Page 9 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

Côr Cymry Gogledd America -

Keeping Sharp in a Dull World

by Margaret Ann Hellmann

A choir is, by definition, “an
organized group of singers that
takes part in church services or
1
performs regularly in public” .
Each member of a choir is
expected to rehearse the music,
Canwn Glod // Pobl ifanc Cymru ac Alabama yn canu gyda'i prepare for and participate in
gilydd yn Gymraeg am y tro cyntaf church services and/or special
2
performances . But 2020
Youth Transatlantic pressed the entire world into
finding new ways to live, work,
partnership consolidated - play and pray, and Côr Cymry
Gogledd America (North
American Welsh Choir) was no
Despite Covid-19 exception. How does a choir
meet these obligations when
gatherings of any type have
A ground-breaking partner- long been known to provide been shut-down, church ser-
ship to remind young people on comfort and hope during trou- vices suspended, businesses
both sides of the Atlantic of the bling and testing times. This closed, and citizens exiled to
lethal perils of racism will press year has seen its fair share of their homes?
ahead this winter despite the challenges thrown our way, not Rehearsals had been progress-
major challenges of lockdown. only as individual nations but ing as usual when the virus
Urdd Gobaith Cymru (youth collectively as world citizens. struck North America with a
organisation in Wales, UK “We are delighted that vengeance, leaving no available Megan Williams, Margot I’m certain the rest of the
(www.urdd.cymru/en ) and the despite the pandemic, we have location to rehearse and singing Griffiths, Mary Jones McGuyer, choir would agree that it would
students at the University of been able to develop our part- Signora Luned Gonzalez, Helen be impossible to decide which
Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) nership and give our members in groups was suddenly one of Prosser, and Robat Arwyn. speakers were enjoyed most.
have come together to create a the opportunity to learn more the highest-risk activities. Calgary Welsh Society repre- They have all enriched our lives
virtual gospel choir to celebrate about gospel singing from our February 22, 2020 marked the
their new partnership and both- inspirational friends at UAB. last Côr Cymry rehearsal for the sentatives, David and Mona and expanded our knowledge so
choirs will sing together in Together, we have recorded a Northeast region. By March, Matthews, and the choir’s tour much during this time that to
Welsh for the very first time! truly uplifting performance – a most of the US was on lock- operator, Sean Fagan of Opus say ‘thank-you’ or ‘great job’
Wales, known as the land of true beacon of hope as we look down, and then as the virus Tours joined us one week to simply falls short of the actual
song, has an unequivocal strong forward with positivity.” raged on, we received the sad discuss the rescheduled trip to worth. The benefits of the
and longstanding history with Patrick Evans, UAB Chair of news that the performance in Calgary and Banff. Choir mem- Zoom meetings have been
music and that shared passion the Department of Canada was cancelled until bers Rhiannon Owen, John invaluable in that they have
was an obvious link when Siân Music, added, “The coming Owen, Sabrina Coleman Clark, allowed us to visit each other in
Lewis, Chief Executive at Urdd together of these young voic- 2021, and all future rehearsals Heather Defer, Dan real time and see for ourselves
Gobaith Cymru met with es marks the beginning of a pos- were cancelled indefinitely. Rowbotham, Alicia Snyder and that our friends are okay. We
Patrick Evans, Chair of the itive relationship between Fortunately, Côr Cymry’s
UAB College of Arts and our students and the young peo- director, Dr. Mari Morgan, and Kathy Crusi rounded out the can share personal stories,
Sciences’ Department of Music, ple of Wales. Singing in Welsh her right-hand, tech-support guest list and contributed videos laugh, joke, and above all, con-
on a visit arranged by the Welsh for the first time was a chal- ladies, Lisa Hopkins Kathy and talks on various topics rang- tinue to sing. These meetings
Government to Alabama last lenge for the choir members, Crusi, were quick to react to the ing from tracing Welsh genealo- have boosted morale and
autumn. however they embraced the predicament. Seeing as it was gy to racism. Alicia created an reduced stress during months of
Welsh ties with the African challenge and we are looking impossible to physically gather absolutely fabulous Zoom/drag- isolation, and a bonus is that
American community in forward to visiting Wales when and sing, they set it up so we on graphic T-shirt and sweat- there are no barriers between
Birmingham, Alabama, were it is safe to do so. In the mean- shirt for members to purchase as the regional groups. Normally,
formed in the immediate after- time, we hope that our virtual could assemble virtually via a memento of our Cân Sadwrn we would not see or sing with
math of the vicious bombing of collaboration will spread a little Zoom meetings. March 28 and a fundraiser for the choir. them until the day before a per-
the 16th Street Baptist Church joy during these hard times.” marked our first virtual
