What a magnificent showcase of British music we enjoyed over the Coronation weekend. Choirs, orchestras and soloists shone during the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, with bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel and harpist Alis Huws flying the flag for Wales. It was a glorious and momentous occasion, marking a new era for the monarchy with a joyous expression of our history, culture, traditions and extraordinary national pride. Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla. After the pomp, ceremony and spectacle of the Coronation itself, festivities continued on Sunday with street parties and Big Lunch events. I joined families at Bridges Centre in Monmouth for a celebration in the sunshine, where a fabulous tree sculpture was unveiled and the town’s brass band gave some rousing tunes outside on the lawn.
I am full of admiration for anyone who can write and perform music. Even more so when a beautiful hymn has been produced by a virtual choir with everyone singing in perfect harmony. This is exactly what Ceri Jones from Chepstow has done. Ceri wrote a new setting of the prayer “O God, the Crown of the faithful” from the Coronation service for a small, global virtual choir which she runs with her good friend Lena Izzat from Llanelli. Ceri was musical director of Chepstow Amateur Operatic Society for almost 10 years and began her virtual choir journey in lockdown when she joined Gareth Malone’s Great British Home Chorus. Last August she stood down from her role as musical director of the Welsh regional group to set up Canu Yn Ein Calon - Singing In Our Hearts. Ceri tells me getting people to sing in harmony in a virtual choir is not as difficult as you think thanks to the wonders of Facebook! You can listen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFjCnzP6I3w
I was pleased to take part in the Welsh language equivalent of BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions – Hawl i Holi for BBC Radio Cymru - last Thursday. It was a special Monmouthshire edition from the Priory Centre in Abergavenny where, amongst other things, I said I wasn’t keen on changing the name of the Brecon Beacons to Bannau Brycheiniog. I believe we can do much more for the Welsh language by supporting programmes such as Hawl i Holi than embarking on expensive name changes. I am a Welsh speaker myself but as a bilingual country, I fail to understand why the Welsh name cannot be used alongside the English name. The programme is available on BBC Sounds at www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lkd1
*Published in the Monmouthshire Beacon on 10 May 2023. There was no politics page in this week's Abergavenny Chronicle due to extended coverage of the Coronation*