St David’s Day song to be launched at Assembly
A new song, to celebrate St David’s Day will be launched at the National Assembly for Wales on January 31st.
“Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi – Ring Out the Bells for St David”, the central focus of the National Grid for Learning Cymru’s (NGfL Cymru) St David’s Day Project, will be performed in Welsh and English by the children of Ysgol Pen-y-Garth, Penarth in the Pierhead building at 10.30am. The children, who have also recorded the song which was written by Gwenno Dafydd and Heulwen Thomas, will cross Cardiff Bay by boat from Penarth to deliver the song to the National Assembly.
The Presiding Officer Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas will listen to the performance before presenting the NGfL Cymru St David’s Cup to the school. The cup, inscribed with St David’s motto “Gwnewch y pethau bychain” (Do the small things) will then be awarded by the school every St David’s Day to the child who has done the most to help fellow pupils and teachers throughout the year.
After their performance the children will be the first to vote in “Welsh Idol” the National Assembly’s quest to find the Nation’s favourite Welsh person. During February, visitors to the Senedd will be asked to name their favourite Welsh person. People from other parts of Wales will be able to send their suggestions to the Assembly on a postcard. A shortlist will then be announced in time for voting for Wales’s favourite to begin on St David’s Day.
The song was originally written for and has now been adopted as the official song of the National St David’s Day Parade on March 1st. The Parade, which is organised by volunteers with the backing of the National Assembly for Wales and Cardiff Council, will start from the National Museum of Wales at 1.15pm and end at the Senedd at 2.15, where the marchers will be welcomed by the Presiding Officer. Performances from Côr CF1, Cwmni Dawns Caerdydd (Cardiff Folk Dance Company) and activities including free face painting, colouring in, and Welsh learning taster sessions will take place in the Senedd throughout the afternoon.
Lord Elis-Thomas said: “I look forward to hearing Ysgol Pen-y-Garth perform the song in the Assembly and to hearing it at the National St David’s Day Parade. The parade has been going from strength to strength since it first started and I am delighted that it is finishing at the Senedd this year. I hope to be welcoming many people from all parts of Wales to their building to celebrate the day of our patron saint“
Dafydd Watcyn Williams, Project Director for NGfL Cymru said: “The song and the Parade have formed the central point of an educational project on Saint David. NGfL Cymru have prepared educational material about the life of St David, and why we celebrate St David’s Day. We hope that the song will be performed in many St David’s Day concerts around the country”
Gwenno Dafydd who wrote the lyrics said: “Heulwen and I are very proud that children all over the country will be learning the song and to have it performed at the National Assembly. I was inspired to write the song whilst taking part in the Parade in 2005 so I am absolutely delighted that it is now the official song of the National St David’s Day Parade.”
Notes to editors
After the launch, the song will be available on the front page on NGfL Cymru’s website in both Welsh and English along with two versions of the song’s accompaniment for schools to download. See http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/ for more information.
The song can also be heard both in Welsh and English as well as copies of the lyrics, at the National Saint David’s Day Parade (NSDDP) official website and additional information about the Parade. http://www.stdavidsday.org