O’r galon

Swansea Philharmonic Choir; Jonathan Rogers (cond.) at All Saints, Oystermouth, Swansea (UK) on 1 June 2019

The hymn ‘Calon Lân’ has become synonymous with the Welsh people and since the burst in popularity during the Revival of 1904-5, Calon Lân has weaved its way into the very fabric of Welsh identity on the international platform.

It was in Caniadau Gwyrosydd that Calon Lân was published but it is not known where it was actually written. It has been suggested that Daniel James - of Llangyfelach Road, Treboeth, Swansea - wrote the words on the back of a cigarette packet in Blaengarw. However the tune and its words have been a cornerstone of Swansea’s rich musical history. Its sentiments echo the finest Christian principles – that a pure heart is finer than any material wealth.

'O’r galon' is is collaborative response, with writer Catrin Alun, to these principles within Calon Lân. From the passion within song. To the waves of the bay.

Commissioned as part of Making Music UK’s Adopt-a-Composer scheme, ‘O’r galon’ is the second work from a set of 3 postcards written for the Swansea Philharmonic Choir.

-njd.

SATB choir (divided)

4’

This work was developed for Swansea Philharmonic Choir as part of the Adopt-a-Composer scheme, funded by the PRS Foundation and the Philip and Dorothy Green Music Trust, and run by Making Music UK, in partnership with Sound and Music and BBC Radio 3.