Lyr Req: We'll Keep a Welcome (Joshua/Harper/Jones

Subject: There'll be a welcome
From: John Willie
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 01:47 PM

Many years ago, there was a program on the BBC. It started with a Welshman, singing:-
       There'll be a welcome on the hillsides ,
       There'll be a wlcome in the dales,
       This land you knew will still be singing,
       When you come home again to Wales.

Those I think are the words, does anyone kow the name of the song
and the singer?

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: okthen
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 01:59 PM

Far away a voice is calling,
Bells of memory chime
Come home again, come home again,
They call through the oceans of time.
Well keep a welcome in the hillside.
Well keep a welcome in the Glen.
This land you knew will still be singing
When you come home sweet home again.

There'll be a friendly voice to guide you
On your return we'll always pray.
We'll kiss away each hour of longing
When you come home again to someday.


Well keep a welcome in the hillside.
Well keep a welcome in the Vale
This land you knew will still be singing
When you come home again to Wales.

This land of song will keep a welcome
And with a love that never fails,
||: Well kiss away each hour of hiraeth
When you come home again to Wales. :||


Hope this helps

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: jacqui c
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 03:29 PM

The singer was probably Harry Secombe and I think the song was called There Will Be A Welcome In the Hillsides, although I could be wrong. Wonderful song and I can still hear Harry singing it.

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 06:16 AM

"There'll be a welcome in the Hillside" - a great favourite with Welsh Male Voice Choirs.

I don't hear it sung so much these days?

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: BanjoRay
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 06:17 AM

I thought it was "We'll Keep A Welcome In The Hillside"
Ray

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: jacqui.c
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 09:40 AM

I think you're right Ray - and I agree with Skipper Jack - this is one I'd like to hear more of.

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 10:28 AM

Yes Ray, it is "We'll Keep a Welcome in the Hillside".


My mistake!

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: sian, west wales
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 10:48 AM

I think it fell out of fashion because it was, for too long, WAY over-done by choirs. Same with Myfanwy.

I've been in song sessions and had tourists or 'people from away' butt in requesting them endlessly. Usually makes us all the more determined not to sing them. Which I guess is a pity because there's nothing really wrong with them, but they've become so much part of a Welsh stereotype ...

sian

Subject: Lyr Add: WE'LL KEEP A WELCOME (Jones/Joshua/Harper
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Oct 03 - 08:50 AM

Information and lyrics copied from a website called The Songs of Shirley Bassey:

We'll Keep a Welcome

also titled:

We'll Keep a Welcome on the Hillsides

Music written by Mai Jones. Lyrics by Lyn Joshua and James Harper.

Released 1999 on the various artists album Land of My Fathers together with The Black Mountain Male Chorus and the Buy As You View Cory Band.
Shirley Bassey had already performed the song publicly 1986 in the Des O'Connor's Christmas Show together with Des and Tom Jones. In connection to the album she has again performed it together with Bryn Terfel and Michael Ball during the Rugby World Cup 1999 closing ceremony (November 6th) before the final game. Unlike World In Union this song had been performed live in front of thousands in the stadion and on the TV screens.

The album has the following note about this song:

Wales is known world-wide as being "The Land Of Song", and this famous Welsh song (Jones, Joshua, Harper) epitomises Wales as a country which will always be singing and which will always be welcoming. The word hiraeth is used in the third verse - a word which is almost impossible to translate, but is frequently used in Welsh as a means of describing the longing that one would feel when away from Wales for any length of time.

The song had originally been published in Cardiff in 1943. It became famous after singer and actor Harry Secombe performed it on his TV programme Highway about 1949.

Lyrics:

Far away a voice is calling
Bells of memory chime
Come home again, come home again
They call through the oceans of time

We'll keep a welcome in the hillside
We'll keep a welcome in the Vales
This land you knew will still be singing
When you come home again to Wales

This land of song will keep a welcome
And with a love that never fails
We'll kiss away each hour of hiraeth
When you come home again to Wales

The choir alone:
We'll keep a welcome in the hillside
We'll keep a welcome in the Vales
This land you knew will still be singing
When you come home again to Wales

Shirley Bassey together with the choir:
This land of song will keep a welcome
And with a love that never fails
We'll kiss away each hour of hiraeth
When you come home again to Wales

We'll kiss away each hour of hiraeth
When you come home again to Wales

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 05:36 AM

Was the TV programme "Highway" going in 1949?

I think you mean 1994?

Subject: RE: There'll be a welcome
From: Little Robyn
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 06:05 AM

We sang it at school in 1957, here in NZ!
Robyn