Mae'r dyddiau wedi mynd heibio yn y pentre digynnwrf, a bu Nicky ac Andy yn sôn am drefnu rhai bandiau ar gyfer yr Institiwt. Mae rhagor o ddyddiau'n mynd heibio. Yn y Noson Werin ar ryw nos Fawrth ym mis Tachwedd mae 'na sôn am ryw ?yl benwythnos y mae'r cerddorion yn mynd iddi. Mae'r hadau wedi'u hau - roedd G?yl Corris yn cael ei geni. Penderfynodd Matt ac Andy roi cynnig arni. Go brin bod ganddyn nhw na neb arall fawr o amcan yngl?n â beth oedd o'u blaenau.

Galwyd cyfarfod i bawb a oedd â diddordeb a daeth dros ugain o bobl ynghyd. Hanes yw'r gweddill. Dyma un fersiwn bersonol o'r hanes hwnnw...

Ymatebodd Dennis Jones, wrth gwrs, i'r her gan drefnu un o'i gyngherddau nid anenwog. Bu Matt yn cysylltu â rhai o'r bandiau y mae o'n eu nabod ac aeth y gweddill ohonom ati i gynllunio'r hyn a fyddai'n benwythnos bendigedig ar ddiwedd yr haf.

Ac roedd angen tipyn o waith cynllunio hefyd - cael yswiriant, archebu pabell fawr, trefnu digwyddiadau i'r Institiwt, y Fraich Goch a'r Ganolfan Grefft, cyfarfod â Phwyllgor Sioe Corris, y Cyngor Cymuned, yr Heddlu, Cyngor Sir Gwynedd, y Gronfa Loteri Fawr a Galluogi Gwynedd i enwi ond ychydig. Cael hyd i leoliad, cael hyd i amser, tawelu pob panig - bu'n rhaid mynd i'r afael â'r cwbl.

Ac roedd yna ragor. Croesawyd y cyfle gan Mrs Griffiths i blant y pentref i gymryd rhan mewn cystadleuaeth i gynllunio logo'r ?yl a chafodd Matt, Kara, Ann, Ian, Andy, Lizzie ac Eden waith anodd IAWN wrth ddewis rhwng cymaint o geisiadau rhagorol.

Chwarae teg i Lizzie ac Eden hefyd a gytunodd i wneud yr holl waith dylunio - ar gyfer y crysau-T, y posteri, y rhaglenni, ac yn wir pob dim a oedd ei angen. Nid nhw oedd y rhai cyntaf, ac yn sicr nid nhw fyddai'r rhai olaf, i ddarganfod bod pob tasg a gyflawnwyd yn esgor ar sawl tasg arall yn ei sgil.

Enillwyr cynllun y logo o Ysgol Dyffryn Dulas	Cara yn derbyn grant y Loteri gan Olwyn Griffiths
The winning logo designers from Ysgol Dyffryn Dulas	Cara receives the Lottery grant from Olwyn Griffiths

Yn y cefndir roedd Ann ac Andy wrthi'n ddyfal yn ceisio rhoi tic yn yr holl flychau (yn llythrennol weithiau ar y gwahanol ffurflenni grant), ac yn sicrhau bod popeth yn rhedeg ar amser (ha! ha!)

Roedd y penwythnos yn prysur ddynesu ac roedd rhestr y "jobsys i'w gwneud' yn swyddfa Andy'n tyfu'n gynt nag y gellid ychwanegu at restr y 'jobysys gorffenedig'. Heb y gwirfoddolwyr di-rif a safodd yn y bwlch pan oedd eu gwir angen, fyddai'r ?yl byth wedi digwydd.

Daeth nifer rhyfeddol o bobl i Ysgol Bro Ddyfi i gasglu'r seddau a'r llwyfan (a gynigiwyd trwy garedigrwydd Mrs Pugh a Dafydd Jones) a'r bar dros dro o'r Clwb Rygbi (trwy garedigrwydd Don Bennett) - i gyd o dan arweiniad proffesiynol Simon Quincy a Dennis Jones, a'u cynorthwywyr hynod atebol -Gareth, Hannah, Richard, Jude ac Ann. Tra oedd hyn yn digwydd, bu Andy ac Eden ar eu ffordd i Aberystwyth i gasglu'r generaduron ar log.

