Radio Wales

We were delighted to have another mention from Beverley Humphreys when she was a guest on The Roy Noble Show on Sunday morning.  She was chatting to Roy about Calon Lân and its significance in Welsh culture.  She spoke very warmly about us and gave a great insight into Daniel James and how Calon Lân is so well known not just in Wales but in the wider world!  If you missed it, it is available for a few days to listen again via this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vrscc

Don't just listen to the Calon Lân feature, listen to the whole show, (as always) it is packed full of interesting bits of information that you just have to go and find out about. 

Calon Lân is everywhere at the moment and if you feel so inclined then you can record your version and send it into BBC Wales - again follow the link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/cymruwales/calonlan/

We will be posting up lots more news and information in the coming weeks and months - so thank you for staying with us during our quiet period but there is a lot starting to happen so - Watch This Space!

Connected Communities Exhibition

It was the opening of the Connected Communities Exhibition at the Waterfront Museum in Swansea on the 20th September.

It was wonderful to meet with members form the other projects and hear how they were getting on.  There were some lovely stories about how the history initiatives were engaging with the public and some tears were shed at the heartwarming anecdotes!

Each project has been depicted on exhibition boards and extracts from The Daniel James Project animated film is also being shown within The White Wall Gallery.

We also got a mention on the BBC here

As per usual, I was armed with my trusted camera to capture the events....

Clip on YouTube

A short clip of the film has been put on YouTube.  You can see it by clicking on the link below.

The Daniel James Project

Calon Lan Performed at Queen's Coronation Festival

Nice to see Calon Lan performed as part of the Queen's Coronation Festival by Only Boy's Aloud.

Catch a glimpse here on iPlayer - Coronation Festival

It is at the end!

Behind the scenes

Not unlike the animation a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to create an item for broadcast.

These are some of the scenes that did not make it to the big screen!



And ACTION, who are these guys?



Not sure what is going on here but they are obviously not listening!

















 

OK - it is us, but looking pretty mischievous I think!

     

 




Bev doing her interview, Teresa trying to blend into the background

                                                  

Bev, where are you when I need you?

 

Special thanks to Ivor Williams, official photographer!

 

And, not to forget - this is who it is all about.

 

 

 

 

 

 



BBC Wales News Link

At lunch time today BBC Wales broadcast a feature on our project and there is a link to this pasted below.  Thanks to all  involved and a special thank you to Cemlyn Davies!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23274008

Evening Post and This Is South Wales feature Premiere

We had an excellent write-up in the Evening Post yesterday and the article appeared on This Is South Wales too!

"A NEW animated short film about Swansea composer Daniel James is to be premiered in the city this week.

James, who is also known by his bardic name of Gwyrosydd, wrote the words for the famous hymn Calon Lan.

He was born on January 13, 1848, in a thatched cottage, long demolished, in what is now Llangyfelach Road, not far from Brynhyfryd Square.

He became a puddler, working first in one of the Morriston ironworks then moving to Landore tinplate works but it is his musical talent that has seen him remembered.

James's grave, which is in the grounds of Mynyddbach Chapel, has almost become a tourist attraction in its own right following increased interest in Calon Lan after a performance of the hymn by Only Boys Aloud on Britain's Got Talent.

And now the Treboeth Historical Society, assisted by the Swansea University Connected Communities project, has put together a short animated story that records the life James. The premier will take place on Wednesday at Mynyddbach Chapel, from 7pm.

The evening will be introduced and led by the Reverend Grenville Fisher of Mynyddbach Chapel. A talk about the project will also be given by Swansea University research graduates, followed by poetry readings and performances by school children from Ysgol Gynradd Tirdeunaw, Gwyrosydd Primary School and Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe, all of whom have been involved in the creation of the film." - This Is South Wales

Read the full article here: Composer of Welsh hymn featured in animated city film

BBC Wales interview

We had an exciting afternoon yesterday being interviewed for BBC Wales about the project.  Both Teresa and myself were quite nervous about it all but the BBC team were brilliant and put us at our ease right away.  Photos of us too being interviewed at the grave of Daniel James were taken by Ivor and will be out up on the blog shortly.

Geraint was interviewed inside the chapel and was a natural!  He was so calm and told some great anecdotes.  Here are some pictures...

Geraint Williams having some technical adjustments made before his interview!

Ivor and Geraint chatting over Daniel James' chair.

Geraint being interviewed by Cemlyn Davies of BBC Wales

Don't forget to watch tomorrow...BBC Wales at 6.30!

News update!

If you are coming to Mynyddbach on Wednesday 10 July then put a reminder in your diary to catch up or record Wales Today on BBC Wales on that day.  There will be a small feature on our project which is a fantastic opportunity for us.  A big thankyou to Cemlyn Davies and his camera man, Jamie Owen and BBC Wales.  All of the project team really appreciate your interest and Bev and I enjoyed the experience!

