Traditional music
The harp is the national instrument of Wales. The "triple harp" is played with three rows of strings. A deep-rooted passion for the instrument: the oldest harp scores ever found are Welsh. These are the five-century-old manuscripts of Robert Ap Huw. A precious document, as it lists some medieval pieces by Celtic bards. The country also boasts a number of prodigies of the instrument, including Catrin Finch, the "Queen of the Harp", famous for having been royal harpist to King Charles III in the early 2000s. Other Welsh harp stars include Rachel Ann Morgan and Robin Huw Bowen. Naturally, the harp is omnipresent in the country's traditional music. Known as "penillion" (or "Cerdd Dant"), this sung poetry is accompanied by the national instrument, with singer and harpist following and superimposing different melodies. Gwenan Gibard is one of the leading exponents of this tradition. Often improvised, penillion is regularly the subject of competitions during traditional festivals, the famous eisteddfodau. A not-to-be-missed event for the Welsh (and visitors to the country), these Eisteddfodau (Eisteddfod in the singular) embody the oldest Welsh tradition, dating back to the 12th century. These Welsh-language music, poetry, literature and drama competitions take place throughout the year, in almost every town and village in the country. The winners of the local Eisteddfodau then go on to compete at national level, at the ever-popular National Eisteddfod of Wales(Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru in Welsh), Europe's biggest poetry festival. Each year, a different Welsh town, alternately in the south of the country and then in the north, hosts this major cultural event, unique in Europe. The other major Eisteddfod is the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, held every first week of July in Llangollen.
During the Eisteddfod, you'll also have the opportunity to see and hear male choirs, the other great Welsh tradition. Almost every village has its own male choir, whose rehearsals are open to the public. The Welsh choirs that perform in pubs and theaters are highly respected social organizations. And every member takes the music very seriously! The results can be heard. Among the most popular, the Treorchy Male Voice Choir is undoubtedly the most prestigious ensemble. Also less traditional, but more pop, Only Men Aloud has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, modernizing Welsh choirs. A good way to get an overview of Welsh traditional music is to attend the Fishguard Folk Festival. For three days, concerts take place on Fishguard's old harbor and in its pubs, calling for lots of traditional dancing and singing.
Classical music
Given the country's operatic tradition - and its famous male choruses - Wales is home to two great international operatic voices: Geraint Evans and Bryn Terfel. The former was a leading baritone in the 1960s and 1970s, while the latter, also a baritone, is today's opera star. He is renowned for his interpretations of Mozart roles and has performed on all the world's great stages. TheWelsh National Opera (WNO) has a very good reputation in the UK - as well as the rest of the world - which explains why it performs more often outside Welsh borders than on its own stage, housed in the imposing Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. Its productions, often imposing and bold, are generally acclaimed by the critics. The same goes for the orchestra conducted by the Czech Tomáš Hanus, who is regularly praised.
Surprisingly little-known, Guto Puw is a surprisingly prolific composer of classical and contemporary music, whose symphonic and operatic works are permeated by questions of Welsh identity. The other great Welsh classical composer is undoubtedly the pioneer Alun Hoddinott, author of an incredibly extensive body of work. Also worth mentioning is the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Ryan Bancroft since 2020, a local institution renowned for its interpretations that are less refined than frank and effective, to be seen at St. David's Hall (also a contemporary art gallery). Otherwise, throughout the summer, Wales is well endowed with classical music festivals. The Faenol Festival founded by Bryn Terfel is often well programmed, the Beaumaris Festival offers concerts, recitals and choirs for a whole week, and the St. David's Cathedral Festival programs ten days of classical music in the sumptuous setting of St. David's Cathedral (one of the oldest in the country).
Folk, pop and rock
A cousin of the American version, Welsh folk refers both to a singer accompanied by his guitar (and whose lyrics are often very committed, like the famous Dafydd Iwan, also a politician) and to a folk group such as Ar Log (also famous) that draws deeply on the country's Celtic roots. A genre with a double face, adored in the country in both senses, whose style has been constantly refreshed generation after generation in the hands of artists such as Fernhill, Carreg Lafar (who modernize the tradition), Rag Foundation (very American folk), Bob Delyn A'r Ebillion (raw folk-rock sometimes also sung in Breton) or Gwerinos (folk in every sense of the word). Lleuwen Steffan is one of the names to remember from the latest generation.
Funnily enough, many very popular artists are Welsh without the public really knowing it. On the pop side, Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler and Shirley Bassey are all Welsh. The same goes for rock, with John Cale and Stereophonics. There's no doubt that proximity to neighboring England has an influence, but Wales is a very fertile ground for rock bands. And has been since the very beginnings of the genre. Long overlooked, the Welsh rock scene of the 1970s is full of nuggets that are now accessible thanks to Welsh Rare Beat, a superb compilation by Gruff Rhys, leader of the rock band Super Furry Animals. Super Furry Animals is more than just a Welsh band, it's THE Welsh band to know. Author of one of the few Welsh-language albums to have triumphed in UK sales, Super Furry Animals is also the emblem of an important moment in Welsh pop culture, "Cool Cymru". A local response to the English Britpop movement that conquered the world, this 1990s movement put Wales at the forefront of the global rock scene with bands like Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers.
Today, local pop and rock are still going strong, with internationally acclaimed artists such as Cate Le Bon and Marina & The Diamonds. To see them live on stage, an excellent address is Tramshed, a former streetcar depot converted into a space dedicated to the arts and music. For the biggest concerts, it's often necessary to go to the enormous Cardiff International Arena (over 7,000 seats) or the Wales Millennium Centre. Otherwise, come summer, the Inside Out festival is very popular for its international program and its large open-air grounds. And in September, jazz fans will find plenty to enjoy at the Abersoch Jazz Weekend.
The dance
Banned by religious authorities in the 18th and 19th centuries as sinful, traditional Welsh dances almost disappeared. Written down by some cautious people, a few of them have survived and are still regularly danced (especially during eisteddfodau competitions). Among them, the most unusual to see are undoubtedly Y Gaseg Eira, a scarf dance with lots of hand undulations, Hela'r Sgwarnog, which is danced to bagpipes, Ty Coch Caerdydd and Y Derwydd, stick dances, and Nos Galan, a processional dance that sails from one place to another, generally practiced during the festive season. There's alsothe Welsh reel, performed by three dancers, usually one man and two women. You can see them at the Fishguard Folk Festival mentioned above, at the Conwy Feast, a fine concentration of Welsh culture (gastronomy, crafts, music, dances and legends read by storytellers...) and also at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, although the event is mainly devoted to music.
Built to become one of Europe's biggest stages, Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre is a mecca for Welsh artistic life. Since its opening in November 2004, the National Dance Company has held rehearsals here and presented excellent contemporary dance performances on its stage. In 2015, with the appointment of choreographer Caroline Finn as Artistic Director, the company took on a new dimension with bold proposals such as Folk, a contemporary retelling of Welsh traditions, and a revival of Parade, Diaghilev's famous (and scandalous) ballet that has been eternally modern since its creation in 1917. Since 2021, Matthew Robinson has brilliantly taken over from Caroline Finn.