Byddai adran logisteg y fyddin yn ddigon balch o'r gwaith a gyflawnwyd wrth drefnu cael yr holl bethau hyn i'r cae ar yr adeg gywir ac yn y drefn gywir. Cyrhaeddodd y Babell Fawr ar amser (cafodd y lorri
amser 'diddorol' wrth ddelio â'r llethr), cyrhaeddodd y tai bach cludadwy a chyrhaeddodd pobl y bragdy i osod y bar. A roedd hi heb fwrw glaw eto!! Dim eto!

Nos Wener - yr agoriad. Gyda phump o fandiau lleol yn y Fraich.

Patrolau rheoli traffig a diogelwch ar y ffyrdd, yr arwyddion cyfeiriol wedi'u codi, yr arwyddion dim parcio wedi'u codi, yr arwyddion rhybudd wedi'u codi, diolch i Mariska, Tim, Bill, Ollie, Julie, Dan a Nav, Sally, Simon a Jane, Nick, Diane, Tim, Alana a rhai eraill si?r o fod (sori os rydym wedi'ch gadael chi allan). Roedd golwg hyfryd iawn arnoch chi i gyd yn eich topiau rhybudd melyn goleuol - yn enwedig Jan hefo'r plastar lled oleuol am ei harddwn toredig, druan! Y rhain ac eraill a fu'n gyfrifol am wneud y jobsys hynny pe na baent wedi'u cyflawni, na allai'r ?yl fod wedi digwydd.

'Meagan a Melissa' gafodd y fraint o agor y sioe. Roedd y ddwy ferch ifanc hyn, yn eu arddegau, wedi glanio yn ystod un o'r nosweithiau gwerin yn gynt yn y flwyddyn dan droi'n ffefrynnau'n syth gyda chynulleidfa hynod werthfawrogol, gan ganu'u caneuon eu hunain i'w cyfeiliant eu hunain.

Newid bach cyflym a thro Plaform Soul ydi o - yn syfrdanol fel arfer. Yna, newid go-iawn yn y naws - dyma DetCon 3 yn chwarae set anhygoel - roc trwm (Yn ôl Dan, fatha Iron Maiden cynnar; yn debycach i Nivana, medd Ian - y ddau'n cytuno: "byddwn ni'n clywed llawer iawn rhagor gan yr cogie 'ma) Toriad bach sydyn ac wedyn Retrospects yn chwarae eu hwythfed gig 'adferol' yn y Fraich , ac unwaith yn rhagor buont yn gwefreiddio'r pyntars hen a newydd. Restless Leg sydd olaf ac, yn y pen draw, maen nhw'n cael eu perswadio mai'r
encore olaf yw'r un olaf go-iawn (sawl un a gafwyd, tybed? Pedair, pump, d'wch?!). Am gymysgedd gwych o werin-roc, roc, R&B a soul pur.

Yn dal y cwbl at ei gilydd roedd Rambling Bill Hosier - yn ei holl ogoniant mewn Tux wedi'i logi'n arbennig si?r o fod (neu wedi'i dynnu o'r peli camffor) i'r digwyddiad - amser maith er pan welon ni gymerband, Bill!

Diolch i Gareth, Jude, Hannah, Charlene, Phillippa a sawl un arall yn ystod y noson hynod brysur- ond hynod ddifyr

DIWRNOD SIOE CORRIS

Ddydd Sadwrn yn gwawrio. Glaw (wel, am anarferol!), ond mae ysbryd pawb heb ei dampio. A dweud y gwir, testun llawenydd mawr yw'r sôn y gallai fod mwy o bobl wedi dod i'r Sioe eleni oherwydd yr ?yl, ac fel arfer roedd golwg ffantastig ar bethau (sut maen nhw'n tyfu blodau a llysiau fel 'na?) Daeth Ann dros y siom o beidio ag ennill y gystadleuaeth ffotograffig (eto - diolch Martin); bu Band y Stryd, Abergynolwyn, yn chwarae ar gyfer y sioe a Rheilffordd Corris. Diolch i Dennis, roedd yr ?yl a Sioe Corris wedi cael tipyn o sylw ar newyddion S4C ac ar Radio Cymru - perfformiwr teledu penigamp, Dennis!

