USA Tour Success
“What a terrific tour! Dunvant were originally due to sing at NAFOW in 2020 but the Covid lockdown prevented this. For 2024, we were delighted to be invited by NAFOW organisers once again.
Dunvant officers worked tirelessly to plan the tour, welcoming choristers from Aberhonddu and District Choir to join us in taking the Welsh male voice choir musical heritage to share with our North American Welsh cousins.”
Outside the White House
Dunvant Male Choir joined with choristers from Aberhonddu and District Choir to perform at the North American Festival of Wales (NAFOW) held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From Thursday, August 29 until Monday, September 2, The Festival hosted 500+ people of Welsh descent from across the USA and Canada.
Washington
The tour started in Washington DC, beginning with a guided tour where the choir sang at the White House. The impromptu rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau took place on the sidewalk outside the railings – President Joe Biden was away! The tour guide declared himself so moved by the singing that he now shares a video of the performance with his tours.
The prestigious Washington DC University Club hosted the first concert of the tour on Tuesday 27 August with the $75 a seat audience giving rapturous applause. This was followed on the next night by singing and a meal at The Dubliner, an Irish restaurant bar whose manager Danny is the cousin of Swansea City FC Chairman, Andy Coleman. A Swansea City flag was presented and was proudly displayed.
Pittsburgh
Transferring to Pittsburgh, some choristers and family attended the opening concert of the Festival which included Mal Pope, Mared Williams (Welsh of the West End), and 2024 Urdd Eisteddfod winners. Some missed this due to having to switch one of the two coaches for the transfer from DC, the original coach’s heating stuck ‘on’ in 90F heat! The Slow Cooker Coach caused a 3-hour delay.
Gala Concert
The Gala Concert on Saturday 31 August drew a crowd of 500 Festival attendees, the choir performing with support from the Urdd rising stars. The selection of Welsh Hymns included Gwahoddiad, Llanfair, Llef and the moving Tangnefeddwyr, plus Eli Jenkins Prayer, with Speed Your Journey dedicated to the Slow Cooker coach choristers! The audience were thrilled by the quality of singing and called for an encore, with the choir’s rendition of O Gymru earning a standing ovation.
NAFOW Gymanfa Ganu
Sunday’s NAFOW Gymanfa Ganu was held in the beautiful First Lutheran Church, the choirs and congregation joined by the NAFOW choir, Cor Cymry Gogledd America. The rousing singing of hymns in Welsh and English was ably and enthusiastically led by Dunvant’s Musical Director, Jonathan Rogers.
Having enjoyed singing, touring and building friendships between the choirs, the Dunvant and Aberhonddu choristers returned wearily to the UK. But the 2020 villain Covid then had a say with ten tourists subsequently succumbing to infection