Shirley Bassey - Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Fathers) (1976 Show #4)

1976 (Shirley Bassey performs the beautiful Welsh Anthem titled, 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' on location at Harlech Castle in Wales. Shirley is accompanied by the Wales Brython Male Voice Choir. Although the majority of the people of Wales speak only English, this Welsh National Anthem has never been Re-Written with English lyrics. No need....why fool around with perfection. Although the audio quality was not the best back in 1976, Shirley's beautiful, yet powerful vocals deliver the inspiration this song is intended to deliver.)

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Welsh pronunciation: [heːn wlɑːd və ˈn̥adai]) is the national anthem of Wales. The title -- taken from the first words of the song -- means "Old Land of My Fathers", 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. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the Welsh National Anthem. It has been established by tradition over a hundred years; and although in common with other British anthems, it has not been established as such by law, it has been used in the context of a national anthem at official governmental ceremonies including the opening of the Welsh Assembly and at receptions of the British monarchy. It is recognised and used as an anthem at both national and local events in Wales. Usually this will be the only anthem sung, such as at national sporting events, and it will be sung only in Welsh using the first stanza and refrain. On most official occasions, especially those with royal connections, it is used in conjunction with the national anthem of the United Kingdom, God Save the Queen. Before the main terrestrial channels began 24-hour broadcasting in 1997, BBC Wales played the Chorus of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at the closedown, followed by the first three lines of God Save the Queen. Whereas HTV Wales played the full version of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and then God Save the Queen.

The existence of a separate national anthem for Wales has not always been apparent to those from outside the country. In 1993 the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Wales John Redwood was embarrassingly videotaped opening and closing his mouth during a communal singing of the national anthem, clearly ignorant of the words but unable to mime convincingly; the pictures were frequently cited as evidence of his unsuitability for the post. According to John Major's autobiography, the first thing Redwood's successor William Hague said, on being appointed, was that he had better find someone to teach him the words. He found Ffion Jenkins, and later married her.

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

(Chorus)
Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad. Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau, O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.

(Repeat Chorus)

Portion of song not sung by Shirley:
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 mi.

(Chorus)

(Trydydd Pennill - Third stanza)

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