Archived News

Christmas 1998

Since we launched this site, even in its incomplete form, we've had a great response, with new contact from people in USA, Canada, S.Africa, Australia, Japan and various parts of the UK and Wales. We're sorry for any delay in responding to enquiries, but we've had some technical glitches and it has co-incided with the busiest month of the year for us in the shop itself. The beginning of the school year in September, followed by the new university term in October, makes a very intense patch of activity, both in the shop and with the mail order, leaving no time for extra developments. Hopefully all is settling down and there will be the time to catch up and follow up on enquiries.

The emphasis now is on the approach to Christmas, with schools and choirs preparing for Christmas concerts and enquiries about whacky pantomime songs. Carol collections are selling fast and customers are looking around for gift ideas. We've got a section on our most popular Christmas music and also click Welsh music, to see details of Welsh language Christmas music.

We've also listed gifts - items such as tea towels, mugs etc., which sell well all year-round, but especially at Christmas.

In the instruments section, there are ideas for guitar/amp packages, and the most popular keyboards plus other gift ideas.

If you want to keep up with news on Welsh bands, try www.welshbands.com for information on Stereophonics, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals etc.,etc.

New Christmas Publications this year are :-

• "Making The Grade at Christmas" - Easy popular Christmas pieces for young pianists, £4.95
• "Sing a song of Christmas" - Very easy arrangements, grades 1-2, £6.95
• "Christmas Songs For Easy Piano" - More Easy Arrangements, £6.95
• "Music About Christmas"- Topical songbook with musical activities, keystage 1&2, £6.95
• "I Can Play That" - Christmas songs, £5.95
• "Recorder From The Beginning - Christmas Songbook" - Songs for the recorder, Pupils Edition-£3.50, Teachers Edition-£7.95
• "Kaleidoscope Christmas Bonanza"- Music for school ensembles, £24.95

Contact us for full details and of the many other seasonal books.

February 1999

March 1999

April 1999

It's been a great couple of months for Welsh bands with the 'Brit Awards' acclaim for the Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics at no.1 again in the UK charts with their album "Performance and Cocktails" and the prospect of Catatonia's new album following "International Velvet" to the no.1 position. Wales is well on the map in the rock scene.

The newly-formed folk group "Crasdant" (triple-harpist Robin Bowen and other well-known players) have released a new CD and have just completed a highly successful tour of the US; Llio Rhydderch (triple-harp) joined the harpists from other countries on a UK concert tour. Fernhill toured England and Wales and another group of Welsh traditional musicians played in Irish venues.

July 1999

Apologies for the delay in updating recently, but its due to the pressure of time, certainly not because nothing has been happening in Wales. The opening of the Welsh Assembly has given Wales a stronger national identity, both within and outside the country, re-inforced by increased support for Plaid Cymru in local and European elections. Unexpected victories on the international rugby field and the popularity of bands like Catatonia and the Stereophonics on an international stage have also brought the country alive and kicking to a world audience.

In other areas of music, the "International Eisteddfod" has just drawn groups and choirs from all over the world, including Korea, India and South Africa, to the colourful five day festival in Llangollen. "Gwyl Cnapan" has had its rock and folk weekend festivals in mis-wales and on July 16-18, Dolgellau is set to be taken over by "Sesiwn Fawr", with a real concentration of Welsh Folk Groups, including Carreg Lafar, Gwerinos, Pigyn Clust, Frenhill, Oysterband and the Irish Band Kila. They'll be performing on three stages in the town and busking in the streets and there are fiddle, harp and whistle workshops.

Anglesey is preparing to host the "National Eisteddfod" in Llangefn in the first week of August. It's the major Welsh language event for Wales and a much wider audience, drawing visitors from around the world for the week of the festival. We will be on the field for the week with a stand, so contact us if you want to contact someone there.

July 1999 - Extra !

