Cwm Rhondda

Cwm Rhondda is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes (1873–1932) in 1907. The name is taken from the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley.

It is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams' text "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" (or, in some traditions, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"), originally Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch ("Lord, lead me through the wilderness") in Welsh. The tune and hymn are often called "Bread of Heaven" because of a repeated line in this English translation.

For Welsh hymns, the tune is most commonly used as a setting for Wele'n sefyll rhwng y myrtwydd ("Lo, between the myrtles standing") by Ann Griffiths, and it was as a setting of this that the tune was first published in 1907.

It is sometimes said that John Hughes wrote the first version of the tune, which he called "Rhondda", for a Cymanfa Ganu (hymn festival) in Pontypridd in 1905, but it is more likely that it was written for a festival there in 1907, when the enthusiasm of the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival still remained.

The present form was developed for the inauguration of the organ at Capel Rhondda, in Hopkinstown in the Rhondda Valley, in 1907. Hughes himself played the organ at this performance. The name was changed from "Rhondda" to "Cwm Rhondda" by Harry Evans, of Dowlais, to avoid confusion with another tune, by M. O. Jones.

The hymn is usually pitched in A-flat major and has the 8.7.8.7.4.4.7.7 measure which is common in Welsh hymns. The third line repeats the first and the fourth line develops the second. The fifth line normally involves a repeat of the four-syllable text and the sixth reaches a climax on a dominant seventh chord (bar 12) – emphasised by a rising arpeggio in the alto and bass parts. The final line continues the musical development of the second and fourth (and generally carries a repeat of the text of the sixth). On account of these vigorous characteristics, the tune was resisted for some time in both Welsh and English collections but has long been firmly established.

The following are the English and Welsh versions of the hymn, as given in the standard modern collections, based on a verse in the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 58:11). These English lyrics may also be interpreted as referencing the Eucharist (specifically as described in the Bread of Life Discourse) and the Holy Spirit (the Water of Life), making it a popular hymn during communion prayer. It is especially popular in Anglican churches, and is particularly associated with the Church in Wales.

Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me now and evermore.
Feed me now and evermore.

Open thou the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream shall flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer
Be thou still my strength and shield.
Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.