Cyflwyno Cymrodoriaeth er Anrhydedd i athro cerdd peripatetig o Geredigion

Miss Gwerfyl Pierce Jones, Dirprwy Ganghellor gyda Alan Phillips, Gymrawd

Mae athro cerdd peripatetig sydd wedi gweithio i Wasanaeth Cerdd Ceredigion am 35 mlynedd wedi ei gyflwyno’n Gymrawd er Anrhydedd Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Yn wreiddiol o Dreherbert, Cwm Rhondda, dechreuodd gyrfa gerddorol Alan Phillips fel chwaraewr offerynnau pres gyda’r band lleol.

Wedi gadael yr ysgol, dysgodd grefft gosod brics, a theithiodd ledled y Deyrnas Unedig ac i Ewrop gyda’i waith. Yna, ac yntau’n 23 oed, daeth i astudio Cerddoriaeth yn Aberystwyth gan raddio yn 1981.

Wedi iddo ennill Tystysgrif Addysg i Raddedigion yng Nghaerdydd, digwyddodd gwrdd â rhai o’i gyfeillion o Aberystwyth, ac yn sgil hynny ymgeisiodd am swydd wag athro offerynnau pres peripatetig yng Ngheredigion, a chael y swydd.

Yn ystod gyrfa 35 mlynedd gyda Gwasanaeth Cerdd Ceredigion, bu Alan yn gyfrifol am sefydlu Band Ieuenctid Tref Aberystwyth, ac aeth â nifer o grwpiau o gerddorion ifanc i gystadlaethau gartref a thramor.

Cyflwynwyd Alan Phillips yn ystod seremoni Graddio 2019 gyntaf y Brifysgol ddydd Mawrth 16 Gorffennaf gan Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Cyfarwyddwr y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Allanol.

Mae’r cyflwyniad ar gael isod, yn yr iaith y’i traddodwyd.

Cyflwyno Alan Phillips gan Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan:

Dirprwy Ganghellor, Is-Ganghellor, graddedigion a chyfeillion.  Pleser o’r mwyaf yw cyflwyno Alan Phillips yn Gymrawd Prifysgol Aberystwyth

Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, graduates and supporters.  It is an honour to present Alan Phillips as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Rydym yn anrhydeddu Alan heddiw oherwydd ei gyfraniad enfawr fel athro cerdd peripatetig yn ysgolion Ceredigion ac am ei waith diflino yn annog ac ysbrydoli sawl cenhedlaeth o bobl ifanc mewn cerddoriaeth ac mewn grwpiau pres yn enwedig. 

We are honouring Alan today because of his huge contribution as a peripatetic music teacher here in Ceredigion and for his tireless efforts in encouraging and inspiring young people locally to take an interest in music and helping them to develop their skills and confidence as a result.

Alan was brought up in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales.  He played brass with the local Treherbert Band.  He took up bricklaying for a few years but music remained his true calling and he graduated with a Music degree from Aberystwyth in 1981.  He qualified as a teacher thereafter before taking up the post of Peripatetic Brass Teacher in Ceredigion, a position he filled for thirty five years before calling it a day last year.

Many of you out there will know the dangers of the humble recorder in the wrong hands, or the aural trauma inflicted by a violin in the hands of the beginner. Or the doleful one-note parping of the novice trombonist. Not good.  And we’ve suffered as a family too.  We have not one Euphoniumist in our house but two.  Thankfully, miraculously even, under the guidance of dedicated and outstanding teachers, progress is made and you soon find yourself in Junior and Youth Band concerts nodding along to the James Bond refrain or silently whistling The Simpsonstheme tune almost in a state of disbelief.     

Alan is one of those outstanding teachers.

He has nurtured, motivated and inspired many hundreds of players during his career and a recurring theme among the people who know him well is that – no matter what your background or how much musical talent you may possess – Alan will get the very best out of everyone.  He helps each and every pupil to reach their full potential.

He has also guided many to aspire to the highest standards – a good number of his students, too many to mention, have gone on to professional careers – and the Aberystwyth Youth Band which, yes, HE founded, has performed and competed nationally and internationally.  In their age category (16 and under) the Youth Band under Alan have even been crowned British Champions as well as coming a close second and third on several other occasions.

The people who know him appreciate very well that Alan puts the same effort into everything he does with music – from the junior school bands that compete in the Urdd Eisteddfod prelims or who go with him to ALL the local Care Homes in the area to perform on a regular basis.  Alan even takes a youth band with him into the local hospital to perform on Christmas Day – that he does this for other people’s enjoyment and that he inspires generations of young people to give up part of this special day to come with him says it all.

For your very special contribution Alan, you are thoroughly deserving of this recognition.

Dirprwy Ganghellor, mae’n bleser gen i gyflwyno Alan Phillips i chi yn Gymrawd.

Pro Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Alan Phillips to you as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University. 

Llun:  Alan Phillips

Llun:  Diprwy Ganghellor, Gwerfyl Pierce Jones; Is-Ganghellor Yr Athro Elizabeth Treasure; Cymrawd Anrhydeddus, Alan Phillips; a Cyfarwyddwr y Gymraeg a Chysylltiadau Allanol, Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan

Anrhydeddau Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2019

Bydd Prifysgol Aberystwyth yn anrhydeddu naw o bobl yn ystod seremonïau graddio 2019, a gynhelir yng Nghanolfan Gelfyddydau’r Brifysgol rhwng dydd Mawrth 16 Gorffennaf a dydd Gwener 19 Gorffennaf.

Cyflwynir Cymrodoriaethau er Anrhydedd i unigolion sydd â chysylltiad ag Aberystwyth neu Gymru, ac sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad eithriadol yn eu dewis faes.

Dyma Gymrodyr er Anrhydedd Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2019 (yn y drefn y’u cyflwynir):

• Alan Phillips, athro cerdd peripatetig wedi ymddeol a fu’n gweithio i Wasanaeth Cerdd Ceredigion am 35 mlynedd
• Yr Athro Frank N. Hogg OBE, Pennaeth sefydlol Coleg Llyfrgellyddiaeth Cymru
• Ruth Bidgood, bardd a hanesydd lleol
• Yr Athro R Geoff Richards, Cyfarwyddwr Sefydliad Ymchwil AO Davos (y Swisdir) – un o’r sefydliadau ymchwil sy’n arwain y byd ym maes orthopedeg
• Emyr Jenkins, Cyfarwyddwr cyntaf yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol a Phrif Weithredwr (wedi ymddeol) Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru
• Yr Athro Virginia Gamba, arbenigwraig ym maes diarfogi a llunio polisi
• Ian Hopwood, a fu’n gweithio ym maes datblygu ers dros 40 mlynedd ym Mhencadlys UNICEF ac mewn aseiniadau maes yn Affrica, Asia, a Thaleithiau’r Gwlff Arabaidd
• Y Gwir Anrh Carwyn Jones AC, cyn-Brif Weinidog Cymru a chyn-Arweinydd y Blaid Lafur yng Nghymru 2009-18
• Judith Diment, sy’n amlwg yn fyd-eang yn yr ymgyrch i gael gwared ar bolio

Rhannu