The festival "Sesiwn Fawr" has just been held in Dolgellau, completely taking over the town for the weekend. More than 30 different folk groups and bands were performing on four stages in the square and around the town, with the S4C stage for children, plus buskers and circus performers and workshops for fiddle, harp and whistle. Its a festival of the best of Welsh folk and rock groups, with all the groups of the new wave of Welsh folk music taking part, including Gwerinos (who launched their new CD 'Llenad llawn' in their concert), Carreg Lafar, Fernhill, Jac y Do, Ogain Celt, Anwledig and many others; and stunning performances by bands from outside Wales, Kila from Dublin, Oysterband, Horace-x and Here Be Dragons.
Sessiwn Fawr draws visitors from all areas and age groups, so try and get there next year. We'll be putting up details about next year's festival as they become available.

Here in Aberystwyth, Musicfest the international summer school, is in full swing for the next two weeks, details at Aberyswtyth Arts Centre, also, Angelsey is preparing to host the National Eisteddfod. Full details on their web-site.

September 1999

With the beginning of September,we approach the busiest weeks of the year as the new school year starts.We will be very busy, both with mail order for music books for lessons restarting after the summer break and with instrument rental for children offered the chance to start learning at school (contact us for details of the scheme if you are interested). So we will be updating this section in several stages.

One of the major events in the USA/Welsh calendar is due next week, the 'US Gymanfa Ganu', held annually in a different location in the US and Canada. This year it is in Minneapolis, between September the 2-6th and many people we know, both here and across North America will be travelling and meeting there. It is the meeting place also for a very interesting choir, 'Cor Cymru Gogledd America' whose members meet in choirs in different states/towns across the continent and then join together in the Gymanfa to perform together. We have contact with several of the choirs, and would welcome contact with other branches. We will have a sample of our stock on the 'Welsh Fest USA' and we hope to develope these links at other US/Welsh events in the coming months.

Even further away in Australia, they have just held the first ever Welsh language competition in the National Eisteddfod in Canberra, during its diamond Jubilee year. We've just had a vivid description of the event involving children from multicultural backgrounds, singing in Welsh, from one of the organisers.

Here in Wales, a new conservatoire, the William Mathias Music Centre is due to open in Canaerfon in September, with instrumental and vocal tuition by Elinor Bennet, Angharad Annwyl, Dafydd Huws, John Hywel, Annette Bryn Parri, Stephen Rees and Howel Roberts. There will be a wide range of courses including composing, traditional Welsh music and jazz - further details via 01286 671 977 or fax 671936. A course of 10 lectures "Music in Wales" begins 7-9pm, Oct 5th.

In the University here in Aberystwyth, the Celtic Studies department will be running a course in Celtic music, starting in October. We'll supply the details as they come out.

December 1999

Its been a year to remember for Welsh musicians. Catatonia, Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers have become household names (round the world) following their chart hits and World tours. The new release by Cerys Matthews (Catatonia) and Tom Jones of "Baby It's Cold Outside" has gone straight into the charts. The Rugby World Cup ceremonies and Welsh Assembly gala concert with Bryn Terfel, Shirley Basset combined with male voice choirs and rock bands were watched on TV World-wide. A number of choirs and folk groups have toured abroad and the Welsh National Opera Company got rave reviews for its new productions.

Bryn Terfel, has just been voted BBC Music's "Artist of the Year" and is on the cover of the January 2000 magazine, with interviews included. He'll be singing the title role in Verdi's "Falstaff" in the opening production of the newly rebuilt Royal Opera House, to be televised on Dec 22nd. He is also to feature with Cecilia Bartoli in a programme about the recording of their best selling CD "Cecelia and Bryn" and he'll be singing in 'Songs of Praise' from the Millenium Stadium Cardiff, with 100 harps (Cor Telyn Cymru), Cliff Richards and other artists. All 72,000 tickets have been sold for months, but its to be broadcast on January 2nd, 2000 at 3.30.

