Dakota Beacon

It’s Sunday - and I can’t believe it!  I thought winter would never come to an end.  Well, I don’t want to run up on the ball too much, but I always begin to take hope when St. David’s Day - March 1, for the uninitiated - rolls around.  St. David’s Day, for those of you aren’t Welsh and/or didn’t see my post last St. David’s Day, is the national day of Wales.  (Maybe you Shakespeare fans remember Ffluellen in Henry V - “Eat the leek!”)  In addition to leeks, daffodils, harps, knights and castles, the Welsh are best known for singing.  

While we tend to think of the powerful Welsh male choirs - and they are magnificent - singing is a pervasive custom throughout Wales and it comes naturally to the people of that corner of the world.  I thought today it would be fun to remember some of Wales’ famous pop singers.  Many are names you all know.  A few might be a new treat (some of them were for me, anyway).  I’ll be brief here so you have time to listen to some great voices and songs from Wales!  Happy St. Day!  Eat the leek!  Smell the daffodils!  Hear the music.  

The Gentle Good:  The Fisherman

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+gentle+good&pc=cosp&ptag=G6C24N1234D090118A98C4AF66BD&conlogo=CT3210127&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dthe%2520gentle%2520good%26pc%3dcosp%26ptag%3dG6C24N1234D090118A98C4AF66BD%26form%3dCONBDF%26conlogo%3dCT3210127&view=detail&mmscn=vwrc&mid=7F642F48B096898678E17F642F48B096898678E1&FORM=WRVORC

Kate McGill: Look Down 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Kate+McGill+Replaced&&view=detail&mid=4ACC47A4CA23EC45B1FE4ACC47A4CA23EC45B1FE&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DKate%2BMcGill%2BReplaced%26FORM%3DVDMHRS

Elin Fflur - Seren Wen

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=elin+fflur&docid=608011045967693884&mid=4EB73223551F70C152BB4EB73223551F70C152BB&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Judith Owen - In the Summertime

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=judith+owen&docid=608027663121449140&mid=43A2111EE67FF7B4FEF643A2111EE67FF7B4FEF6&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Michael Ball and Sophie Evans: The Prayer

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+-+sophie+evans+-+the+prayer&docid=608032241590993702&mid=2B1F4CC977BBB1D91ADC2B1F4CC977BBB1D91ADC&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Grant Nicholas:  Soul Mates

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=grant+nicholas&docid=608040337672831557&mid=0B15D4833049E5DF03B70B15D4833049E5DF03B7&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Tom Jones:  I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (1967) (A classic.)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tom+jones+i%27ll+never+fall+in+love+again&view=detail&mid=9854BED6E81904E6357F9854BED6E81904E6357F&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dtom%2bjones%2bi%2527ll%2bnever%2bfall%2bin%2blove%2bagain%26filters%3dufn%253a%2522tom%2bjones%2bill%2bnever%2bfall%2bin%2blove%2bagain%2522%2bsid%253a%252216e71e45-d254-e6c9-19ca-ac11764dbcda%2522%2bcatguid%253a%2522b6ae36ec-aa83-731c-4341-d4df38e65bc1_498707c2%2522%2bsegment%253a%2522generic.carousel%2522%2bpsid%253a%2522b6ae36ec-aa83-731c-4341-d4df38e65bc1%2522%2bsegtype%253a%2522U29uZw%253d%253d%2522%26FORM%3dENTGOB

Shirley Bassey:  And I Love You So

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TTorK7lY1Q

Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey:  We'll Keep a Welcome in the Hillside (traditional Welsh tune) (Who could resist this combo?)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tom+jones+and+shirley+bassey&docid=608054261847821462&mid=227FACC226B02CDB3D40227FACC226B02CDB3D40&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Mary Hopkin:  Those Were the Days (1968) (introduced by Tom Jones)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=mary+hopkin&docid=608042682694765974&mid=E33998DB8651A64BE935E33998DB8651A64BE935&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Dave Edmunds:  I Knew the Bride (2016)  (A little bit of rockabilly influence, do ya think?)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dave+edmunds&docid=608008825488542594&mid=56C2FE26A2ACC0E9D6EF56C2FE26A2ACC0E9D6EF&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Iwan Rheon: Feel It Coming (2017)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=iwan+rheon&docid=608026958741701927&mid=1B4616544AFD12D363F41B4616544AFD12D363F4&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

. . . and just because I’m a harp aficionada, I will add this - the great Welsh triple harpist, Robin Huw Bowen talking about his harp, his art in Welsh (don’t worry - there are subtitles but I love to hear the language of Wales) and playing for us - just a tip of the hat to the great art of Welsh harp playing!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjpjIzI3DCA

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