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Llanelli-raised Dr Mari Morgan emigrated to the United States in 1996 to pursue a career as a classical singer.  Braids of Song: Weaving Welsh Music into the American Soul  (Y Lolfa) by Mari Morgan evokes the experiences of other Welsh people who have ventured across the Pond to follow their musical dreams. Mari Morgan asks: “Do you ever wonder what happens when a person moves to a new country? Do they change? Does the way they sing stay with the old or blend with the new? And if they are creative types – what happens to their artistic output?” 

Several voices tell their story, both real and imagined, in the book – the charismatic composer, Dr Joseph Parry from Merthyr who stages a Welsh opera in Danville, Pennsylvania; the steady but ground-breaking conductor, Dr Daniel Protheroe from Cwmgiedd who measures for a suit in Chicago; and the international concert pianist, Marie Novello from Maesteg wrapped in glamorous furs on the first-class deck of an ocean liner. 

And there’s also the author’s own story, a girl from Llanelli who founded and conducts the North American Welsh Choir. Her narrative is a medley of reflections and observations in a Welsh-American context: “I wanted to recognise the richness, humanity, and cross-fertilisation of cultures and identities that built some of the America of today – the interconnection between immigration, identity, and creativity within a Welsh Trans-Atlantic context. 

“ Braids of Song  is a celebration of life in stories. The idea for the book began after the death of my father on 1 March 2015. A Welsh Nonconformist minister and a man of his people, he posed two questions of me during his final weeks: ‘When are you going to write my story?’ ‘Who are you?’  Braids of Song  is my creative response to those two simple questions. The writing and research took my grief on a thrilling treasure hunt of discovery. 

“My father’s bequest of a score and story of  Arianwen  begins  Braids of Song , combined with my own experience as a Welsh musician who has lived in the United States of America for over twenty-five years, led me on an exploration of how immigration to a new country can alter a person, how the challenges and opportunities of the new are balanced with a sense of loss for the old, and how the creative output is affected in the process of assimilating to a new culture.”  

Notes

Raised in the coastal town of Llanelli, musician and writer Mari Morgan was educated at the University of Wales, Cardiff; Trinity College of Music, London; and later at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She holds degrees in both Music and Creative Writing. She emigrated to the United States in 1996. An acclaimed classical singer with many recordings to her name, she formed and conducts Côr Cymry Gogledd America. Now a naturalized American citizen residing along the banks of the Susquehanna river in Pennsylvania, Dr Morgan divides her time between the United States and Wales.

The Miners Strike Back  is a new satirical novel by ex-miner Kevin Dicks and published by Y Lolfa. It is his debut novel and has been described as ‘ Twin Town  meets the Miners’ Strike”. 

Kevin Dicks said:

“The idea for the novel came to me whilst digging in my garden I came across a few rogue lumps of coal. What if an ex-coal miner discovered a seam of coal and opened a small clandestine colliery? I saw comedy in the story and a quirkiness to the story that may appeal to readers. As an authentic voice, perhaps I could capture a little of the miners’ humour before it disappears for good.” 

Dr Daryl Leeworthy of the South Wales Miners Library, Swansea University, calls it “A madcap valleys comedy with a serious message for our times. Dicks reads like the heir to Iain Banks, Gwyn Thomas, and Boyd Clack's  Satellite City . At once hilarious, authentic, and thoroughly charming.” 

Kevin Dicks mostly worked as a surveyor’s assistant at Deep Navigation Colliery, Treharris from 1974 until 1988. He has dedicated  The Miners Strike Back  ‘For the Miners’. 

“The further I got into writing this story, the deeper a sense of injustice arose within me. I saw injustices toward the miners everywhere and they underpin the humour of the book. When Johnny the Cutter opens his secret coal mine, with good intentions to provide work for the local antisocial teens, he becomes an anti-hero you can root for. While seeing the world through a coal miner’s eyes, we want him to succeed and it becomes a battleground between employment and energy needs against climate needs.” 

“This story is unique, as to my knowledge there are no working-class novels that examine the failure to economically regenerate mining communities post heavy industry. There is very little out there regarding novels on climate change or the energy crisis and certainly none from the perspective of an ex-coal miner.” 

March 2024 sees the 40-year anniversary of when the Miners Strike began in the UK. The industrial action within the British coal industry was an attempt to prevent colliery closures by the Conservative government, and lasted until 1985. 

The Miners Strike Back  by Kevin Dicks (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

Four children died when the first and largest black church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed on 15 September 1963 – a tragic day that became a defining moment for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA.

To mark the 60 ^th  anniversary of the 16 ^th  Street Baptist Church bombing, representatives of Wales’ largest youth organisation, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, will visit Birmingham, Alabama to show solidarity with its African American community.