'Classic CD Magazine' features Cardiff's Charlotte Church on its December cover, with an inside interview.

Next year promises to build on the successes of '99 with stronger links to other countries, in particular the other Celtic Nations; also the possibility of a smaller Nations Festival, to share with Galicia and the Basque country etc.,

We'd like to thank everyone who has contacted us this year, from many countries. We value your orders and suggestions and we hope to get more time next year to develop the site, putting on stock lists and updating more regularly. Please keep in touch.

We'll be shut for most of the Christmas and New Year period (open 1/2 day Wed 29th and Thu 30th, open as usual from Jan 4th onwards) But we'll be picking up e-mail and responding (hopefully fairly quickly and not too incoherently ; ) )

NADOLIG LLAWEN, A BLWYDDYN A MILENIWM NEWYDD DA I BAWB

HAPPY CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR AND MILLENIUM TO EVERYONE.

MWYNHEWCH - ENJOY YOURSELVES !

February 2000

The success of Welsh music in 1999 rolled straight over into 2000 as the Manic Street Preachers took the number one slot in the first chart of the new millenium. On the other side of the musical spectrum, Alun Hoddinott's new opera “The Tower” based on actual events of the workers' buy-out of the Tower Colliery in South Wales in 1994, has been welcomed by audiences all over Wales, as the company Opera Box have taken it on tour (for details of the rest of the tour see www.operabox.freeuk.com.

The Welsh Tourist Board have launched a campaign to encourage people to return to, or visit Wales in the year 2000, so check the site www.homecomingwales2000.com for details of the rest of special events in Wales, competitions etc.

As the 6 Nations Rugby Championships kick into action this weekend, there are several new male voice choir CD's to bring you the atmosphere and musical “Hwyl” of the stadiums (see below).

With the approach of St.Davids day on March the 1st, we've had enquiries from several countries about arrangements of popular Welsh folk songs and hymns for choirs and smaller groups. We've listed the most popular titles that are available for SATB or TTBB in the Welsh sheet music, choral section, so check it out and contact us for more details if you are interested. There's also a top 20 in the solos section.

We've forged links with three important Celtic Music publishing sites - in Scotland "Taigh Na Teud" , and in Eire "Ossian" and "Clo Lar-Chonnachta Teo". All specialise in the music of their own country, with Gaelic publications in their catalogues. We stock many of their books and you can order all of them through us if you prefer. We also stock all the "Llanerch" publications, who specialise in facsimile reprints of important Celtic music sourcebooks.

Please remember to check our new 'Latest Stock' page for a selection of the latest available here at Cerdd Ystywth.

April 2000

Most of our limited spare time has recently been put into creating 3 new sections for the site, which will be up and running soon. The first is a COMMUNITY MUSIC section for the Aberystwyth and Mid Wales area, with details of bands, venues, societies, choirs etc., with contact details.

The second is a FESTIVAL OF WALES section, with information on the wonderful selection of Festivals held throughout Wales during the year.

The third is an on-going large project of a DIRECTORY OF MUSIC IN WALES, with details and contacts for all kinds of musicians, music activities and resources throughout the country.

We’ve put details of some new CDs and books in the latest stock section, and want to mention briefly some events taking place.

The Pan Celtic Festival runs from April 25th - 30th 2000, in Tralec, Kerry, where musicians from all the Celtic countries meet for concerts, competitions and informal sessions, including Dafydd Iwan and many others from Wales. Details at www.panceltic.com

A new festival is to be held in May 2000, from the 19th - 20th, called “GWYL PIBAU / PIPES FESTIVAL”, in Pencader, West Wales. It’s described as “the first international gathering of pipers in Wales since 1162” - with concerts, workshops and informal sessions with pipers from Ireland, Scotland and England as well as Wales. Details from +44(0)1559 384678.

