SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 2009

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A recital by

Aled Wyn Davies

multi-award-winning Welsh Tenor

with ALAN THOMAS, Piano & Organ.

A packed audience gave a rapturous reception to Aled’s magnificent renditions of traditional and modern Welsh, operatic, sacred and show songs, interspersed with Alan’s organ solos.  All who had the pleasure of attending the recital and meeting Aled during his all-too short visit to Ottawa were delighted by his natural charm and wit.  Following the event, Aled and his wife Karina left with Alan  for a recital in Toronto on Tuesday Oct 6.

Thanks to Alan for arranging this unique event for the Society and Ottawa music-lovers.

See more of Aled’s accomplishments on his website:  http://www.aledwyndavies.com/

Aled in recital

Aled and Alan

PUBLIC LECTURE

Lord Roberts of Llandudno:

“WALES AT LARGE- AN EXAMINATION OF WALES’ INFLUENCE OVERSEAS”

7:30 pm Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA

ARTS BUILDING, ROOM 509

70 LAURIER AVE  E

The Ottawa Welsh Society and the University of Ottawa Chair of Celtic Studies was pleased to welcome Lord Roberts of Llandudno on October 21st.  As Rev. Roger Roberts, he was interim minister at Dewi Sant Welsh Church in Toronto prior to the arrival of Rev. Deian Evans, and was subseqquently appointed to the House of Lords in 2004.   In Ottawa for official meetings with counterparts from other Parliaments, Lord Roberts gave a stimulating and charming public lecture, before an audience of Welsh Society members and friends, and students of Celtic Studies at the University.

OTTAWA WELSH SOCIETY CAROL SERVICE

Sunday, December 13th, 2009, 7 p.m.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 470 Roosevelt Ave.

This traditional service of nine lessons and nine carols is a high point in the Christmas celebrations for many members of the Welsh community in Ottawa. It is a wonderful time to meet  old and new friends and to exchange Christmas greetings with them.

Despite inclement weather, over a hundred brave souls attended the service on December 13th. We were delighted to welcome Rev Neil Wallace, minister at City View United Church, to officiate at the service. Alan Thomas played the organ with his usual skill and infectious enthusiasm. We enjoyed a beautiful rendition of  O! Sanctaidd Nos by John Griffiths and the Ottawa Welsh Choral Society sang the lovely anthem, Christmas Bells. Members of the Society read lessons in English, Welsh and French.

I’m told that Myfanwy Davies’ Welsh cakes were a very popular item at the reception held after the service! Many thanks to everyone else who brought goodies to share.

FAGGOTS & PEAS AND NOSON LAWEN

By John Price

The Society recorded another very successful Noson Lawen on 14 November, 2009. Over a hundred Society members and their friends sat down to a splendid meal of faggots, sausages or vegetarian products and mushy peas with mashed potatoes and gravy (doesn't it just bring back the aromas of your mother's kitchen?), followed by fresh apple pie and ice cream and accompanied by a beverage. The meal was followed by entertainment consisting of various forms of music ably performed by very young members,young members and less young members and, for the first time in the history of the OWS, a visit from the Mari Lwyd.

An event of this scope and nature could not take place without the contributions of a whole host of people. Special thanks are owed to John Griffiths for the faggots and sausages, and to all those who made and prepared the food and served it, to those who set up the hall and those who laid the tables, to those who dismantled the tables, chairs and stage in the hall and those who washed up after the meal, to those who performed and accompanied and those who made it all worth while by coming out and enjoying the meal and applauding the performers.

WWW. OTTAWAWELSHSOCIETY.COM PHOTO COMPETITION

Jenny Pinder is the winner of the competition to identify where the five scenic photos contained on the various pages of the web site were taken. She will receive a CD of Shannon Mercer’s recent release.

The photos are of Aberystwyth, Llyn y Gadair on Cadair Idris, Tal y Llyn, Castell Dolwyddelen and  Yspyty Ifan(Conwy valley)

John G’s faggots !

John G’s sausages !

Audience listens to choir

Visit from the Mari Lwyd

St David’s Day/Gwyl Dewi Sant activities

The Ottawa Welsh community celebrated St David’s Day/Gwyl Dewi Sant in style with a number of wonderful events.  The luncheon banquet, held on Saturday, February 27th, was acclaimed by all who attended as highly successful (see photographs below).  It was held in the gracious Royal Ottawa Golf Club, where a delicious meal was served of traditional leak and potato soup, roast lamb and a most artistically served dessert of mixed sorbets and meringue.  Our Master of Ceremonies, Myfanwy Davies, kept us entertained throughout the meal with greetings from various Welsh groups around the world, and in between, we all worked hard at answering a quiz on Wales, prepared by Myfanwy…. now, who is the Welsh author who writes stories about horse racing……?

Our guest speaker, Dr Elwyn Griffiths, who was accompanied by his lovely wife, Carys, regaled us with a very entertaining account of ‘y Cymro oddi cartref,’ the travels of a Welshman over his lifetime away from home.  We were then entertained by a lovely programme of songs sung by local soprano, Shawne Elizabeth, ably accompanied by our own Alan Thomas.  Shawne had taken the trouble to learn some songs in Welsh especially for this event and we all really appreciated her hard work.

Our annual Gymanfa Ganu was held on Sunday, February 28th at Westminster Presbyterian Church.  Alan Thomas led us through the hymns, encouraging us to sing our best.  The result was a very pleasing sound, especially when we sang a capella. Our accompanist on the organ, Deidre Piper, did a wonderful job of keeping up with Alan’s brisk tempo!  Our three soloist, John Griffiths, Shannon Mercer and Duncan Schuthe, delighted us with some beautiful songs and we are very grateful to them for taking part in  this event.  It was especially poignant for many of the long-standing members of the society when John and Shannon sang Bara Angylion Duw (Panis Angelicus) as a duet as we remember them doing this when Shannon was a young girl. We were very grateful to Reverend William Ball for officiating at the Gymanfa and for joining in the singing with gusto.

None of these events would have taken place without many hours of work and preparation by the committee - please accept our thanks.

The final event of this wonderful weekend of celebration was a reception on Monday, March 1st, at the British High Commission, co-hosted by Anthony Cary, British  High Commissioner, and the Wales North America Business Chamber.  It was attended by a wide range of people interested in Wales. Delicious cawl, Welsh cakes and bara brith, prepared by staff at the High Commission, was served.  It was a most enjoyable evening and the Ottawa Welsh Society is very grateful to the High Commission.

Shawne, Elwyn, Alan, Myfanwy

Shawne and Alan

Dessert !