Steffi Jên 🏴🏳️⚧Gwobr 3ydd i'r Côr Tŷ Tawe yn yr #Eisteddfod Cwm Tawe heno!
Editor“This could change your life”: Young Swansea singers urged to enter £3,000 voice contest
The Pendine International Voice of the Future competition — a major highlight of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod — is now open for entries, with organisers calling on talented Welsh performers to put themselves forward before the March 12 deadline.
The contest, launched in 2013 to help launch the careers of rising classical stars, has been given a major boost after sponsors Pendine Park pledged five more years of support. The winner will walk away with the Pendine Trophy, a solid silver salver, and a £3,000 prize, while the runner‑up receives £1,000.
Eisteddfod Artistic Director Dave Danford said the competition has already transformed the careers of past winners, describing it as “a launch pad to a successful professional career in opera or classical music”. He said the stories of previous champions — including Singaporean soprano Shimona Rose and South Walian Eirlys Myfanwy Davies — show “what a difference entering can make to fledgling careers”.
Both singers will return to the festival this summer as soloists in the long‑awaited Uniting Nations: One World concert, composed and conducted by Sir Karl Jenkins and featuring a massed choir of more than 100 voices alongside the Llangollen International Orchestra.
Danford said the £3,000 top prize can be life‑changing for young performers trying to fund music college, postgraduate training or early‑career development. He added that the competition’s global reputation attracts entrants from across Europe, Asia and the Americas, but stressed that Welsh singers are strongly encouraged to apply.
Pendine Park founder Mario Kreft, whose organisation supports the contest through the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, said backing young musicians fits perfectly with the care group’s ethos as it marks its 40th anniversary. He said music “provides the golden thread” through their work and plays an important role in enriching lives.
Entrants must be aged 18 or over and submit an audio or video recording with proof of age. They will perform contrasting programmes in the preliminary rounds and final, singing works from opera, oratorio, lieder or song in their original language. Around 25 singers will be invited to compete following the March 12 selection process, with the grand final taking place on Sunday, July 12.
This year’s Eisteddfod will also feature appearances by Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé and the Orchestral Qawwali Project.
Full entry details are available at eisteddfodcompetitions.co.uk, with the full festival programme at llangollen.net.
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Rhys@VWDasher Dwi'n falch mod i'n dilyn y hashnod #eisteddfod neu faswn i wedi colli'r stori yna. Sut mae lobïo i gael cystadleuaeth 'dawnsio coc oen' yn yr @eisteddfod?
FrankCommon People Dance Eisteddfod: how a ‘dickhead dancing’ competition snowballed into a juggernaut
This sounds bloody awesome!
AVOW WrexhamAVOW had a fantastic time at the #Eisteddfod #Wrecsam #2025. A great big thank you to everyone that made the week possible, and everyone that showed up to help. here's our write-up of our experiences, available on the link in both Welsh and English.
Gareth 🏴So after watching my dad in two different groups in the jazz festival, I get home to find my uncle’s choir came first in the national #Eisteddfod male voice choir competition. A good day for the whole family!
JanPVThe BBC is a censor.
In the week of Wales' most important cultural event, the National Eisteddfod, the BBC has refused to screen colours, badges messages or mention of Gaza.
Yesterday, they completely refused to cover the second ever Welsh Islamic service, all about peace, peace and peace again.
The BBC is complicit not only in ignoring genocide but also English censorship of Welsh culture.
Independent outlets covered the message of peace, peacefully.
PodlediadHefydHyfryd i weld ein cyn-westai, Israel Lai o Hong Kong/Manceinion, yn ymweld â'r Steddfod:
https://youtu.be/JDu-KJQWWuQ?si=7mU4yeMxVGCjP7Gc
#eisteddfod #Eisteddfod2025 #Wrecsam #dysgucymraeg #cymraeg #S4C
Ydw i’n ddigon Cymreig i fod yn yr Eisteddfod? | Am I Welsh Enough? | Israel Lai | Steddfod 2025
LeiaLlais anthropologydd gorau…. “A dyma ni’n gallu gweld, yn y pellter, rhai o’r Cymry Cymraeg ifanc yn ystod eu ‘rite of passage’ mor eisteddfodol - Dringo i Dop Pabell Y Pentre Bwyd Cyn i’r Oedolion yn Dy Stopio Di…”. #eisteddfod #Cymraeg
Swansea’s Dewi Pws remembered in moving Eisteddfod tribute
The warm summer air at the Wrecsam Eisteddfod was filled with laughter, music and memory as Wales paid tribute to one of its most beloved cultural icons — Dewi ‘Pws’ Morris. A special concert titled Nwy yn y Nen, named after his award-winning 1971 song, brought together friends, fans and fellow performers to honour the late actor, musician and poet who passed away last August at the age of 76.
Born and raised in Treboeth, Swansea, Dewi Pws was a true son of the city. He attended Ysgol Gymraeg Lôn Las and Dynevor Grammar School before training as a teacher in Cardiff. But it was his irrepressible creativity and mischievous charm that led him to a life in the arts — a journey that would span over five decades and leave an indelible mark on Welsh culture2.
At the Eisteddfod tribute, many wore red neckerchiefs — a nod to Dewi’s signature look — as they sang along to classics like Lleucu Llwyd and Nwy yn y Nen. His wife, Rhiannon, shared that Dewi would have been “thrilled” by the celebration, joking that he’d have loved not being expected to perform — just to sit back and enjoy.
Dewi first rose to fame as the lead singer of Y Tebot Piws, and later helped form Edward H Dafis, Wales’s first supergroup. His musical contributions were matched by his acting career, with standout roles in Pobol y Cwm, Rownd a Rownd, and the iconic rugby comedy Grand Slam. He also held the title of Children’s Poet for Wales in 2010 and was inducted into the Gorsedd Cymru as an honorary druid.
The idea for the tribute concert came from fellow musician Cleif Harpwood, with Mei Gwynedd curating the performances. Singer Meinir Gwilym, who performed at the event, recalled Dewi’s humour and encouragement: “He gave us joy and confidence. It’s an incredible and emotional honour to be part of this.”
Though Dewi’s voice may no longer echo live across Welsh stages, his songs continue to play on the radio, stirring warm memories and laughter. As Rhiannon put it, “Knowing he hasn’t been forgotten brings comfort.”
From Swansea’s sandcastles to the national Maes, Dewi Pws built a legacy of joy, rebellion and creativity — one that will continue to inspire generations to come.
📸 Stream the tribute concert via S4C Clic
#concert #DewiPwsMorris #DewiPws #DynevorGrammarSchool #EdwardHDafis #Eisteddfod #GorseddCymru #LleucuLlwyd #NationalEisteddfod #NwyYnYNen #PobolYCwm #RowndARownd #S4C #Treboeth #tribute #WelshLanguage #YTebotPiws #YsgolGymraegLônLas