There is also an on-going project this year called CELTIC CONNECTIONS, which is promoting co-ordination in music and other arts between West Wales and South East Ireland, including production of a CD of songs from both areas. Bands and musicians can submit tapes, but they have to be in by April 30th, or contact Myles Pepper on 01348 873867 for further details. The co-operation has already produced a performance of Berlioz Requiem in Fishguard with the Irish Youth Choir, Cork School of Music Choir and Orchestra and there are other events under way.

Welsh musicians are touring abroad - Robin Huw Bowen the Triple Harpist was in Australia earlier in the year and has just come back from a very successful American tour with Sue Jones-Davies. FERNHILL and RAG FOUNDATION are currently on tour in the UK and CARREG LAFAR, SIAN JAMES and CRASDANT will be touring America later in the year. Details as available.

May 2000

There's been more acclaim for Welsh Musicians this month. In the first-ever Classical Brit Awards, at the ceremony in the Royal Albert Hall, Bryn Terfel was voted Male Artist of the Year, while Charlotte Church, the 13 yr. old Cardiff singer, was voted overall Artist of the Year and for Catrin Finch, the 20 yr. old harpist from Llannon, near Aberystwyth, the tribute of being appointed Official Harpist to Prince Charles, the first time the post has been awarded for 100 years. She recently had her Wigmore Hall Debut recital after winning a major international competition in France and is due to give recitals in France and Italy in June. A CD will shortly be available.

We are preparing, as are thousands of other people across Wales, for Eisteddfod Yr Urdd, the largest Youth Festival in the world, to be held this year near Llandudno between May 29th and June 3rd. Like the National Eisteddfod later in August, it's a festival unique to Wales, with competitions, concerts and activities that cover music of all kinds, drama, literature and science; check the details at the website www.urdd.org. We'll have a stand on the field for the week, but will be in daily contact with the shop, so if you want to pass a message to someone at the Eisteddfod, or want us to reserve an item for you, contact the shop.

We have details of many other festivals on our Festivals Of Wales page, with an introduction by Bryn Terfel, President of the organisation. There are several of these festivals being held over Whitsun weekend listed on this page, together with contact details to obtain more information.

News has just been released that Bryn Terfel himself is to be hold a three day festival, the Faenol festival, near Bangor on August 25th; we'll add details as soon as they become available. There is also news of a new CD, entirely of Welsh songs, coming out in August and of his collaboration with Pink Floyd on a new opera by Roger Waters.

July 2000

Summer is Festival time and Wales in in full swing, with some of the most popular ones to be hosted in the Mid Wales area over the next few weeks. For a full listing , and links to relevant web sites, check our Festivals page .

Gwyl Gregynog Festival ( Powys ) is on this week , with Gwyl Aberteifi /Cardigan Festival from June 29th to July 2nd .Then, from July 3rd - 9th , the INTERNATIONAL EISTEDDFOD is in Llangollen , Powys , with artists , competitors and visitors from around the world, including this year the Red Army Ensemble and Dimitri Hvorostovsky and Olga Borodina among the world-famous artists who will be performing, with groups visiting from every continent .

Two of the most popular folk/rock Festivals are also held in this area : CNAPAN , in Ffostrasol near Llandysul, is over the weekend July 7-8th , with Dafydd Iwan , Sian James ,Tecwyn Ifan , Butterfly Band from Ireland ,Rhythm n Reel and Drop the Box from Scotland , Celt , Jac y Do , Ail Symudiad and several other groups ; events on the Friday evening , and all day Saturday + evening . Full details from 01239 858955 , or from us .

