Young tenor wins chance to perform at North American Festival of Wales
A young tenor has won the chance to perform at North American Festival of Wales.
On the final day of Eisteddfod T 2021, Urdd Gobaith Cymru has announced that the winner of this year’s Solo for singers between 19 and 25 years-old, is tenor Dafydd Wyn Jones from Llanrhaeadr in Denbighshire.
As a result of his success on the stage, he will be invited to perform as a special guest at the 2021 North American Festival of Wales, held in Utica, New York in September.
The North American Festival of Wales was established the same year as the inaugural Urdd National Eisteddfod in 1929.
That year, 4,000 people travelled to Niagara Falls for the National Gymanfa Ganu for the Welsh people of America.
Now, the festival is held every September at a different venue, either in the United States or in Canada. The four-day festival is a celebration of Welsh life, heritage, and culture.
‘Donation’
This opportunity has been made possible by a donation to the Urdd by the late Dr John M. Thomas, a Welshman who lived in Florida, USA for many years, who had fond memories of the Eisteddfodau of his childhood.
The Urdd has expressed its gratitude Dr Thomas and his family for the donation which enables Dafydd Jones and future winning soloists at the Urdd Eisteddfod to benefit from this unique experience.
Mali Thomas, the Urdd’s Director of Communications and International Relations said: “Offering our young people new opportunities and international experiences is a priority, and opportunities to perform at the North American Festival of Wales is a perfect example of the kind of unique opportunities that can arise from being a member of the Urdd, thanks to the kindness and generosity of Dr Thomas and his family.”
As the Urdd approaches its centenary in 2022, the organisation has ambitious plans to raise Wales’s profile and to celebrate our country’s cultural richness, as well as sharing best practice with international links through the success of increasing the use, confidence, and enjoyment of a minority language.
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Pob Lwc Dafydd Wyn Jones