New project reimagines the folk songs of Gower and Swansea

A pair of acclaimed Welsh musicians are set to breathe new life into the traditional folk songs of Swansea and the Gower with a bilingual performance that bridges past and present.

Fiddle player and songwriter Angharad Jenkins and celebrated jazz pianist and composer Huw Warren will premiere their new collaboration — Reimagining the Folk Songs of Gower and Swansea — at All Saints’ Church, Mumbles, on Thursday 6 November.

The performance, commissioned by Menter Iaith Abertawe and supported by Tŷ Cerdd, will also be recorded for posterity.

The project combines musical research, community engagement and creative composition to explore the area’s folk heritage.

Forgotten songs

Drawing inspiration from both the Welsh and English-language traditions, Jenkins and Warren have unearthed forgotten songs from archives, as well as written new material inspired by the landscape and stories of their native Gower.

“This project has given us a chance to look at some of Swansea’s rich and varied cultural past, and to present a small amount of these stories through music,” said Jenkins. “When you think about Gower folk music, one name comes to mind — Phil Tanner of Llangennith, one of Britain’s greatest field singers.

While we’ll perform some of his songs, we also wanted to highlight lesser-known material about Swansea itself — songs about the horse races, shipwrecks at Pwlldu, and dance tunes from the area.”

The performance will blend traditional folk melodies with jazz improvisation, creating what the duo describe as a “vibrant, genre-defying soundscape” that reflects the area’s bilingual identity.

Equal status

Tomos Jones from Menter Iaith Abertawe, said: “This project is particularly important for us as many of the existing archives focus on English-language songs. By presenting Welsh and English-language material side by side, the project gives equal status to both traditions and celebrates the unique bilingual heritage of Swansea and Gower.”

Jenkins, best known for her work with award-winning folk band Calan, was recently nominated for the 2024 Welsh Music Prize for her solo album Motherland. Warren, a BBC Jazz Award winner and internationally renowned composer, is currently Head of Jazz Ensembles at Cardiff University.

The pair have previously collaborated on the acclaimed album Calennig, a reimagining of traditional Welsh Christmas carols, and have performed together at the National Eisteddfod, BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, and Bath Jazz Weekend.

Tickets for the Mumbles debut are £10 in advance. Enquiries: [email protected]