by the Klu Klux Klan more than Kirsty Williams, Minster for rehearsal. Varied band widths Last I heard, the sales were formance. The attendees are
half a century ago when the Education at the Welsh across personal laptops, going quite nicely, too. from all over the United States,
people of Wales donated a Government said: “I am notepads and cell phones and Rounding out the activities, the Canada, Wales, New Zealand
stained-glass window to the delighted that we continue to transmission interferences caus- choir also took part in ‘Sing for and Argentina, and no one had
church in solidarity. A formal strengthen links between Wales es difficulties when trying to Wales’ and Heddwych2020- to deal with exposure to the
visit by Sian Lewis, CEO of the and Alabama. This initiative sing in real-time, so to over- Peace & Goodwill. virus at airports or hotels, and
Welsh youth Movement, Urdd between the Urdd and the come this, Mari provides Most recently, Mari and Dan best of all - no lines at airport
Gobaith Cymru, and Welsh University of Alabama at Rowbotham have taken on the check-in, no waiting to get
Minister for Education Kirsty Birmingham ensures that a new recordings of the choirs’ previ- challenge of trying to teach con- through security and no suitcas-
Williams to the University of generation will take our rela- ous performances and we each versational Welsh to a large es to schlep around!
Alabama last year strengthened tionship forward. By uniting sing in our homes with the
these ties. students through the power of sound muted. (Reminiscent of group of Americans (& a few Côr Cymry Gogledd America
Tour arrangements for the song, our transatlantic friend- my teen years when I would Canadians too). I’m never sure plans to continue to meet virtu-
UAB Gospel Choir to visit ship will continue to flourish, sing and dance around the house if the smiles on their faces are ally in anticipation of when we
Wales and the Urdd National despite the distance between to the latest hit tunes blasting hysterics or just smiles, but I will rehearse and sing as an in-
Eisteddfod for 2020 were being us.” from my transistor radio (yes, have a rather good excuse since person group very soon, so our
finalised when Covid-19 swept As the Urdd approaches its I’m that old)). Through this lat- the last time anyone in my fami- performances will be flawless
across the world and plans were centenary in 2022 it has ambi- est technology, we can now sing ly spoke Welsh was over 300 and delight our audiences!
put on hold. Keen not to let the tious plans to ensure Wales years ago. Mix that with as
challenges scupper the opportu- makes a positive impact, to our hearts out without interfer- many years of exposure to Join us at www.
nity to bring the young people ensure that more people know ing in anyone else’s ‘space’. Pennsylvania Dutch, and the CorCymryGogleddAmerica.com.
together, a virtual choir was about Wales, offer international While it may not be quite the
formed. experiences for young people same as singing together in a errors in pronunciation become
There are 34 members in the and celebrate the cultural rich- room, it has certainly proven to evident…especially when I mix
virtual choir and Urdd members ness of Wales as well as share be the next best thing. in a bit of ‘hoch Deutsch’.
between the ages of 18 – 25 good practise with international Mari further enhanced the
years old will form the voices of contacts in the success of quality of these Zoom meetings Silk Rosettes for Lapels
Wales. Mared Williams, a for- increasing confidence, use, and by adding guest speakers each
mer Urdd Member and star of enjoyment of a minority lan- week and they quickly became
“Les Miserables” in the West guage. Since its establishment
End in London and UAB in 1922, the Urdd has nurtured known as Cân Sadwrn
Gospel Choir Director Reginald over four million young men (Saturday Song). We’ve had so
James Jackson take the lead as and women to be proud of their many excellent presentations
soloists while Music Director country, open to the world and ranging from musicians and
Richard Vaughan brings the living embodiments of our lan- poets to weavers and com-
voices together. guage and culture, along with posers. The very impressive
Meanwhile it will be a new the universal values which we list, as of this writing, includes
experience for members of cherish in Wales. Meirion Wynn Jones, Kim
UAB Gospel Choir too as not The video was published to Lloyd Jones, Dr. Mererid
only will they be singing virtu- coincide with Thanksgiving in Hopwood, David Enlow, Eric
ally with their partners across the USA and is available to
the Atlantic, but they will also view on the Urdd’s Youtube Jones, Arwel Treharne Morgan,
sing in Welsh for the very first channel: Cefyn Burgess, Heini Gruffudd,
time – a translation of ‘Every https://www.youtube.com/wat Stanley Grill, Glain Dafydd,
Praise’ by Hezekiah Walker – ch?v=Zz3q35e7h1E Richard and Ffion Rees, Dr. $22 includes shipping in the United States
“Canwn Glod” Benefits Welsh Society of Philadelphia Scholarship Fund
Our email: wsopdragonmasks@gmail.com
Siân Lewis, Urdd CEO said, 1
“Music, and gospel music, has 2 Oxford Dictionary
Ourpastimes.com
January-February 2021 NINNAU Page 9