Wales’ most famous choir has just released a very special version of a song that has gripped the nation as we head into our first football World Cup in more than 60 years.
The Welsh National Opera (WNO) is paying tribute to the Welsh squad out in Qatar and to Wales itself as ‘the land of song’ by unveiling an alternate version of Dafydd Iwan’s Yma o Hyd. Get our brilliant 48-page Wales at the World Cup souvenir guide to the tournament.
The song has been given a whole new lease of life in recent months after Iwan sang it on the pitch at Cardiff City Stadium before Wales’ crucial World Cup play-off games against Austria and Ukraine earlier this year. Since then, it has grown and grown in popularity and been selected as the official anthem for Wales’ appearance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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Now, three days before Wales’ first World Cup match since 1958, the WNO's Chorus ensemble - which was founded in 1943 by a miner’s son from the Valleys - has been joined by baritone Dafydd Allen to sing its own rendition, which has been created to showcase Wales and offer support to Rob Page and his squad before they take to the field on Monday evening.
Aidan Lang, the opera’s general director, said: “Welsh National Opera are delighted to have created this piece to celebrate the singing heritage of Wales and to bring together all the communities across Wales as part of Gŵyl Cymru World Cup 2022 as the tournament begins.”
Listen to the choir's breathtaking rendition here:
Yma O Hyd was written by Dafydd Iwan in 1983. The title translates to mean ‘Still Here’ and it was originally released at a time of political and economical turmoil in Wales, where the age of Thatcherism saw many coal pits closing, thousands of men and women losing their jobs and times of great hardship for many.
“The song is essentially about survival,” said Iwan. “Wales is still here and the Welsh language is very much alive. It’s also about celebrating being a small nation. The Welsh football team has contributed a lot to those aspects as well. We have a good team there - and I’m not just talking about Bale or Ramsey, but the other young lads too. There’s passion and pride there, they know what and for who they are playing for. “
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