''We'll Keep a Welcome'' is a 2000 album by singer

Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...

of traditional hymns and folk songs associated with

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Terfel was accompanied on the album by the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, the Risca Male Choir and The Black Mountain Chorus. The majority of the songs are sung in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

Reception

The ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

'' magazine review by Adrian Mitchell felt that the album was a "finely sung and unashamedly patriotic collection of songs" and that with its large number of musicians it is "...impossible to prevent the occasional jolt to the ear". Edwards praised Chris Hazell's arrangements for oboe of "Ar Lan y Mor (On the Seashore)", an "Suo-Gan (Lullaby)". Edwards highlighted Terfel's vocal sensitivity on "Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock)" and felt that the performance of the choirs and harpists "...provide the best possible advertisement for repertoire too long neglected by the major record companies". The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

review of ''We'll Keep a Welcome'' described the album as a "no-holds-barred celebration of Welsh song" with "...gentle lullabies and nostalgic songs of a missed homeland as well as rip-roaring patriotic numbers"; concluding that it was "...a welcome selection indeed, with songs of unabashedly warm emotions made all the more irresistible by Terfel's obvious sincerity and vocal charisma".

Track listing

# " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers)" ( Evan James, James James) – 2:19 # " Ar Lan y Môr (On the Seashore)" (

Traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

) – 3:20 # " Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock)" (Traditional;

David Owen David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, (born 2 July 1938) is a British politician and physician who served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as a Labour Party MP under James Callaghan from 1977 to 1979, and later ...

John Ceiriog Hughes John Ceiriog Hughes (25 September 1832 – 23 April 1887) was a Wales, Welsh poet and collector of Welsh language, Welsh folk music, folk tunes, sometimes termed a Robert Burns of Wales. He was born at Penybryn Farm, overlooking the village of L ...

) – 3:00 # " Ymdaith Gwyr Harlech (Men of Harlech)" (Traditional;

John Oxenford John Oxenford (12 August 1812 – 21 February 1877) was an English dramatist, critic and translator. Life Oxenford was born in Camberwell, London, his father a prosperous merchant. While he was privately educated, it is reported that he was mos ...

, Hughes) – 2:48 # "My Little Welsh Home" ( W. S. Gwynn Williams) – 2:55 # " Calon Lân (A Pure Heart)" ( Daniel James (Gwyrosydd),

John Hughes John Hughes may refer to: Arts and Entertainment Literature *John Hughes (poet) (1677–1720), English poet *John Hughes (1790–1857), English author *John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–1887), Welsh poet *John Hughes (writer) (born 1961), Australian au ...

) – 2:35 # " Suo Gân (Lullaby)" (Traditional; Robert Bryan) – 5:06 # " Sosban Fach (Little Saucepan)" (Traditional;

Richard Davies (Mynyddog) Richard Davies (Mynyddog) (10 January 1833 – 14 July 1877) was a popular Welsh-language poet, singer, and Eisteddfod conductor. The original source of the name Mynyddog is from Newydd Fynyddog, a hill near his home. Another submission is the n ...

) – 2:52 # "Bugail Aberdyfi (The Shepherd of Aberdovey)" (Hughes, Idris Lewis) – 4:29 # "

Cwm Rhondda Cwm Rhondda is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes (1873–1932) in 1907. The name is taken from the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley. It is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams' text "Guide Me, O Thou Great ...

" (

William Williams Pantycelyn William Williams, Pantycelyn (c. 11 February 1717 – 11 January 1791), also known as William Williams, Williams Pantycelyn or simply Pantycelyn, was generally seen as Wales's premier hymnwriter, hymnist. He is also rated among the great litera ...

) – 3:41 # "

Myfanwy ''Myfanwy'' (, a woman's name derived ), is a popular Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry in four parts for male voices, and first published in 1875. Background Sources differ as to whether Dr. Parry composed the music for an existing poem b ...

" (

Joseph Parry Joseph Parry (21 May 1841 – 17 February 1903) was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of "Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth (hymn tune), Aberystwyth". Parry was also the first W ...

, Davies) – 3:30 # "Cymru Fach (Dearest Wales)" (David Richards, Elfed) – 3:56 # " Ar Hyd y Nos (All Through the Night)" (Traditional; Hughes) – 4:50 # " Sunset Poem (Eli Jenkins' Prayer)" (

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

, A. H. D. Troyte) – 2:41 # "We'll Keep a Welcome" ( Mai Jones, James Harper, Lyn Joshua) – 3:11 # "Tydi A Roddaist" (

Arwel Hughes Arwel Hughes OBE (25 August 1909 – 23 September 1988) was a Wales, Welsh orchestral conducting, conductor and composer. Life and career Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at ...

Thomas Rowland Hughes Thomas Rowland Hughes (often referred to as T. Rowland Hughes) (17 April 1903 – 24 October 1949), was a Welsh novelist, broadcaster, dramatist and poet. He was the son of a quarryman from Llanberis, Caernarfonshire (Gwynedd today), in north ...

) – 3:21 # "Diolch I'r Ior (Thank You My Lord)" ( T. Gwynn Jones) – 3:58 # "Sul y Blodau (Palm Sunday)" (Owen John Williams, Eifion Wyn) – 5:00 # " Hyfrydol" ( Rowland Prichard, William Williams) – 3:32 # "Hiraeth (Longing)" (Traditional) – 3:12 # "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers)" – 4:17

Personnel

– vocals *Katherine Thomas –

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

on "Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock)" *Meinir Heulyn – harp on "Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock)" and "Hiraeth (Longing)" *Bryan Davis – piano,

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

*Risca Male Choir –

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

*The Black Mountain Chorus –

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

* Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera * Gareth Jones –

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

Production *Chris Hazell – producer *Sid McLauchlan, Paul Moseley – associate producer *James Lock, Jonathan Stokes – balance engineer *Mike Evans – choir director *Menai Davies – language coach *Evans Mirages – executive producer *Bryan Davies – musical advisor *Nigel Hughes – photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2000 classical albums Bryn Terfel albums Deutsche Grammophon albums Music of Wales Welsh-language albums