Yma o Hyd : We’re still here

We welcome this review of traditional music support in Wales. For every Dafydd Iwan there are hundreds of fiddlers, harp players, dancers and singers meeting in kitchens, cafes and bars to sing, dance and play. Folk music is, by definition, handed down from one generation to the next. If one link is taken from the chain, the chain breaks, and the music stops. So if our schools won’t teach it, or those growing up in the most deprived communities are unable to afford or access fiddles or music lessons, then it will become a bit of a hobby for the well off. So the need for support is urgent.

Although the £300,000 investment announced is a positive step, it’s not at all clear that it represents trebling their investment in traditional music. Using ACW data that should be in the region of £450,000 a year. We would be extremely supportive were Wales to adopt Creative Scotland’s model, which would result in £2.5 million per annum investment in this art form which is able to promote and protect culture, heritage, and the Welsh language.

Traditional music is a living, breathing part of our culture. That is what makes it special. A folk singer can be singing to a full football stadium on Saturday and on Sunday they can be in a kitchen teaching their nieces the old songs from the village.

But if we want to make sure that that music and tradition continues and is safeguarded and strengthened for future generations, we need organisations like Trac Cymru to continue doing the work. The public’s responses to the review overwhelmingly support that. This moves Wales in the right direction. We’re really looking forward to continuing to deliver resources, courses and training that increases participation and professional excellence and to work with ACW and other organisations to ensure that Wales’ unique culture is still alive for us to hand on to our grandchildren.

“This review is very comprehensive, and alerts everyone to the fact that traditional music (and thus the soul of the Land of Song) is under threat if there isn’t the level of support that we see in other countries.” Says Dr Jim Blythe, Chair of Trac Cymru.