A Cymanfa Ganu (, ''Singing Festival''), is a
Welsh festival of sacred
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
s, sung with four part harmony by a congregation, usually under the direction of a
choral director.
The Cymanfa Ganu movement was launched in 1859 at Bethania Chapel in
Aberdare, where it was pioneered by the Reverend Evan Lewis.
In Wales, cymanfaoedd canu are held each year in many villages and towns throughout the country. Some have more than one Cymanfa Ganu a year, as often many separate chapels hold their own. Some large annual events occur in some
chapels and take place at festivals such as the
National Eisteddfod of Wales and the
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Some are occasionally held in theatres and concert halls. Cymanfaoedd Canu are held across the world – wherever members of the
Welsh diaspora live, significantly in
Y Wladfa (
Chubut Province,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
) e.g.
Trelew,
Gaiman, where there were significant Welsh settlements from the mid-19th century. In some of these areas
Patagonian Welsh is still in daily use, together with
Argentine Spanish. Outside of Wales, in the UK there are Cymanfaoedd Canu in London, parts of the
West Midlands and other areas where there are still evangelical chapels using the medium of Welsh.
The preservation of the Cymanfa Ganu as a unique feature of
Welsh culture is being supported by a number of Welsh cultural associations, such as the
New Zealand National Gymanfa Ganu Association and the
Welsh North American Association (
North America).
North American Gymanfa Ganu
Once a year, a four-day North American Festival of Wales is held in North America over the
Labor Day weekend. The four-day festival starts on Thursday night with an opening ceremony and concert. The weekend continues with an evening
banquet sponsored by the North America Wales Foundation
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
on Friday and a Saturday concert, generally featuring a Welsh male voice choir and soloists, both from Wales.
Sunday is the defining day of the four-day festival which begins with a
bilingual church and memorial service. After a brief intermission, this service is followed by afternoon and evening sessions of the Gymanfa Ganu itself. A unique feature of the gymanfa ganu is the seating separation of
alto,
soprano,
tenor, and
bass singers into sections for the four part
harmony singing. And while the Gymanfa Ganu is conducted with the dignity of a church service, it is not unknown for the musical conductor to stop the singing when one or more of the voice sections wanders from the desired harmony and needs special attention.
Interspersed between the formal proceedings are frequent sessions of spontaneous singing of favorite hymns. A Welsh
marketplace, offering Welsh products, artifacts, souvenirs, recordings, and books, is also available during the days of the festival. The
Welsh North American Association is the main organizational body responsible for putting on the event.
See also
*
List of music festivals in the United Kingdom
There are many notable music festivals in the United Kingdom, covering a wide variety of genres, which are usually run from late May to early September. Some are world-renowned and have been held for many years, including the world's largest gr ...
References
{{Welsh folk music
Folk festivals in Wales