Watch: North Wales choir perform ‘spine-tingling’ rendition of Welsh National Anthem in Malta

Stephen Price

A Welsh choir performed a ‘spine-tingling’ version of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the Welsh national anthem, at a special concert in Malta on Friday evening which moved audience members to tears.

Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir are currently on tour in Malta, and on the evening of Friday 31 October, they performed at Mellieha’s striking Parish Church.

Daniel Debono, a Maltese national now living in Wales, happened to be staying nearby during a short break visiting relatives, and was encouraged by a cousin to attend the performance, which he said left the audience “spellbound”.

The Fron Choir, as they are affectionately known, found global fame and was dubbed “the oldest boyband in the world” after being spotted by pop music manager Daniel Glatman when he heard them perform at a wedding in Trevor Hall in 2006 – a chance meeting that led to the choir later signing a five album deal with Universal Music.

Earlier this year the choir released a single to coincide with the launch of Wrexham AFC’s third kit for the 2025/2026 season.

In October of this year, thirty six members of the Choir travelled to Pavarotti’s home city of Modena to sing alongside the famed opera singer’s old choir, Chorus Rossini, to mark what would have been the opera legend’s 90th birthday.

Following the event, they set sail to Malta for a series of performances including Friday’s in Mellieha which Daniel captured on his phone after being inspired to record earlier tracks which, he said, made his hair stand on end.

“Spine-tingling”

Daniel, who now lives in Monmouthshire, told Nation Cymru: “I’ve been witness to countless renditions of the Welsh national anthem over the years, but nothing prepared me for this spine-tingling performance.

“The power in the choir’s combined voices was like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and I wasn’t the only one who had a lump in my throat from the first line until the last.”

Daniel added: “I might be Maltese by birth, but this proved yet again that Wales has the most moving, soul-stirring national anthem of any other on the planet.

“What a privilege to have witnessed this wonderful performance – and to have joined many of the choir members later on for the Wrexham game. A night I will never forget.”

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is, quite surprisingly, considered the unofficial national anthem of Wales since it has no official status as such.

The title, taken from the first words of the song, means “The Old Land of My Fathers” in Welsh, usually rendered in English as simply “Land of My Fathers”.

The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents of Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in January 1856.

The earliest written copy survives and is part of the collections of the National Library of Wales

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,
Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed.

Chorus:
Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad,
Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i’r heniaith barhau.

Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd;
Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i’m golwg sydd hardd
Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si
Ei nentydd, afonydd, i fi.

Chorus

Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad dan ei droed,
Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed,
Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad,
Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad.

Chorus​

Find out more about Fron Choir and buy their latest recordings here