Ddydd Sadwrn cafwyd gweithdai wedi'u trefnu gan Lizzie ac Eden, gyda chymorth atebol iawn gan Taran a Chris, yn y Ganolfan Grefft - diablo, jyglo a chwythu trwy dalpiau o bren cau - rhyw syniad o Awstralia - (Didjerid?s, dwi'n meddwl ydi'r enw). Hefyd, bu Parti Dawns Aberystwyth yn llwyfannu
arddangosiad gwych o ddawns draddodiadol Gymreig..

Yn yr Institiwt, daeth Otto Freidenthall â Chôr Powys am berfformiad cyn i'r côr deithio i wledydd Llychlyn. Fe'u rhagflaenwyd gan Barti Dawns a Dawns Twmpath anhygoel Aberystwyth.

Nos Sadwrn. Y noson roc fawr ar Gae Cymuned Siôr Vii. Arwyddion traffig a rhybudd yn eu lle unwaith eto. Da iawn i'r tîm. Cafodd pawb noson ddiogel a neb wedi parcio'n beryglus - campus!!

Roedd gwirio'r sain wedi digwydd yn ystod y prynhawn gan ddefnyddio'r system PA ardderchog a osodwyd yn gynt yn y dydd gan y band roc Celtaidd uchel eu parch o ogledd Cymru, Nod Corner, at ddefnydd pawb. Bu Estevez a WOB yn rhoi cynnig arni a chawsant eu plesio. Penderfynodd y band lleol, Three Minute Warning (gan roi rhybudd digon tebyg) beidio â chwarae. Taw biau hi am hynny!

Unwaith i'r gyngerdd ddechrau, aeth pob atgof am y band coll i ebargofiant. Ar y drws bu Ollie a Jane yn sicrhau mai rheini a oedd â thocynnau'n unig a gâi fynediad. Bu hyd yn oed aelodau'r band yn gorfod dangos prawf adnabod i gael dod i mewn! Gydag un band ar goll, cytunodd y tri band arall i ymestyn eu setiau - wedi'u hatgyfnerthu gan Chilli Con Carne Ian (gyda dewis llysieuol, wrth gwrs) - ac roedd yn amlwg iawn bod noson arbennig iawn ar y gweill i bawb. Roedd yr awyrgylch a'r gerddoriaeth y tu mewn a'r tu allan i'r Babell yn llawen dros ben. Roedd hyd yn oed cadeiriau canfas i'w gweld, mae'n debyg, ar hyd Maes y Llan).

A meeting was called for anyone interested and over twenty people arrived. The rest is history. This is one (personal) version of that history...

Dennis Jones (of course) rose to the challenge of getting one of his now infamous concerts together.
Matt made contact with some bands
he knew and the rest of us started the planning of what was to become a great weekend in late summer.

And what planning it was - getting insurance, booking a marquee, booking events for the Institute, the Braich and the Craft Centre, meeting with the Corris Show Committee, the Community Council, the Police, Gwynedd County Council, The BIG Lottery and Galliogu Gwynedd to name but a few. Finding a venue, finding time, overcoming panic - all had to be tackled.

And there was more. Mrs Griffiths welcomed the opportunity to involve the children of the village in a design competition for the 'festival logo' and Matt, Kara, Ann, Ian, Andy, Lizzie and Eden had a VERY difficult job choosing between the excellent entries.

