Welsh folk performers - recommendations?

Subject: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,ottery
Date: 11 Mar 18 - 04:59 PM

One of my hobbies/obsessions is trying to learn Welsh. If I had some Welsh-language music to listen to, and learn the lyrics to, I'm sure I'd be able to make better progress.

Unfortunately, I find the sound of male voice Welsh choirs fairly intolerable (that is not something I'd have dared to confess to my first Welsh teacher, who loved them), and a lot of the stuff I hear on Youtube just sounds a bit bloodless and unremarkable.

Have any of you knowledgeable people got any recommendations?

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,ottery
Date: 11 Mar 18 - 05:00 PM

One song that I do like is the macaronic Can Merthyr as performed by Carreg Lafar...just to show I'm not impossible to please...

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,Bill the sound
Date: 11 Mar 18 - 06:57 PM

Edrychwch ar you-tube
Dafydd Iwan
Dan Tan neu
Calan
Os dych yn moyn dysgu edrychwch ar Hwb gyda Nia Parry

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 12 Mar 18 - 08:04 AM

idk.
Here are some Welsh folk pages I'd bookmarked, looking for something else:

Would this FolkLife Welsh page have some leads?
http://bywyd-gwerin.org.uk/index.php?p=1_12_2.-perfformwyr-performers 

this says 'events' but it has more links
http://www.pluckandsqueeze.com/events.htm 

tasc
http://www.tradartsupport.org.uk 

trac
https://trac.wales 

Museum of Wales
has some field recordings, with lyrics
https://amgueddfa.cymru/casgliadau/caneuongwerin/ 
& events
https://museum.wales/swansea/whatson/9952/Dewch-i-Ganu--Come-to-Sing/ 

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 13 Mar 18 - 05:10 AM

Listen to Julie Murphy – either her solo albums or with her group Fernhill. On her solo albums she sings more in English than Welsh; the Fernhill albums have more Welsh language to them. Listen to em all anyway, it's great stuff.

https://fernhill.bandcamp.com/
https://juliemurphy.bandcamp.com/

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,ottery
Date: 13 Mar 18 - 01:22 PM

Diolch yn fawr, Bill - dw i erioed wedi clywed am Nia Parry. Caf i gip.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 18 - 01:24 PM

Thanks, Matt - I'll see if the Fernhill albums are to my taste.

eta: Just seen a video on youtube. They look very promising. Diolch!

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 08:50 PM

The trac site mentioned by Freddy has one of the best collections of links going.

Apart from recordings, you should get hold of the book "Caneuon Traddodiadol y Cymry - Traditional Songs of the Welsh" (Cwmni Cyhoeddi Gwynn 2006) for one of the best collections of trad songs currently available.

If you fancy a really good get-away, trac runs The Big Experiment - Yr Arbrawf Mawr each autumn - a 3 day event with instrumental and song instruction and a whole lot of fun. Co-incidentally, trac is run by a couple of Welsh learners so they know where you're coming from!

sian

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: vectis
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 03:12 AM

Pat Smith and Ned Clamp. Pat sings in Welsh.
I think Anne Lister also does some welsh stuff.
Swsi Lloyd or Swsi George sung only in Welsh.
There might be some stuff out there in YouTube land or Spotify of any or all of them.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: OldPossum
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 04:44 AM

I recommend anything by the Welsh group Ar Log. Their recording of Ar Lan Y Mor is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. You can find it on Youtube.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 04:51 AM

Cerys Mathews did a beautiful rendition and discussion of Myfanwy on a recent Radio4 extra prog. I would bet it is on an album of hers.

FWIW my cousin in Ontario (father from Knighton) - her middle name is Myfanwy.

Mudcat thread on Myfanwy

Cerys on YouTube


Mr Red wipes his eyes and hits "Submit Message

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 05:33 AM

A good starting point would be to search for Welsh folk singer Frank Hennessy. His band play a wide variety of Celtic music and he takes every opportunity to promote his home city of Cardiff, This link leads to one of his "comedy songs". He has a regular programme on Welsh radio and, having met him, I can say he is a very nice guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfokdMzUtvE

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 04:06 PM

Try Heather Jones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Wb4Zqg1K4

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,Susie
Date: 21 Mar 18 - 07:48 PM

My old friend Cas Smith, who's on the committees of Llantrisant [as in Pat Smith & Ned Clamp] and Pontardawe Folk Clubs, is a very enthusiastic Welsh learner.
You can get hold of her through her website. She's a MINE of information - as is the site!!
www.casbar.co.uk

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 10:53 AM

Frank Hennessy at BBC R Wales Sunday 7pm

www.casbar.co.uk

Folk Wales

Pluck & Squeeze

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,ottery
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 04:11 PM

Diolch yn fawr iawn, bawb.

My life is quite hectic at the moment, and I don't have the time to respond individually. But I've been listening to Fernhill a lot - I'm just looking up the lyrics to Fi Wela now.