A week later , SESIWN FAWR takes over Dolgellau , from Friday July 14th - 16th , and promises to be a spectacular weekend of music . With 30 + bands playing ,from several countries , including Jazz Jamaica , and Salsa Celtica, events on 9 different stages around the town, including Busking and Dance stages ,music and theatre workshops,Circus and Club tents , Childrens Village, Craft Fair and lots of street music, it should be a weekend to remember . It's to have full S4C Digital TV coverage , also in Europe , and Live BBC Radio broadcast throughout the weekend. Full details , and Schedule of events on various stages at www.sesiwnfawr.demon.co.uk

"Festival with Attitude" is a new Festival this year , to link the smaller Nations such as the Basque Country , Brittany etc with Wales - to be held in various locations in Powys and Ceredigion , between Jully 10th and 23rd - details from Mike Llywelyn 01654 702401 e-mail : mml97@aber.ac.uk

Beween July 21st -30th . MUSICFEST International Festival and Summer School will be in Aberystwyth Arts Centre, with a wide range of evening concerts ,covering classical,jazz and world music , including the Premiere of the opera "Jane Eyre " by Michael Berkeley , and Cor Telyn Cymru , the Harp Ensemble , - Elinor Bennet , Meinir Heulyn , Ieuan Jones, and Catrin Finch , from near Aberystwyth , who,as we mentioned in our last batch of news, was recently appointed Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales . Full details at www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre

Abergavenny Festival runs through the same period , then , in August , the National Eisteddfod ,in Llanelli this year , Brecon Jazz , Pontardawe Folk/World music , plus festivals in Cardiff, Swansea , Denbigh ,Rhuthin , Caernarfon ---- and several more . Check our Festivals section for a full listing , contact details and web links . If you have details of a Festival not there , please let us know , so that we can include it , either for the current year , or for next year's list . We're also collecting details of Welsh / Celtic Festivals abroad , so that we can put up details of these as well.
WELSH MUSIC ABROAD

There's a lot of interest in Welsh music abroad , particularly in the USA and Canada, and there are a number of people who would like to be able to promote it in various ways , by DJs giving it airplay , magazine reviews of CDs and bands , possible tours - but they need to receive material from Welsh artists . Any bands, groups who can send Demos and details about themselves , please contact us , as we'll be sending some material out there soon , or contact Nancy Carlin at e-mail: nancyc@well.com. Also anyone in the USA who would like details of tour schedules of Welsh bands going over to the US this year and next, contact Nancy for full details.She is also involved at the planning stage for a series of major events over the next 2 years , involving Welsh musicians .

August 2000

A very brief note, before we leave for the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol / National Eisteddfod, which starts on Saturday in Llanelli. We are there for a week, and our stand is in the Exhibition Hall, close to the Pavillion, so we look forward to people dropping in to see us between events. If you want to pass a message to anyone, contact the shop(e-mail, phone , fax) and they will pass it on to us on the field.

Full details of the weeks concerts, competitions etc., are on the Eisteddfod web site at www.eisteddfod.com and there are events to cater for all interests, from the competitions in the Pavillion, the rock gigs on Maes B, art, science, technology, literature , food, evening concerts and gigs, including Bryn Terfel, Dafydd Iwan, Big Leaves, Maharishi and many other well-known Welsh artists and bands.

Also, the details of Bryn Terfel's new Faenol Festival on August 25th-27th are on the web-site www.brynfest.com It promises to be a spectacular weekend of all kinds of music, which will hopefully become a regular event. Check our Festival's selection for other August events - Brecon Jazz, Pontardawe Folk, Welsh Proms in Cardiff, Machynlleth Festival and more...

September 2000

Unfortunately, we have suffered a fire at our premises in Abersywtyth. Nobody has been hurt, but the shop has been badly damaged as you can imagine. We are currently in the process of restoring the shop but obviously this may take some time and we may not be able to respond to e-mail or fulfill orders as quickly as usual over the coming few weeks. The lower two floors of the shop are still operational, and so we are still able to operate a minimal service. A huge thanks is given to all those people who have been so helpful since the event. It makes difficult times easier to cope with. Thankyou.