Lizzie and Eden came up trumps and agreed to do all the graphic design work - for the t-shirts, the posters, the programmes, in fact everything that was needed. They were not the first, and certainly not the last, to find out that each job done created several more still to be done.
Behind the scenes Ann and Andy were beavering away trying to get all the boxes ticked (quite literally sometimes on the various grant forms) and making sure everything was 'on schedule' (ha! ha!).
The weekend was fast approaching and the 'jobs to be done' list in Ann's office was growing much faster than the 'jobs completed' list could be added to. Without the many, many volunteers who stood up to be counted when it really mattered it couldn't have happened.

A surprising number of people arrived at Ysgol Bro Dyfi to collect the seating and staging (so kindly offered by Mrs Pugh and Dafydd Jones) and the temporary bar from the Rugby Club (courtesy of Don Bennett) - all under the 'professional' guidance of Simon Quincy and Dennis Jones, ably assisted by Gareth, Hannah, Richard, Jude and Ann. While this was going on Andy and Eden were
'en route' to Aber to collect the hired generators.

Getting all of these things delivered to 'the field' at the right time, and in the right order, was a job the Royal Logistics Corp would have been proud of. The Marquee arrived on time (the lorry bringing it having an 'interesting' time negotiating the slope) the portable toilets arrived, and the brewery people turned up and fixed the bar. All was set to go and it hadn't rained yet!! Yet!!
Friday night - the opening.
With five local bands performing at the Braich.
Traffic management and safety patrols on the roads, direction signs up, no parking signs up, warning signs up all thanks to - Mariska, Tim, Bill, Ollie, Julie, Dan and Nav, Sally, Simon and Jane, Nick, Diane, Tim, Alana and probably others (sorry if we've missed you) - you all looked lovely in luminous yellow warning tops - and especially Jan with her nearly luminous plaster on her sadly broken wrist! All these and others did the jobs without which the Festival could not have happened.

'Meagan and Melissa' had the 'privilege' of being the first act on. These two teenagers had just turned up on one folk evening earlier in the year and became an instant favourite with a highly appreciative crowd signing their own unique songs to their own accompaniment.

Quick change and it's the turn of 'Platform Soul' - stunning as always. Then a real mood change - DefCon 3 played an amazing set - heavy rock (Dan says like early Iron
Maiden, Ian thinks more early Nirvana - both agree - "we will hear much more of these boys"). Quick break and then its 'Retrospecs' playing their eighth 'come back' gig at the Braich and once again they thrilled the regulars and new comers alike. 'Restless leg' are last on and are eventually persuaded that the last encore really has to be 'the last' encore (was it four or five 'last encores'?) - what a great mix of folk rock, rock, R&B and pure soul.

Rambling Bill Hosier

Holding the whole thing together was 'Rambling Bill Hosier' - looking resplendent in a Tux no doubt specially hired (or de-mothballed) for the event - long time since we've seen a cummerbund, Bill!

Special thanks to Gareth, Jude, Hannah, Charlene, Phillippa and Jane (and many others who collected glasses) for their tireless efforts during that hectic but hugely enjoyable evening.

DAY OF THE CORRIS SHOW

Saturday dawns. Rain (how unusual) but no damp spirits in fact we are happy to report that the Festival may have resulted in more people visiting the show this year - and as ever it looked fantastic (how do they grow flowers and vegetables like that Roger?).
Ann got over her
disappointment of not winning the photo competition (again - 'thanks Martin') and the Abergynolwyn Steel Band played for both the show and
the Corris Railway. Thanks to Dennis, the Festival and the Corris Show featured strongly on S4C news and on Radio Cymru - quite a TV performance Dennis!

Saturday also saw workshops organised by Lizzie and Eden, well assisted by Taran and Chris, at the Craft Centre - Diablo, juggling and blowing through lumps of hollow wood - some Aussie idea - Didgeridoos I think they are called). Parti Dawns Aberystwyth also provided a stunning display of traditional Welsh dance.

In the Institute Otto Freidenthall brought Cor Powys for a pre-tour performance (off to Scandinavia then), preceded by the amazing Parti Dawns and Aberystwyth Twmpath Dawns.

