08/09/2026
Rydym wedi ein tristáu o glywed am farwolaeth Roy Saer, cyn cydweithiwr ac yn awdurdod ar gerddoriaeth canu gwerin yng Nghymru.
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We are saddened to hear of the death of Roy Saer, a former colleague and one of Wales's foremost authorities on folk music.
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Penodwyd David Roy Saer i staff Amgueddfa Werin Cymru yn Gynorthwywr Ymchwil ar ddydd Calan 1963. Dyma ddechrau ar flynyddoedd o waith diwyd yn casglu a chofnodi caneuon gwerin Cymraeg. Teithiodd Roy ar hyd a lled Cymru yn recordio unigolion yn perfformio caneuon traddodiadol a chasglu eu hatgofion am yr hen benillion. Heddiw, mae ei recordiadau yn rhan ganolog o archif sain Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru ac yn parhau i fod yn ffynhonell ymchwil ac ysbrydoliaeth i gerddorion.
Yn ei rôl fel curadur, fe gyflawnodd Roy lawer tuag at ddatblygu y casgliad offerynnau cerddorol yn Sain Ffagan, yn arbenning y casgliad telynau, sy’n cael ei gyfrif ymysg y gorau yn y byd. Yr oedd yn awdur llyfrau ac erthyglau niferus yn trafod cefndir a datblygiad y traddodiad offerynnol a lleisiol. Roed ei waith ymchwil yn cwmpasu ystod eang o wahanol gerddoriaeth a chanu traddodiadol, er enghraifft carolau Nadolig, Calennig, Mari Lwyd, canu pwnc a cherdd dant.
Dros y degawdau, daeth Roy yn ysgolhaig ar hanes y gân werin, ac fel cydnabyddiaeth o'i wybodaeth eang ar y pwnc, fe’i etholwyd yn Llywydd Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru yn 2000. Bu’r Gymdeithas yn ddylanwad mawr ar Roy o’r cychwyn cyntaf a bu’n mynychu ei cynhadledd blynyddol o 1963, ac yn dysgu llawer gan yr aelodau oedd yn rhannu ei angerdd am y pwnc.
Cofiwn Roy fel cydweithiwr, ymchwilydd a churadur eithriadol. Mae ei gyfraniad gydol oes i gerddoriaeth Cymru yn gadael ôl ddofn a pharhaol ar ein casgliadau, ein diwylliant a’n dealltwriaeth o draddodiad cerddorol ein cenedl.
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David Roy Saer took up his role as Research Assistant at the Welsh Folk Museum, as it was then known, on New Year's Day 1963. From thereon began years of dedicated work collecting and documenting Welsh folk songs. Travelling throughout Wales, Roy recorded singers performing traditional songs and gathered their recollections of how they originally came to hear them. Today his recordings sit at the heart of the sound archive at St Fagans National Museum of History, and continues to be a source of research and inspiration for musicians.
As a curator, Roy played a vital role in developing the musical instrument collection at St Fagans, especially the harp collection, considered one of the best in the world. He was the author of numerous books and articles exploring the origins and development of Wales's instrumental and vocal traditions. His research encompassed a wide range of musical genres and customs, including Christmas carols, the Calennig tradition, Mari Lwyd, pwnc chanting and cerdd dant.
Over the decades, Roy became a leading authority on the history of the Welsh folk song. In recognition of his contribution to the field, he was elected President of the Welsh Folk Song Society in 2000. The Society had been an important influence on Roy from the outset, and he attended the annual conferences from 1963 onwards, learning a great deal from the members who shared his passion.
We remember Roy as a remarkable colleague, researcher and curator. His lifelong contribution to the music of Wales has left a profound and lasting mark on our culture, our collections and our understanding of the nation’s musical tradition.