November 2000

We're still affected by the disruption of the major fire we had in the shop, and working in very restricted conditions; sadly, it's set back plans to develop this site , and update more often. But we've kept trading , and maintained the mail-order and Internet business. We apoligise for delays in response to e-mails , amd for any that haven't reached us , as we know our systems took a while to work properly after the fire. Hopefully . things are more normal now than they were. We've put details of new CDs etc in the latest stock section , in particular Bryn Terfel's new recording of Welsh songs, which would make a wonderful present for anyone interested in Welsh music ; also, some other new CDs , books and gift ideas that are additions to the range in the existing gifts section.

September 2001

We're back to normal at last after the turmoil of last year's fire, and the subsequent months of building work to restore the building , at the same time trying to keep all aspects of the business together. Luckily, we're re-established just in time for the busiest time of the year, with the start of the new school and college year, and the run-up to Christmas . We're well stocked with Clarinets, Flutes, Violins etc for the instrument rental scheme , and with guitars, particularly the Electro Acoustic range, in different colours made by Aria and Tanglewood, selling at £150- £250, that are consistently our best sellers.

We've also got a new Limited Edition Welsh Dragon design electric guitar by Aria , including the prototype guitar signed by Tom Jones and used by his band in a recent series of gigs in Cardiff Castle . The signed guitar is to be auctioned next year (contact us for details) but we have 5 Welsh Dragon guitars for sale at £299 each, but won't be able to get more when they've sold ( quickly , we expect ---).

In spite of the chaos of the last months, work has been continuing in the background on developing the web site , and we hope to have the Directory of Welsh Music in Print on-line soon, with a search engine to find details of titles, composers, arrangements etc, also to have a shopping basket system in place, and other design changes . Check the latest stock section for details of new CDs and books , with those by Crasdant, Sian James, Ogam, Boys from the Hill, and Catrin Finch, the Royal Harpist, of special Welsh interest. We hope to get back to updating more often, now that we're functioning more normally again.

We know we might not have survived the last year's chaos and destruction without the exceptional support of staff, customers , and friends, and would like to try to convey our gratitude for that support - a big thank you to all who have helped in one way or another.

December 2001

Just a brief note , in the hectic run-up to Christmas , to say Thank you to all the people who have contacted us with orders and enquiries through the year , from all over the world . We really value the contact , and it's helped us pull things back together after the fire last year , to have the shared interest in music with such a wide range of people in so many countries. We're looking forward to developments next year ( and we're aiming to respond to each query within a few hours of receiving a message !) Sounds optimstic , but we'll try ---

We hope you'll contact us for sugestions for presents at any time of the year, not only at Christmas. Check the latest stock section for details of a few new books and CDs, including Bryn Terfel's recent album, which like all his others is selling rapidly. As well as smaller items, we've sent out several guitars, in response to e-mail enquiries, so contact us for details, as there are new models in a variety of great colours, Electro Acoustics being particularly popular (Carriage costs are not as high as people imagine ). Also, remember the tuners, metronomes, music cases, etc., and other gift items, that are welcome as presents by all musicians, young and old.

NADOLIG LLAWEN A BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA I BAWB

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

March 2002

Cyfarchion Dydd Gwyl Dewi i Bawb St.David's Day Greetings to Everyone.

December 2002

Contact us by email, phone or fax for Christmas gift ideas. There is a brand new CD by harpist Robin Huw Bowen, to co-incide with his current tour in the USA, and lots of new books and gifts, many of Welsh interest. See the latest stock section for brief details.

Any Item, including instruments can be arranged for next day delivery, so please contact us for details.

January 2003

Happy New Year to everyone!

February 2003

With St.Davids Day close at hand on March 1st, we're getting many requests for Welsh music to celebrate the day, both at home and abroad. We've got lots of Welsh song collections and CD's that are ideal and we can get them in the post to you straightaway, so contact us NOW. 2 songs that are often asked for, especially from abroad are "My Little Welsh Home" and "We'll keep a welcome in the Hillsides", both of which we have in stock, as well as traditional Welsh songs.