Saturday evening. The big rock concert in the Marquee on King George Vth Community Field. Traffic control and warning signs again in place - well done team - everyone had a safe evening and no dangerous parking - great job!!

Brass Monkey

Cloud Cuckoo

Gweithdy Didjeridoo / Didgeridoo workshop

Retrospecs

Judith keeps the Braich in order

Judith yn cadw tafarn y Fraich mewn trefn

Cor Powys with Otto enjoying a warmup for their up coming Swiss tour

Cor Powys gydag Otto yn mwynhau sesiwn gynhesu ar gyfer eu taith arfaethedig yn y Swistir

Sound checks had taken place during the afternoon using the excellent PA system set up early by highly regarded North Wales Celtic Rock Band 'Nod Corner' for all to use. 'Estevez' and 'WOB' checked it out and were very happy. Local
Band 'Three Minute Warning' decided (with about a three minute warning) not to play. Least said about that the better!

Once the concert started all thought of the missing band was dispatched to distant memory. Ollie and Jane, on the door, made sure that only those with tickets were allowed to enter. Even the band members had to show their ID to get in. With one band down the other three bands extended their agreed 'sets' - no doubt fortified by Ian's excellent Chilli Con Carne (with vegetarian option of course) - and it was very clear that everyone was in for a very special evening. The atmosphere (and the music) inside (and outside) the Marquee was a joy (even deck-chairs were to be seen along Maes y Llan we are led to believe).

Earlier in the day the sound engineer from Nod Corner had said, in passing, that 'everyone living in the valley 'will have a free show tonight'. We were soon to find out what he meant - the acoustics in the valley were superb. The sound drifted with great clarity along the valley - was crystal clear at the Braich and at Aberllyfenni. Just what would Cor Y Brythoniaid sound like on Sunday? - a treat to look forward to.

The rain had failed to dampen spirits, although it did dampen peoples' shoes, and some emergency torch patrols were needed to guide people round the puddles. A new Legend was born. The Legend of the Torch Fairies which we believe has something to do with Nav and Dan. Perhaps they were also responsible for the three important remaining mysteries - who cleaned the toilets overnight, where did Andy hide at the presentation of the bouquet and how did a band member get lost in the woods, on the other side of the river for three hours???

Saturday became Sunday (did we sleep at all that weekend I wonder?) and with it the surprise of the Band members (who had stayed at the Braich overnight) cleaning the bar and washing up from the 'night before'. Thanks guys. . Image totally destroyed now. Also surprisingly little tidying up to do in the Marquee due entirely to the fantastic efforts of the 'Marquee Crew' - Jude, Gareth (without his voice - and without a jumper all night), Charlene and Philippa who guarded the 'big tent' overnight. We are told that the video of Gareth sleeping is available in all good Video Stores! When Andy arrived the place was clean and all the chairs were set-up ready for the Sunday Night finale!

Meanwhile, up the hill at the Craft Centre, Taran, Chris, Lizzie and Eden were doing their juggling and digeredooing while Tory Corden and 'Cloud Cuckoo' were doing their 'Latin music' thing.

It rained - boy did it rain. A lesser community, or one used to less rain, would have panicked and cancelled. Dennis and his colleagues are made of sterner stuff. It rained all afternoon and into the evening - stopping only when the concert was nearly over. In the dry in the Institute 'Brass Monkey' were followed by 'Cowbois Celtaidd - both giving wonderful performances. Still falls the rain outside.

Hands up here - we did think about cancelling, solely because of the safety aspect of the access road to the field. Mrs Lloyd was a saviour, offering her yard for parking when everyone in the world who had a car turned up to fill the 4 vacant spaces. The weather didn't seem to bother the choir and the audience just shrugged it off. There were more than a few muddy shoes and trouser legs on view however. The sight of the excellent and extremely elegant soloist in her 'white' trouser suit with wellies and her trousers tucked up negotiating the slope was a joy - although high heels might have provided a better 'crampon' effect!! For those less able to manage the slope a 'Landrover' shuttle bus was established and all were safely transported to and from the performance - but as someone very famously once said 'It was a very close run thing'. And aren't we glad we stuck with it - what a performance!

