Superlative Welsh Mezzo Soprano Katherine Jenkins performs her powerful and emotional rendition of the Welsh Patriotic Hymn 'Cymru Fach' ('Dearest Wales') on the last night of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Wales, Sunday 9th July 2006. Music is by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Inglis.
Clip from Katherine's DVD 'Live at Llangollen'
'Cymru Fach' ('Dearest Wales')
Written in 1927 by Rev. Howell Elvett Lewis ('Elfed') (1860-1953), music by David Richards.
Mae lle iddi gyd yn fy nghalon, Gymru fach.
Pob mynydd a dyffeyn ac afon, Gymru fach.
Er crwydro o olwg ei bryniau
Ymhell os
wn ei rhaeadray,
Mewn munud breuddwydiaf fy hunan
I fangre fy mebyd o bob man: Gymru fach.
Annwyl wlad mam a thad!
Os nad yw hi'n fawn mae hi'n ddigon
I lenwi, I lenwi fy nghalon,
Annwyl wlad!
Mae lle iddi I gyd yn fy nghalon, Gymru fach.
A thirion fo'r nef i'w gobeithion, Gymru fach.
Ei chestyll
rhyfelgar faluriwyd,
Ond cadwed ei chalon ei breuddwyd!
Boed heddwch yn gan rhwng ei bryniau
A cherdded y gan dros y bryniau, Gymru fach.
---------------------------------------------------------
There is a place of the whole of her in my heart, dearest Wales.
Each mountain, each valley, each rive
r, dearest Wales.
'Though I travel far from her hilltops,
Far from her resounding waterfalls,
Within minutes I will dream my way back from afar
To that sanctuary of my childhood: dearest Wales.
Dearest Mother and Fatherland!
Not large, but certainly ample
To fill, to fill my heart
Dearest Land!
Th
ere is a place of the whole of her in my heart, dearest Wales.
May heaven look kindly upon her aspirations, dearest Wales.
Her warlike castles were destroyed
But may the dream remain in her heart!
May the song of peace resound through her hills;
May the song walk the crest of her hills, dearest Wale
s.
See more videos uploaded by cumberlandgap
ŵn ei rhaeadrau, (and the final two lines) Boed heddwch yn gân rhwng ei bryniau A cherdded y gân dros y tonnau, Gymru fach. I wonder why KJ repeats verse 1 and omits verse 2. Still: mustn't look a gift-horse in the mouth. A magnificent arrangement and performance!
note about the info on the side, It's a patriotic song, but it's not a hymn.
God bless
but btw, I can see Elfed was an amazing hymn writer as well, He was really gifted by God. Duw gwareda'r Cymry! unwaith dy bobl, ond rhan fwyaf bellach wedi troi i ffwrdd o Di. Dewch a ni nol, o Dduw! luv the song, God bless
Better in some cases than the English from the South. I don't know why that should be. Maybe my ears are prejudiced. Anyway, Katherine's lovely. I think she was a teacher. I would exchange her for dear, old Miss Jenkins who used to beat us up with the wooden spoon her class always got for poor attendance. She could hit hard. She used to beat the stuffing out of the piano as we marched into hall mornings.
Aled