GWYNETH GLYN – BIOGRAPHY

GWYNETH GLYN – BIOGRAPHY
Gwyneth Glyn is an unexpected singer-songwriter. Her love of words from a tender
age lead her unsurprisingly to become a poet and author of books, plays and
television scripts (she was Wales’ Poet Laureate for Children 2006-2007). The great
surprise for Gwyneth was that she also had songs to share with the world, and that
the world was eager to hear her sing them.
Three albums and many musical collaborations later Gwyneth is recognized as one
of the artists at the forefront of the Welsh language music scene, as a gifted
songwriter and as an essential element of the recent acoustic and folk revival in
Wales.
In 1998 Gwyneth won the Crown at the National Urdd Eisteddfod in Penyberth.
Receiving such an honour at the age of eighteen gave the budding writer
tremendous encouragement, spurning her on to spend her gap year writing
childrens’ books and storylining S4C’s popular TV series ‘Rownd a Rownd.’
She went on to read Philosophy and Theology at Jesus College, Oxford. Needing an
escape from her studies Gwyneth joined the drama society O.U.D.S and performed
extensively in theatre productions there. Later she was selected to be a part of the
Oxford Revue. Gwyneth was befriended by a band of wayward country-folk
undergraduates called Coca Rosa, who introduced her to the music of Joni Mitchell
and The Grateful Dead. Gwyneth was invited to join the group’s side-project The
Dirty Cousins, and such was the thrill of singing live she had a musical awakening
then and there.
Returning to her homeland, Gwyneth rediscovered her own folk heritage and was
inspired to put her study of aesthetics and finger-picking to use. On a tour with
several other Welsh poets, Gwyneth and Fflur Dafydd, in addition to reading their
poems, were invited to contribute a ‘musical interlude’ to the evening. The audience
response to her songs was so warm she was forced to continue composing.
Shortly after that she happened to be living on the same street as the notorious
music producer Dyl Mei in Caernarfon. One day Gwyneth stuffed an envelope
through his letterbox. In that envelope was a cassette with a handful of recordings
Gwyneth had made on an old audio machine she found at the Pet Rescue charity
shop on Stryd y Llyn. On the strength of what he heard on that tape Dyl Mei invited
Gwyneth to Blaen y Cae Studio in Garndolbenmaen, where she recorded her first
album, ‘Wyneb dros dro‘ in 2005, accompanied by the musicians Alun Tanlan and
Euron Jôs. The album, which included what were to become the favourites ‘Adra’
and ‘Angeline‘ was warmly received. Following its success and substantial sales, in
2006 Gwyneth won the award for Best Female Artist in BBC Radio Cymru’s Rock
and Pop awards (in which she was also nominated for Best Composer and Best C2
Session.) Gwyneth performed with the band Genod Droog at the awards ceremony,
and the song ‘Breuddwyd Oer‘ grew to become the Welsh national chill-out anthem!
Subsequently Gwyneth was invited to write a song for one of her greatest musical
icons, the legendary singer Heather Jones. ‘Heddi’n ddoe’ was released on
Heather’s 2006 album ‘Enaid.’ Heather returned the favour by joining Gwyneth in
Bryn Derwen Studio, Bethesda, where she recorded her second album ‘Tonau’
which was released in 2007. The drummer Pete Alan Richardson joined Alun Tanlan
and Euron Jôs to create a fuller sound which was a progression from the acoustic
feel of the first album. This time Gwyneth chose to work with the renowned producer
David Wrench. ‘Tonau’ was well received by the public and press, who agreed that
she had matured into a skillful songwriter.
Following the death of the multi-talented broadcaster Ray Gravell in the autumn of
2007 his family invited Gwyneth to sing one of his favorite songs, ‘Adra’ in the
service which was held in Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli. Her performance has remained in
the hearts and minds of the nation as a poignant tribute to a man who loved his
home and family so passionately.
In 2008 the band Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog invited Gwyneth to join them to sing a
new version of the old Welsh folk song ‘Paid â deud’. The country-tinged
heartbreaking duet was recorded in Tŷ Newydd pub, Sarn Mellteyrn, and was
released on the Sbrigyn Ymborth label. This lead to a series of memorable gigs with
the Cowbois, which reached a climax on the main stage of Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau.
Gwyneth returned to Bryn Derwen Studio, this time to sing on a track called ‘Bwthyn’
which came to be one of the most memorable hits of the legendary band Derwyddon
Dr. Gonzo.
In 2009 Gwyneth was invited to perform her poetry and music at the Smithsonian
Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. There she performed with the folk singersongwriter Gareth Bonello on the famous Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Centre.
While in the company and under the influence of some of Wales’ best folk musicians
- artists such as Ceri Rhys Matthews and Linda Griffiths, Gwyneth was inspired to
return to her folk roots, which is reflected in her third album, ‘Cainc’, released in
2011. Gwyneth returned to work with the producer David Wrench to record a
collection of songs which were more raw and traditional in tone. The super-talented
Cass Meurig contributed the fiddle and crŵth (an ancient traditional Welsh
instrument) and the chaired poet and troubador Twm Morys contributed the lyrics to
the song ‘Eifionydd’ - a track which summed up the album’s theme of pulling
polarities between Gwyneth’s current home in the capital of Cardiff and her spiritual
childhood home in Eifionydd.
In 2011 Gwyneth had the pleasure of working with the harpist Catrin Finch at her
Acapela Studio on the project ‘Cwm Rhyd y Rhosyn’ which revived the famous
children’s songs of Dafydd Iwan and Edward Morris Jones (songs whch were an
integral part of Gwyneth’s own upbringing.) Gwyneth and Catrin arranged and
recorded new versions of these classic songs for a brand new animation for Cyw on
S4C. Following the success of the project the two collaborated again in 2012 on a
new arrangement of ‘Ganol Gaeaf Noethlwm’ (‘In the Bleak Midwinter’) for
Christmas. They hope to develop the work into a collection of Christmas songs in
future.
At present Gwyneth lives and works in Cardiff where she is an occasional member of
Pobol y Cwm’s story and scriptwriting team. She is also developing an opera libretto
with the composer Guto Puw for Music Theatre Wales; a new work inspired by
Gwenlyn Parry’s classic play ‘Y Tŵr.’
Recently with the support of Wales Arts International Gwyneth has been
collaborating with Tauseef Akhtar, a renowned singer from Mumbai, India. In
September this year the two got together in Tŷ Crwn, Saint Hilary, under the watchful
eye of the mastering producer Donal Wheelan, who introduced them both to one
another’s music. They spent a productive and magical week sharing stories and
songs round the welcoming fire of Tŷ Crwn. Over an incredibly short period of time
the Urdu poetry and Welsh hen benillion (old verses) began to merge together, and
brand new melodies rose up from the embers of the fire. Gwyneth returned to
Mumbai at the end of November to continue the collaboration. Georgia Ruth Williams
and gifted musicians from India joined her and Tauseef to perform some of the work
in the Desert Festival, Delhi and Exchange festival, Chennai.