Luckily John Eifion Jones, conductor of Cor y Brythoniaid, was able to stand in for Aled Wyn Davies who had to call off at the last minute due to flu. Despite her earlier 'Welly' experience Sioned Wyn Hughes was quite brilliant - as were they all.
The acoustics - well - the sound at the Braich was pure heaven - looking down the valley and hearing that in the dusk was quite amazing! It even stopped raining for a bit.

A brief party for the Choir and those many, many helpers who had
put so much in to the weekend was then held at the Braich - much praise for the quality of the bread Chris!
Unfortunately, one event - the Five-a-side football tournament, did have to be cancelled on the Sunday morning due to the really heavy rain at that point. But, fret not, we plan to reorganise this shortly!

Fore Llun - yr haul yn dangos ei wep fwy neu lai - diwrnod yn hwyr! Mae cwmni'r Babell Fawr ar eu ffordd - am 8.30 y bore - roeddem wedi gobeithio mai canol y prynhawn fyddai hi. Pawb ar ddec! Tynnu'r llwyfan a'r seddau, datgymalu'r bar a glanhau'r holl ddarnau gosod a gosodiadau eraill. Y broblem oedd ar ôl cyrraedd gwaelod y cae, roedd y lorri'n methu dod oddi yno. Erbyn hyn, roedd y llethr yn amhosibl i ddim
byd ond 4x4s a thractorau! Felly, fe'i cysylltwyd â Range Rover a'i thynnu nes i hwnnw nogio hefyd. Felly, bu'n rhaid galw tractor Simon ar fyrder i'w hachub a chyda help y cyrff eraill llwyddodd i gyrraedd pen yr allt ac i'r gors a adawyd gan lorri'r toiledau dros dro wrth iddi olchi'r tu allan i'r cabanau (PWY oedd wedi'u glanhau? Pwy bynnag oeddech chi - diolch o galon - gwaith campus).

Enillwyd yr Orsedd Bren Adenilledig (a roddwyd trwy haelioni Nick a Diane yn Sylvantytch) gan ddynes o Gorris Uchaf sydd bellach yn byw yn Nhywyn - roedd hi wrth ei bodd.

Mae'r crysau-T bron wedi'u gwerthu i gyd, fel y mae telynau pren G?yl Corris gan Chris.

Oedd hi'n werth chweil? Dim ond
pobl Corris a'r cyffiniau sy'n gallu ateb hwnna. O ran y rheini a fu'n trefnu ac yn helpu, roedd hi'n benwythnos bendigedig (a oedd yn blino rhywun yn fendigedig) llawn hwyl, troeon trwstan, glaw, lwc a nerfau tynn, a glaw a mwd - ond i ni, yn ddi-os, mi oedd hi'n werth chweil. A chaiff pob un ohonom, yn bwyllgorwyr lluddedig, gysgu rwan!

King Arthur's Labyrinth
01654761584
www.kingarthurslabyrinth.com

Felly, beth am y dyfodol? Ble bynnag y byddwn yn mynd, pwy bynnag y byddwn ni'n siarad hefo nhw, y cwestiwn ydi 'A fydd 'na un arall?' Ar ôl yr holl nosweithiau digwsg, sawl gwlychfa, methu dal y pwysau (bron), camgymeriadau, ffraeo, ymgreinio, meddwi, baglu dros raffau'r babell, syrthio i'r mwd, gwrando ar gwynion, a allwch chi 'neud hyn, a allwch chi 'neud y llall, lle ma' hyn'na, lle ma' hwn'na … mi gei di warantu dy enaid y bydd 'na un arall.

