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A Cymanfa Ganu[a] (Welsh pronunciation: [kəˈmanva ˈɡanɨ], 'singing festival') is a Welsh festival of sacred hymns, sung with four-part harmony by a congregation, usually under the direction of a choral director.
The Cymanfa Ganu movement was launched in 1859 at Bethania Chapel in Aberdare, where it was pioneered by the Reverend Evan Lewis.[1]
In Wales, cymanfaoedd canu are held each year in many villages and towns throughout the country. Some have more than one Cymanfa Ganu a year, as often many separate chapels hold their own. Some large annual events occur in some chapels and take place at festivals such as the National Eisteddfod and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Some are occasionally held in theatres and concert halls. Cymanfaoedd Canu are held across the world – wherever members of the Welsh diaspora live, significantly in Y Wladfa (Chubut Province, Argentina), e.g. Trelew and Gaiman, where there were significant Welsh settlements from the mid-19th century. In some of these areas Patagonian Welsh is still in daily use, together with Argentine Spanish. Outside of Wales, in the UK there are Cymanfaoedd Canu in London, parts of the West Midlands and other areas where there are still evangelical chapels using the medium of Welsh.
The preservation of the Cymanfa Ganu as a unique feature of Welsh culture is being supported by a number of Welsh cultural associations, such as the New Zealand National Gymanfa Ganu Association and the Welsh North American Association (North America).
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- ^ Gareth Williams (1998). Valleys of Song: Music and Society in Wales 1840–1914. University of Wales Press. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-0-7083-1480-7.
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