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Community Sings Stories to Life in Wales
17 Sep
Summary
- Project turns local histories into new musical compositions.
- Workshops foster cultural pride and intergenerational connections.
- New folk songs capture daily life and industrial heritage.
Trac Cymru's Cân y Cymoedd project is revitalizing Welsh heritage by setting local stories to music. Community and school workshops have engaged participants in uncovering historical narratives from sites and museums in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot.
Musicians, historians, and volunteers guide groups in creating new songs. These compositions reflect local life, from industrial pasts to everyday experiences, fostering a renewed sense of cultural pride among participants. A year 6 class at Llwyncelyn primary school, for instance, learned and recorded a song about their village.
The project culminates in professionally recorded songs for an album intended for a wide audience. Project manager Antwn Owen-Hicks emphasizes that the initiative is about evolving traditions and making heritage accessible, stating that anyone with a story can contribute to a song.
