Content area
Abstract
The gymanfa ganu is a Welsh hymn-singing festival which occurs annually or semi-annually in Welsh population centers across the country. Of the two strong Welsh institutions, the eisteddfod and the gymanfa ganu, it alone remains strong in America. Not a competitive festival like the eisteddfod, the gymanfa ganu in America is a nondenominational religious service in which people of Welsh heritage gather to sing their beloved hymns.
The purpose of this study was to examine these contemporary local American gymanfaoedd ganu in detail, noting similarities and differences as they occur. The contemporary gymanfa ganu was compared with the early gymanfa ganu in Wales and America to determine if it is losing any of the characteristics that made it a uniquely Welsh institution. It was also compared with the contemporary gymanfa ganu in Wales in order to determine which local festivals are remaining most similar to the original as it evolves. Because of the National Gymanfa Ganu's possible influence on the local festivals, it too was discussed.
As very little has been written on the contemporary gymanfa ganu, a primary source of information for this study was the interview. Several veteran Welsh conductors who direct many of these festivals around the country each year were asked to compare local practices, and the Welsh-born were asked to assess differences between Wales and America as well. Other Welsh-Americans with extensive gymanfa ganu experience were also interviewed. The two Welsh-American newspapers, the Ninnau and Y Drych, were other important sources.
This study found that the gymanfa ganu is basically the same institution across the country but with some variations in practice. Practices which remain truest to the original gymanfaoedd ganu and closest to the gymanfa in Wales were noted. Some trends, such as an increase in "new" festivals held each year, a decrease in singing in Welsh, and a preference for Welsh solos, were detected. Causes for concern such as changing the focus of the gymanfa away from congregational singing in some localities were recorded. In the oldest annual local festivals, the institution remains true to its origins.