Next week, 13 Urdd Gobaith Cymru Ambassadors who were responsible for the  Urdd’s 2023 Anti Racism Peace and Goodwill Message  are to visit the region and learn more about its rich Civil Rights history.

Urdd Chief Executive Siân Lewis explains : “We are delighted to continue developing our relationship with the African American community in Birmingham, Alabama and to give Urdd members the opportunity to learn more about the history and events of Alabama.

“Earlier this year, our young people created a powerful Peace and Goodwill Message which throws a spotlight on anti-racism, clearly stating that if people see racism, we need to ‘Call. Them. Out’. It’s fitting that we’ll be visiting Birmingham on this important anniversary with the students who created this impactful message, which was heard and shared by thousands across the world.”

Sian Morgan Lloyd, senior lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, who is accompanying the ambassadors on the trip, said : “We feel privileged to be travelling to Birmingham Alabama with Urdd Gobaith Cymru, as we explore the history of the Civil Rights movement, fostering new friendships along the way. The students, who worked on this year’s Message of Peace, are passionate about using their voices as a means of change. I have no doubt that this trip will inspire and motivate them even further.”

The trip will include visits to historically significant buildings and organisations that were key to the civil rights movement, such as Rosa Park’s House, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the A.G. Gatson Motel and the Legacy Museum, as well as a workshop with young people in Birmingham.

Welsh ties with Birmingham, Alabama were formed in the immediate aftermath of the vicious bombing. A campaign by artist John Petts and the Western Mail resulted in the people of Wales donating a stained-glass window to the church which is still known as the ‘Wales Window’ by Birmingham residents today.

In 2019 an official visit to the church  by Siân Lewis, the Urdd’s CEO, and then Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams strengthened these ties. This resulted in a partnership between the Urdd and the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a renewed desire to provide opportunities for young people on both sides of the Atlantic to learn more about each other’s cultures and traditions.

The partnership with Birmingham, Alabama forms part of the Urdd’s International Strategy to engage young people from around the world with the young people of Wales. Since its establishment in 1922 the Urdd has nurtured over 4 million youngsters to be proud of their country, open to the world and living embodiments of our language and culture, along with the universal values which we cherish in Wales.

Urdd i dalu teyrnged 60 mlynedd ers ffrwydrad eglwys yn Alabama

Ar 15 Medi 1963, lladdwyd pedwar o blant mewn ffrwydrad terfysgol yn eglwys ddu gyntaf a mwyaf Birmingham, Alabama, a hynny yn ystod yr ymgyrch Hawliau Sifil yn America.

Union 60 mlynedd ar ôl ffrwydrad Eglwys y Bedyddwyr ar 16th Street mi fydd cynrychiolwyr o’r Urdd yn ymweld â’r rhanbarth er mwyn dangos undod gyda’i chymuned Affricanaidd-Americanaidd.

Wythnos nesaf, bydd 13 o Lysgenhadon yr Urdd a fu’n gyfrifol am  Neges Heddwch ac Ewyllys Da Gwrth-hiliaeth 2023  yn cael y cyfle i ddysgu mwy am hanes hawliau sifil cyfoethog Birmingham, Alabama.

Eglura Prif Weithredwr yr Urdd, Siân Lewis : “Rydym mor falch o’r cyfle i gryfhau ein perthynas gyda’r gymuned Affricanaidd-Americanaidd ym Mirmingham, Alabama a rhoi cyfle i aelodau’r Urdd ddysgu mwy am hanes a digwyddiadau’r rhanbarth.

“Yn gynharach eleni, lluniodd ein pobl ifanc Neges Heddwch ac Ewyllys Da hynod bwerus sy’n taflu’r chwyddwydr ar wrth-hiliaeth, gan nodi’n glir, os yw pobl yn dyst i hiliaeth, bod angen i ni eu ‘Galw. Nhw. Allan.’ Mae’n briodol iawn, felly, ein bod ni’n ymweld â Birmingham ar y dyddiad pwysig hwn yng nghwmni’r myfyrwyr a greodd y neges ddylanwadol hon ac a glywyd a rannwyd gan filoedd ledled y byd.”

Dyma a ddywedodd Sian Morgan Lloyd, uwch-ddarlithydd yn Ysgol Newyddiaduraeth, y Cyfryngau a Diwylliant Prifysgol Caerdydd, sy’n mynd gyda’r llysgenhadon ar y daith : “Rydyn ni’n teimlo’n freintiedig i gael teithio i Firmingham, Alabama gydag Urdd Gobaith Cymru, wrth inni ymchwilio mwy i hanes y mudiad Hawliau Sifil, gan ddod i adnabod a meithrin cyfeillion newydd ar hyd y ffordd. Mae’r myfyrwyr, a fu’n gweithio ar y Neges Heddwch eleni, yn frwd dros ddefnyddio’u llais i greu newid. Does gen i ddim amheuaeth y bydd y daith hon yn eu hysbrydoli a’u hysgogi hyd yn oed yn fwy.”

