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WELSH DANCE

EXPLORING WALES...

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Medios de comunicación social. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

In this lesson, we are going to work on typical music, dances, clothes and festivities from Wales.

CAN YOU LOCATE WALES ON THIS MAP? 

United Kingdom and Ireland location map.  Bmf 051. Wikimedia. CC0

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS COUNTRY?

Try to guess the following answers and then click on Feeback to check:

  • Is it part of the UK?
  • What colours is the flag?
  • What languages do they speak?
  • Who is their patron saint?
  • Have they got a queen or a king?

ST. DAVID'S DAY

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The feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, is on March 1, the date of Saint David's death.

Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, symbols of Wales and Saint David respectively, eating traditional Welsh food including cawl and Welsh rarebit, and people wearing traditional Welsh costumes.

Can you GUESS the names of the following items?

Here you are some clues:

  • Cawl is a Welsh soup with lamb or beef with leeks, potatoes, swedes, carrots and other vegetables.
  • Welsh rarebit is a sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients over slices toasted bread.

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Shhhhh! The Queen is coming!

Do you remember Queen Elizabeth II? She is here to celebrate St. David's Day with Welsh people.

Pay attention to the video and discuss the following questions with your group.

The Queen presents leeks to Royal Welsh. The Royal family channel. (Accessed on 24/06/2022).

  • What is she giving the guards? Why?
  • Who are the guards in red and black suit? Where can you see them if you visit England?
  • What's the name of their hat? Why?

WELSH MUSIC ORIGIN

Question

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Tablero tiza la cabeza. Athree23. Pixabay. CC0

Read the following text and choose the correct answer.

Wales has a history of folk music related to the Celtic music of countries such as Ireland and Scotland. 

Wales is known as the "Land of song" because singing is part of Welsh identity and tradition. They sing in school, at parties, in church choirs, choral singing... 

Some popular hymns are: Calon Lân, Cwm Rhonnda, Gwahoddiad. We are going to work on them later.

The National Eisteddfod is the largest festival of competitive poetry and music in Europe. 

Traditional instruments used in Welsh music include the whistle and flute, pipes and harp. The triple harp is considered the Wales's national instrument. Poetry or vocal improvisation over a harp melody is a traditional form of Welsh singing .

Welsh folk dancing includes several forms of dance: set dance (couple dancing), clog (or step) dance and Morris dance. 

Nantgarw tradition is a style of Morris dancing from the South and Valleys regions of Wales, that encompasses both handkerchief and stick dances. The dances call for eight dancers in four pairs.

What instrument is considered the Welsh national instrument?

Answers

Piano

Harp

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Question

The welsh harp is ...

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Triple

Double

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Question

Wales is known as the ...

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"Land of dance"

"Land of song"

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Question

Nantgarw tradition is a type of...

Answers

Clog dance

Morris dance

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Question

The National Eisteddfod is the largest festival of competitive poetry and music ...

Answers

In Europe. 

In the UK.

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TRADITIONAL COSTUMES AND DANCING STEPS

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Teamwork team. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

WHAT ARE TRADITIONAL IRISH COSTUMES LIKE?

Discover it in the following video and then complete the text below. If you need help, you can have a look at the DICTIONARY.

Gwisg Gymreig - Welsh Costume. Dawnswyr Pen-y-Fai. Youtube (Accessed on 24/06/2022)

WARM - PATTERNS - SHIRT - HAT - SOUTHWEST - FLANNEL - BROOCH - BONNET - APRON - RIBBBONS - TROUSERS

The  main garment is called a bedgown. It goes back to the 19th century. The dress the lady is wearing is typical from the of Wales. There are dresses with different colours and and ones that are more modern than others. They are all made of Welsh . It is a natural fabric that gets but it never gets hot because it breathes. Women wear a vest, an , a sash, a skirt with colourful , a and a hat.

Men wear long white sleeve collaless  , a waistcoat  with a  and black .

The most typical item of a Welsh costume is the Welsh black .

ARE YOU READY TO DANCE?

Now, it's time to move! Click on the QR code or scan it with your tablet and go to the playground to practise the dancing steps. You can try five different dances!

Strictly folk dancing. Unknown. Resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk (Accessed on 24/06/2022)

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CALON LÂN

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Tablero aprender formación. Geralt. Pixabay. CC0

Do you remember this title? It is one of the popular hymns we talked about before. 

What language do you think is the song in? 

Listen to the song and let's see if you can match the welsh lyrics to its translation in English.

Calon Lan. Ceri Rees. Youtube (Accessed on 24/06/2022)

Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus, -
Aur y byd na'i berlau mân, - 
Gofyn wyf am galon hapus, - 
Calon onest, calon lân. - 

Cytgan / Chorus
Calon lân yn llawn daioni, - 
Tecach yw na'r lili dlos, - 
Dim ond calon lân all ganu -
Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos. -

Pe dymunwn olud bydol, - 
Hedyn buan ganddo sydd, -
Golud calon lân, rinweddol, - 
Yn dwyn bythol elw fydd. -

CYTGAN / CHORUS

Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad, - 
Gwyd i'r nef ar edyn cân, - 
Ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad, - 
Roddi i mi galon lân. -

CYTGAN / CHORUS

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