Another item which may be hard to find is the latest CD by Catrin Finch, appointed as the Royal Harpist by the Prince of Wales, a tradition which had lapsed since Queen Victoria's reign. Her new album "From Coast to Coast" has just recieved an excellent review in the March edition of Gramophone, which also carries an interview with her in the "One to Watch" section. The CD is not in general distribution, but we have copies from Catrin, price £14. For details see our Latest Stock Section.

For guitarists, we have a Welsh Dragon guitar strap at £5.50, and a limited edition Welsh Dragon Strat type guitar, price £299.

May 2003

We will be on the field for the week of the Urdd Eisteddfod at Margam Park, May 26th to 31st at stands 86 & 87, so if you are down there, call in to see us. We'll be in contact each day with the shop, so that orders will be dealt with quickly.

Our new website, with shopping basket system, will be up within the next few weeks and will be launched shortly after in the hope that it all fits together smoothly.

We'll be putting details up soon of latest stock, including the new Bryn Terfek & Renee Fleming CD, new music books and Faith range of acoustic guitars.

July/August 2003

Our new site will be launched on August 4th, at the start of the week of the National Eisteddfod in Meifod, Powys. It has a shopping basket system, which, we hope will simplify the ordering process and we will be continually adding to the stock items. There may be some initial hitches, but we hope you will let us know of any problems or suggestions for improvement. The old site will be accessible for some time until all the information is transferred and there will continue to be an order form for ordering items that are not in the shopping basket system.

We'll also be launching, shortly afterwards, our "Welsh Vocal Music in Print" database, with a search engine for locating all Welsh song titles currently available, in all arrangements. We will notify the date that this will be on-line.

We will be on the field for the week of the National Eisteddfod, from this coming Staurday. Our stand is in the "Neuadd Arddangos"/ Exhibition Hall, so if you are there, please call to see us. We'll be in touch with the shop everyday, so orders will be dealt with as quickly as possible. We look forward to seeing you there, or hearing from you by phone, or e-mail.

Awst / August 2003

We've brought back from the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Meifod a batch of new CD's launched during Eisteddfod week, that cover the whole spectrum of Welsh music, from traditional to contemporary, see latest stock for details .

Also in sheet music , an important new Welsh folksong collection and the new albums by the Stereophonics and Radiohead.

We're getting lots of enquiries about instruments , in preperation for the new term in September. Check the instruments section in the shop for prices of violins, clarinets, flutes, trumpets etc. and contact us for details of our rental scheme, which gives a 3 month "Try before you buy" option for learners.

Ordering online

If you want to order items that are not shown in our website, just fill in the alternative order form with your personal details and as many details that you can supply of the item required and we'll get back to you straightaway if any more information is required, so that we can get it off to you as quickly as possible. We had an initial glitch with postage costs, but this has now been rectified. Please let us know of any problems you come across with the new system.

December 2003

As the busy Christmas period gets into gear, we're of course delighted that three Welsh artists are high in the best-selling CD charts - right at the top is Bryn Terfel, with his latest album "Bryn" , plus Catrin Finch, the young Royal Harpist, with "Crossing the Stone" and Aled Jones with a brand new release of his early recordings as a boy treble "Higher" .

Details of these and other new CD's and Tapes in our Latest Stock section .

We have had lots of enquiries about guitar and amplifier packages, especially for the 3/4 size models . Other best sellers are the "Kiss" Paul Stanley "Apocalypse" models and other unusual shapes such as the Reaper, Wraith and 'Girl' guitar Daisy Rock range .

On the books side, the "Absolute Beginners" range cover most popular instruments; we have lots of collections of tutors and popular songs so please contact us for details. We can also advise on gifts (tea towels, mugs, etc.) so, go on, get in touch.

For last minute presents, remember that any item we have in stock will be sent out the same day (or next day at the latest, as we're getting *very* busy) and next day delivery by courier can be arranged for instruments.

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i bawb, a diolch am eich cefnogaeth trwy'r flwyddyn

Happy Christmas and New Year to Everyone and thankyou for your support throughout the year.