Bydd y daith yn cynnwys ymweliadau â nifer o adeiladau a sefydliadau hanesyddol ac arwyddocaol eraill a oedd yn hynod bwysig i'r mudiad hawliau sifil, megis Tŷ Rosa Park, Sefydliad Hawliau Sifil Birmingham, Motel AG Gatson a’r Amgueddfa Etifeddiaeth yn ogystal â gweithdy gyda phobl ifanc Birmingham.

Ffurfiwyd perthynas rhwng y Cymry a chymuned Birmingham, Alabama yn dilyn yr ymosodiad terfysgol pan ysgogwyd yr arlunydd o Lansteffan John Petts i ddylunio ffenestr liw ar gyfer yr eglwys. Yn dilyn ymgyrch codi arian gan y Western Mail gwireddwyd y freuddwyd a chyflwynwyd y ffenestr i’r eglwys gan bobl Cymru fel arwydd o gefnogaeth ac undod, ac fe’i hadnabyddir hyd heddiw gan drigolion Birmingham fel y ‘Wales Window’.

Yn 2019 bu i ymweliad swyddogol gan Siân Lewis , Prif Weithredwr yr Urdd, a Gweinidog Addysg Cymru ar y pryd, Kirsty Williams gryfhau’r berthynas hon, ac arwain at bartneriaeth rhwng y mudiad ieuenctid a Phrifysgol Alabama ym Mirmingham ac awydd o’r newydd i ddarparu cyfleoedd i bobl ifanc ar ddwy ochr yr Iwerydd ddysgu mwy am ddiwylliannau a thraddodiadau ei gilydd. Ym mis Mehefin eleni, teithiodd Côr yr Efengyl Prifysgol Alabama (UAB) i Gymru i berfformio a dysgu mwy am hanes, iaith a diwylliant ein gwlad.

Mae’r bartneriaeth gyda Birmingham, Alabama yn rhan o Strategaeth Ryngwladol yr Urdd i ymgysylltu phobl ifanc Cymru â phobl ifanc o bob cwr o’r byd. Ers ei sefydlu yn 1922 mae’r Urdd wedi meithrin dros 4 miliwn o bobl ifanc i fod yn falch o’u gwlad, yn agored i’r byd ac yn ymgorfforiadau byw o’n hiaith a’n diwylliant, ynghyd â’r gwerthoedd cyffredinol yr ydym yn eu trysori yng Nghymru.

AWAY WE GO' is the fourth single and video in a series of five music videos to be released by the band from their acclaimed  album ‘Druids and Bards’  - created by award winning Ukrainian Filmmaker Taras Merenkov and filmed by Jason Griffith .

Notably, Taras Merenkov won an award for the video he shot for the band for their video for ‘The Hurt Within’ and we can see history repeating itself with the video for ‘Away We Go’.

Merenkov's hazy cinematic style of direction really emphasises  and captures the very essence of the music and makes a formidable accompanying visual, filmed on location in the band’s local vicinity in Wales. 

As mentioned above, 'AWAY WE GO' is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed album 'Druids and Bards ' which is out now via Welsh label 'Yr Wyddfa Records'

‘Druids and Bards’ has been championed by Gary Crowley on BBC Radio London and playlisted on Amazing Radio's A List, Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music and with BBC Radio Wales support from Huw Stephens and Adam Walton . It's fair to say that  North Wales Psych-Rock Band Holy Coves have had quite the year! 

Through long time friend and Producer David Wrench (just mixed the new BLUR album), 'Holy Coves' were put in touch with Texan Producer Erik Wofford ( The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky ) and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the ' Druids And Bards' album and it has certainly contributed massively to their new sound and ethos.

The track ‘AWAY WE GO’ is the work of Welsh Singer/Songwriter, Scott Marsden and was Recorded at Pehhesgyn Hall Studios, Menai Bridge Anglesey, Produced by Scott Marsden, John Lawrence (Gorky Zycotic Mynci ) & Owain Ginsberg ( We Are Animal / Hippies vs Ghosts) and Mixed by Erik Wofford (The Black Angels) in Austin Texas USA.

Scott has said of the inspiration behind the track and video: 

“The line ‘ All I see is you and me ‘ was written for my wife. She's my soulmate,

We’ve been through so much together, Whenever I sing this I think of her.”

And further

“ This record is about stepping out of the darkness and into the light”

The physical copies of the Druids and Bards album sold out within just two months and the band are set to release another coloured vinyl pressing shortly. 

This year has  also seen Holy Coves touring  the whole of the UK and they have plans to do so again before the end of the year. During their earlier tour of the UK they took in festivals such as the Isle Of Wight Festival where they enjoyed playing to  a packed out tent on the This Feeling stage.

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