I'll keep referring back to this thread in future to investigate more recommendations.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: CupOfTea
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 11:53 AM

How about a folk poet? The brilliant, and frequently hysterical Les Barker had been delving into Welsh Language. I do not know if all of his poems would translate well, the way he bends words to his will, but it would surely be entertaining, be it doggerel, or parody, or political commentary. (As an American I don't get half of the political, even in English)

Joanne in Cleveland, fortunately with but one L and one D

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,Bill the sound
Date: 25 Mar 18 - 08:29 PM

Les did one about welsh mutations called Treiglads I laugh for ages the first time I hear
TREIGLADS
( Les Barker )
I’ve been trying for a while to learn Welsh
The most difficult language I’ve met
My friends say the source of my stumblings
Is obvious, that strange alphabet.

Pronunciation they say, is the problem
Chs double Ls they’re unfair
Not to mention the Us or the Ws or Ys
But no, the problem’s elsewhere.

Words mutate; those that ought to start with an M
Will start with an F instead
B can be F or M
It’s a mit of a mugger, as has often meen said.

Ps become MH or PH or Bs
Don’t know why, but they do.
C can be CH, NGH or just G
I chan’t gomprehend it; gan you?

RH is sometimes just R
T can be TH, NH or D
G can be NG, or just disappear
Futation’s a fystery to fe


Double L becomes one L somehow
D turns to double D or N
I have thried and I’ve thried; I’ve thried dime after dime
In phursuit of pherfection. I’m drying again.

I have dravelled on goach drips to Gardiff
Gaught Fuses to Mangor and Ryl
I’m gomphletely gonfused in the glassroom
Futation’s a fystery still.

It’s just a burposeless bastime
Fore than fere fortal can fear
I spend nay after nay nelving neep in the nictionary
The words that I want are all in it, but where?

Wild chonsonants nrift through the narkness
On churrents unknown to this phoet
And where they fay ddrift, there’s no delling
It’s spelling Jim, fut not as we know it.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 05:50 PM

Three Legg’d Mare mentioned\links on another thread.
Some Welsh, some English, some mixed, some instrumental.
Very listenable.

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=163765

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,ottery
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 05:59 PM

Thanks, Freddy.By coincidence, I saw Three Legg'd Mare live last year!

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 07:32 PM

Absolute must-have: the album "Whilia" by Fernhill with Julie Murphy. To die for.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: Sian H
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 03:05 PM

I agree with Steve. Fernhill.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: Sian H
Date: 06 Apr 18 - 03:07 PM

And I'm with Mr Red. Cerys Matthews.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 24 Apr 19 - 09:39 AM

Recent BBC broadcast of
The Wales Folk Awards 2019 -
There is a lot of new stuff, of course, but starts with a recording of some plygain style singing(6:00) and Roy Saer receiving his 'Lifetime Contribution' Award(1:40:00(Gregg Lynn)\1:47:00).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00046hs 

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: RTim
Date: 24 Apr 19 - 12:05 PM

CALAN - from Wales -

https://sainwales.com/en/artists/calan

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,James Phillips
Date: 28 Jan 24 - 01:19 PM

Fernhill/Julie Murphy is a fantastic one as people have mentioned. Recently I've found a few other great Welsh folk performers, really nice singing and arrangements that are up there with any of the post-70's folk bands:
Alaw
Carreg Lafar
The Gentle Good
Gwilym Bowen Rhys

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 28 Jan 24 - 09:13 PM

BBC Radio Cymru

Ambell i Gân 1 episode available Released On: 31 Dec 2023 Available for 4 days
Gwenan Gibbard sy'n cyflwyno cyfoeth ac amrywiaeth cerddoriaeth werin Cymru. Gwennan Gibbard reflects on the richness and variety of Welsh folk music.

Georgia Ruth Released On: 23 Jan 2024 Available for 24 days
Mae Georgia Ruth yn cael cwmni'r gantores Alys Hardy, i drafod ei halbwm ddiweddaraf. An eclectic selection of music.

Celtic Heartbeat Released On: 28/01/2024 29 days left to listen
Frank Hennessy presents the best in folk, roots and acoustic music from the Celtic countries and beyond.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jan 24 - 08:56 AM

Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

Powerful young singer, not to be missed.

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 31 Jan 24 - 07:23 PM

There's a good comprehensive list at trac cymru . There's quite a range from folk rock to trad to close harmony to classical cross-over. I quite like Vri, DnA, Gwilym Bowen Rhys, and... lots of the others.

sian

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 01 Feb 24 - 09:09 PM

I'm amazed no one has mentioned Chris Jones

Subject: RE: Welsh folk performers - recommendations?
From: GUEST,cestrienne
Date: 03 Feb 24 - 08:01 AM

The fabulous talents that make up VRi sing in Welsh, and their enunciation is crystal clear.
And I'm sure that they'd be delighted to help with lyrics and meanings.