March 2004

Cyfarchion Dydd Gwyl Dewi i Bawb St.David's Day Greetings to Everyone.

Y mae ein CYFARWYDDIADUR O GERDDORIAETH LLEISIOL CYMRAEG AR –LINELL NAWR."Cliciwch yma" i weld yr amrywiaeth eang o ganeuon Cymraeg a'u trefniadau sydd ar gael mewn print.

Darllenwch yr adran "Help" am eglurhad o sut mae'r basdata yn gweithio , a chysylltwch a ni os cewch problem yn eu ddefnyddio, os gwelwch yn dda.

Our DIRECTORY OF WELSH VOCAL MUSIC IS NOW ON-LINE. "Click here" to see the extensive range of Welsh songs, and their arrangements, that are available in print .

Please read the "Help" section for an explanation of how the database works , and contact us if you have any difficulty in using it.

We'd like to thank all our new and existing customers who have contacted us, and used the Shopping basket system. We've discovered a few errors in the automatic postal calculations in the system, so please get in touch with us if postal charges seem excessive, so that we can check the transaction.

May/Mai 2004

Congratulations to Bryn Terfel on his double success in the Classical Brits awards this week , winning both the Male Artist of the year category , and the Album of the year for his best selling 'Bryn' album. We're delighted also that other nominees for awards were Welsh artists Catrin Finch, and Aled Jones. This week, Eisteddfod yr Urdd, ( the National Eisteddfod for younger people , the largest festival of its type in the world ) will be held in Ynys Mon / Anglesey. Although we’re not going to be on the field with a stand this year (the first time for nearly 20 years ), we already have all next years competition pieces in stock in the shop, and are sending them out to customers . We WILL be on the field for the week of the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol / the National Eisteddfod in Casnewydd / Newport in August, and look forward to meeting up with people there. We'll also be at the BBC National Chorus Workshop in Llandaf in June, and in the National Educational Conference in Cardiff on July 9th , and hope that teachers will contact us beforehand, if there’s anything they'd like taken down there . We're already into the Festivals season , with some exciting events ahead in the next few months, so check out our Festivals listing for Music related events in Wales. We hope you'll let us know of incorrect dates, contact details etc, and of any other festivals that need to be added, as we rely on the supply of information from the Festival organisers themselve. It was a relief to hear that the very popular Faenol Festival, founded and run by Bryn Terfel, IS to be held again this year, on August 28th -30th.

July/August 2004

The new 2005 to 2007 PIANO and VIOLIN EXAM pieces for the Associated Board (ABRSM) are now in stock, also the teaching notes and the example CD's. We have put them in the shopping basket system which you can reach here If you want to order other items that are not in the shopping basket system, please use the general order form or send an accompanying e-mail.
We'll be on the field for the National Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Casnewydd/Newport from Sadwrn/Saturday 31st Gorffenau/July until 7th Awst/August. Our stand is in the Neuadd Arddangos/Exhibition Hall and we look forward to meeting both old and new customers. We'll be in touch with the shop in Aberystwyth each day to arrange special orders. We'll be giving details of new publications after the Eisteddfod, in the meantime contact us by email or phone for any information.

October 2004

September and October have been exceptionally busy, with the beginning of the new school and college year and we are already reserving items for customers as Christmas gifts...
We'll be compiling a list of Christmas gifts and best-sellers for our next update, but contact us for suggestions in the meantime.
Congratulations to Bryn Terfel for another tribute, this time in the "Gramophone" awards in the classic FM Listeners choice, as their most requested artist. Check the latest stock section for new CD's by Katherine Jenkins and other Welsh Artists, guitars, keyboards etc., and new books.

© Cerdd Ystwyth Music
7, Upper Portland Street,
Aberystwyth,
Wales,UK
Tel:+44(0)1970 623382
e-mail:sales@cerddystwyth.co.uk