Mae cynllunio cynnar yn awgrymu efallai y byddwn yn cychwyn yr ?yl gyda digwyddiad ar benwythnos G?yl y Banc a ddilynir gan sawl digwyddiad llai yn ystod yr wythnos gan ddefnyddio'r un canolfannau ag o'r blaen, gan ddod i ben â chyngherddau ar y penwythnos canlynol. Diolch i Gareth am roi'r syniad yn ein pennau. Dyfalu ydi hyn i gyd ar adeg ysgrifennu'r llith hon, ond pwy a ?yr.
G?yl Wyth Diwrnod? Corris ydi hwn wedi'r cwbl. Cartref Tylwyth Teg y Ffaglau. Mae rhywbeth yn bosib!

I hyrwyddo cerddoriaeth yn yr ardal, mae Byncws a Thafarn y Fraich Goch i barhau i ddarparu cyfleusterau i gerddorion, ifanc, a rhai sydd heb fod mor ifanc, befformio neu ddim ond i ymarfer ar eu llwyfan pwrpasol. Mae yna gyflenwad cynyddol o offer ac offerynnau cerddorol, gan gynnwys gitarau, drymiau a system PA werth chweil. Cynhelir nosweithiau cerddorol agored bob nos Fawr ac mae croeso i bawb gymryd rhan neu dim ond gwylio a gwrando. Cysylltwch â'r Fraich Goch am unrhyw wybodaeth bellach.

Monday morning - the sun more or less comes out - a day late! The Marquee company is on the way - at 8.30am - we were hoping for mid-afternoon. All hands on deck - removing staging and seating, dismantling the bar and clearing all the other fixtures and fittings. Trouble was having got down to the field the lorry couldn't get back up - the slope was now impassable to all but 4x4s and tractors! So it was hitched to Range Rover and towed up until that couldn't cope either - so Simon's tractor was called in as 'emergency rescue' and with the help of additional bodies it got up the hill - and into the swamp left by the temporary toilet lorry as it washed the outside of the loos (who DID clean them? Whoever you are, thanks - great job).

The raffle for the wonderful Reclaimed Wooden Throne (so generously donated by Nick and Diane at Sylvantytch) was won by a woman from Upper Corris who now lives in
Tywyn - she was absolutely delighted. The t-shirts are nearly all sold, similarly the Gwyl Corris Festival wooden harps from Chris.

Braich Goch Bunkhouse and Inn
26 bed, self catering, drying room, public bar.
www.braichgoch.co.uk
annbottrill@aol.com

Was it worth it? Only the people of Corris and the surrounding area can answer that one. As for us, those who organised and helped, it was a wonderful (and wonderfully tiring) weekend full of fun, mishaps, rain, luck and nervous tension, and rain and mud - but it was, for us, certainly worth it. And all of us, on the dumfounded committee, can sleep now!
So what of the Future? Wherever we go, whoever we talk to, the question is, 'Will there be another one?' After all the sleepless nights, getting wet, stressing out, making mistakes, having arguments, grovelling, getting drunk, tripping over guy ropes, falling in the mud, being moaned at, can you do this, can you do that, where's this, where's that…… you bet your life there's going to be another one.

Early planning is suggesting that we may be looking at starting the Festival with an event on the Bank Holiday weekend followed by several smaller weekends during the week using the same venues as before culminating with concerts the following weekend. Thanks to Gretta for putting this idea into our heads. This is all speculation at the time of penning this article but you never know. An Eight day Festival? Well, we are in Corris after all, the home of the Torch Fairies. Anything is possible!

To promote Music in the Area the Braich Goch Bunkhouse and Inn are to continue providing facilities for musicians, young and not so young, to perform or simply practice on their purpose built stage.

There is a growing stock of musical equipment and instruments including guitars, drums and a quality PA system. Open music evenings are held every Tuesday and all are welcome to participate or just watch and listen.
Please contact the Braich Goch for any further information.

There is a growing stock of musical equipment and instruments including guitars, drums and a quality PA system. Open music evenings are held every Tuesday and all are welcome to participate or just watch and listen.
Please contact the Braich Goch for any further information.

Phone: 01654 761229
Web Site: www.corrisfestival.co.uk E-mail: corrisfestival@btinternet.com

Gwyl Corris Festival Office: Braich Goch Bunkhouse and Inn