Giant collaboration aims to unite 250,000 children in a World Cup singalong

The Urdd is hoping to attract hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren in Wales are to take part in a Jambori Cwpan y Byd, Wales’s World Cup Singalong.

As part of its centenary celebrations the Urdd has launched the Jambori in partnership with S4C, BBC Cymru Wales, S4C, ITV Wales, FAW and with the support of Welsh Government.

The free to attend Jambori for all schools in Wales, will be held live on Zoom on 10 November and will also feature live on BBC Radio Cymru and Radio Wales.

It will be hosted by S4C’s Stwnsh Sadwrn presenters and feature brand new World Cup themed songs as well as some of the old favourites. The highlight of the singalong will be Dafydd Iwan singing Yma o Hyd.

Following the success of their Guinness World Record breaking birthday party in January, which was attended by over 95,000 school children, the Urdd have opted for a similar format of registration to attend a live Zoom event. Their aim is for every junior school in Wales to register for the Jambori, which is potentially over 250,000 children.

Siân Lewis, the Urdd’s Chief Executive said: “We always had a centenary Jambori up our sleave for the autumn, as we wanted to bring Wales’s school children together for a fun and inclusive event. But with Cymru making it to the World Cup Finals we had to get behind the team and give them the send-off they deserve from all the junior school children in Wales.

“It’s vitally important for the Urdd to also make itself accessible to not just Welsh speaking children but to every school child in Wales, and as we are the land of song, what better way to bring everyone together than via miwsig and our famous Jamboris. We all know that the FAW’s motto is Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae and I say Gorau Canu Cydganu for the Jambori!”

The Jambori will also feature special messages from Wales’s First Minister and team Cymru players, as well as Welsh legend, Dafydd Iwan singing Yma o Hyd live to tens of thousands of school children.

Passion

Yma o Hyd has quickly become the unofficial anthem for the Welsh team and Dafydd Iwan has sprung back into the public eye because of it, also becoming a new unofficial mascot for the FAW.

Dafydd Iwan said of the Urdd’s Jambori Cwpan y Byd: “The impact that the Urdd has had on Welsh culture and the Welsh language cannot be underestimated. It was created a hundred years ago with one of its main purposes being to safeguard the language for future generations, and with a little help from the likes of me back in the 70s, S4C in 80s and the Welsh Government now in the 21st century, its succeeded, and we’re Yma o Hyd!

“Hearing Welsh learners and non-Welsh speakers sing Yma o Hyd with such passion shows the power of culture and music, it also shows the power of football and the positive impact that it can have. So, diolch FAW and Urdd for making this Jambori Cwpan y Byd – Wales’s Worldcup Singalong happen, for creating an event for the next generation to cydganu in Cymraeg together. I can’t wait to have as many schools, both Welsh and English singing with me on November 10, because the team deserve the best send-off we can give them!”

The singalong will include old favourites such as Aderyn Melyn (Yellow Bird) as well as two brand new Cwpan y Byd songs especially composed for the occasion by singer, songwriter and personality Caryl Parry Jones. To ensure that the Jambori is fun and accessible for everyone, all songs have English lyrics as well as phonetic versions for learners and non-Welsh speakers alike, with the aim of everyone singing eight Welsh songs on the day.

FAW Chief Executive, Noel Mooney said of the partnership: “What the Urdd do to engage and encourage young people through sports and culture is admirable and should be emulated right across the world. We are very proud to partner with them for Jambori Cwpan y Byd – Wales’s World Cup Singalong. And in addition to our work with Junior Grassroutes football and our FAW Youth Council, we very much hope to do more with the Urdd in future. We’re definitely Together Stronger.

“The Football Association of Wales and team Cymru is very thankful for the Urdd’s and Wales’s school children for their spectacular send off, diolch yn fawr!”

In addition to encouraging everyone to get practicing the songs for the Jambori, the Urdd are asking schools to allow everyone to wear red on November 10 in a bid to turn Wales red in support of the Wales going to the World Cup.

Registration for the Jambori includes being featured on a map of Wales, and registration, FAQs and all songs available to download are on the Jambori website www.urdd.cymru/en/Jambori