MIKE HEDGES AM SPEAKS AT THE ASSEMBLY TO HIGHLIGHT WORK OF CALON LAN SOCIETY IN SWANSEA

Speaking at the Assembly during the period set aside for members to speak for 90 seconds on a topic of their choice, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges spoke about the work of the Calon Lan society in Swansea.

Speaking after the event, Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘Calon Lan is one of the great symbolic Welsh Hymns, known around the world; few people know much about Daniel James the writer, and the fact that the Hymn was written in Swansea. I therefore thought it appropriate to pay tribute to the band of volunteers who have come together to form a society in the memory of Daniel James and to organise and promote a series of events to commemorate his death in March 2020. I wish to pay tribute this group of local people for the time and effort they are putting into organising these festivities. I look forward to attending these events in the coming year.’

90 Second Statement 12 June 2019
Mike Hedges AM – I want to highlight the work of the Calon Lân Society in Swansea. The sixteenth of March 2020 is the hundredth anniversary of Daniel James, who was was better known as Gwyrosydd, the writer of one of, if not the favourite Welsh hymn, ‘Calon Lân’. Daniel James came from Treboeth in Swansea. His father died when he was young. He became a puddler at Morriston ironworks, and then worked at Landore tinplate works.224
The recently formed Calon Lân Society are intending to hold a number of events and projects culminating in the publication of the complete poetical works of Daniel James and their translations into English. Also, on the centenary of his death on 16 March, it is intended to have a mass singing of ‘Calon Lân’ in iconic locations in Wales and worldwide, hopefully including the Senedd.225
Other projects include a memorial stone in the grounds of the King’s Head public house where he wrote a number of hymns and poems, commemorative stained glass windows in the six local schools to Treboeth, poems and pints, which I’m sure best exemplifies him, and concerts to be held at Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe and at capel Caersalem. 226
I thank the Calon Lân Society for what they are doing to commemorate the life of a working-class Welsh poet and hymnwriter from Treboeth in Swansea.