Animation Workshop

The animation company Turnip Starfish http://turnipstarfish.com/  has recently made visits to the three schools involved in the project - Tirdeunaw, Bryn Tawe and Gwyrosydd.  Nick and his team, along with the children, have been working really hard in bring the story of Daniel James to life.  I was lucky enough to pop into Gwyrosydd School on 10 May to see 'work in progress'.

It was a hive of activity, the children enthusiastically setting up scenes to be animated with the Turnip Starfish team guiding and advising along the way.   The atmosphere was full of excitment as clips were viewed and it was a fantastic opportunity for the children to work as a team, using their own artwork to create a film.  It was enjoyable observing their actions as they devloped an understanding of the technical skills needed in the creative industry.

There is still quite a bit of work to do as Nick and his colleagues have to cut and edit  the output and record the music and voices to the film.  They are going to visit Bryn Tawe again in order to record the soundtrack and to complete this part of the work.

I am sure that all of the children have enjoyed the experience.  They will be part of the audience on July 10 at Mynyddbach Chapel to view the finished work!

Lesson on Mynyddbach Chapel

Nice article in the Evening Post on Saturday (9th) regarding pupils from Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeunaw.  They have been finding out about the history of Mynyddbach Chapel and have visited the West Glamorgan Archive Service for information.

Great to see interest in this wonderful Chapel receiving newsprint again!

Oral History Interviews

Bev and I have started our oral history interviews and last Wednesday 13 February, we spent a delightful afternoon in the company of Miriam Evans.  Miriam was born in Treboeth and has lived there all her life and before she retired she was the Headteacher of Gwyrosydd Infants School.  This interview was very special for me as Miriam was my Headteacher when I was an infant!

Miriam recalled a variety of memories about the Treboeth area from her life as a child and up to more recent years.  Areas that were covered included:

• the role that the Chapel in Welsh life and Welsh culture
• living conditions - including memories of the thatched cottage that Daniel James lived in
• the geography of the local area in times gone by
• education of children
• warm memories of her father and grandfather

Her grandfather was an acquaintance of Daniel James and she explained that Gwyrosydd had written a poem about her father, entitled Y Baban ar fin y Dibyn (which roughly translates as 'The child on the edge of a precipice') which relates to a time when her father would have been playing in a quarry area just behind Miriam's house.  This is a very personal memory and a direct link to Daniel James!

Over the coming weeks we have a more oral histories lined up  - so watch this space!

Beverley's World of Music

Just in case you want to listen to the programme you can click on the link below which is live for the next 6 days.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0198j0n

BBC Radio Wales Mention

We had a great mention on BBC Radio Wales yesterday from Beverley Humphreys on her show - Beverley's World of Music.  Details of the project, who is involved and the event on the 23rd were all included.

Thank you Beverley!

Cymanfa Ganu for Daniel James

Mention of the Cymanfa Ganu in the Evening Post yesterday!

If you are in the area, come and see the beautiful Mynyddbach Chapel and celebrate the life and work of Daniel James with us.

It is on Wednesday 23 January 2013 at 7pm.

Mr Huw Tregelles Williams, OBE, DL, MA, B. Mus, FRCO, FKWCMD will be leading the programme of events and the conductor with me Mr Huw Rees, LRAM, ARCM, LLCM, FLCM.  Organist is the Reverend Grenville Fisher.

Evening Post article

This appeared in the South Wales Evening Post on Monday 14 January 2013:

"Researchers in Swansea are hoping to bring Welsh hymn Calon Lan to life by making an animated film about its creator.

Swansea University and Treboeth History Group are planing to make sure the story of Daniel James, Calon Lan's author, is remembered by creating the film 165 years after he was born.

The project has been given a £4,100 grant by the Connected Communities project.

The funds will be used to research and promote Daniel James's life.

James wrote the much-loved hymn, which is sung throughout venues across Wales, when he was working in the heavy industry in South Wales.

Calon Lan was originally written in Welsh but is also now sung in English.

The aim of the project is to find out if we know everything about his life.

The short story, which will be animated, will be created with the help of local school teachers, to make sure the story is available online.

The film will also be given to schools, libraries and museums across Wales."

Radio Interview

There has been more media interest in The Daniel James Project - it became a topic on Good Morning Wales on Saturday.

To hear Dr Gwenno Ffrancon speaking to Peter Johnson on the show, click below:

Calon Lan writer Daniel James's story to become film

Beverley's World of Music

Listen to Beverley's World of Music on Radio Wales, Sunday 20 January, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.  Not only will you hear a fantastic show but our project is going to get a mention!

BBC news

And so the story grows!  Click on the link to view story on BBC Wales website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-20998780

Western Mail

Nice article on the project in the Western Mail today!  Daniel James' story is beginning to get out there!