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Joyful Noise in the Woods
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Bryn Seion Welsh Church held its 72nd annual Gymanfa Ganu, literally "sing gathering," a festival of music in English and Welsh, this last weekend. As it does every year, the number of participants far exceeds the capacity of the small wooden building it has been held in since at least 1936. The crowd spills out on the grass under the tall, dark trees and glorious, complicated harmonies color the air. People come from all over: from other towns, counties, states and even countries to sing here and many fine voices are heard. Not all voices are practiced nor as fine as others and most are not members of the church, but all are welcome - all proficiencies, all nationalities, all ages. Together they make an amazing, an incredible sound, all the more magical for the community in it. What is important is that sound. The program at this year's "sing gathering" included the national anthem of Wales and classic Welsh hymns such as "Cwm Rhondda" and "Calon Lan." Performances from harpist Bronn Journey and soprano Quinland Porter were especially well received. Bryn Seion (Mount Zion in English) Welsh Church was founded in Beavercreek in 1884, on land donated by the founder of the Beavercreek Welsh community, David W. Thomas. The church building was a work of that community. The original deed bears several Welsh names. It has held services continuously from its founding as an evangelical church to the present, where it is now a non-denominational Christian church. Today an eccentric and charming building stands by the side of the road, surrounded by tall firs and verdant garden beds. Behind the church stands the Tea House, "Ty Te", where church members and guests meet after services to socialize and conduct church business. Enter the church through its front door and into a small lobby area, with black and white photos of bygone congregations and a surprising library of donated books all in Welsh. Pews stretch away across the floor to the back wall, where the podium and organ face front. Colored glass windows line the back and the western wall, lit with sunlight in the closing of the day. Against the back wall sits an interesting artifact, a wooden chair carved with the inscription, "Eisteddfod Talaeth Wash, 1890," possibly a prize from Eisteddfod competition, no one yet today knows from where. Bryn Seion Welsh Church is in need of restoration. The people who love it are working to raise $20,000.00 to begin the process of building new restrooms behind the Ty Te and giving "the Tea House" a new wall to replace one a building inspector has said is unsafe and must go. The church building itself has not yet been inspected but will almost certainly also need work done. I grew up in Clackamas County and never knew this church was there nor that there was such a thing as a Gymanfa Ganu. As a teenager, I wanted an American-Welsh community but didn't know how to find it. My ten-year-old son stood on the lawn outside the church and was entranced. We sat in the back, he and I, near the door. Neither of us knowing any of these songs nor any Welsh to sing them in, we listened and, after a while, began to sing anyway. After a few songs, it was my turn to go outside with the younger children and send someone else in to listen but Heron refused to leave. He sat there until the end, listening and singing, and then came out and asked for the words and music to the songs to learn them to sing next year. To enjoy the Bryn Seion Gymanfa Ganu, come to the intersection of Kamrath Road and Swansea Lane in Beavercreek on the fourth Sunday of June. Bring a picnic basket and blanket for the lawn for the 1:00 PM singing or come for the evening session at 6:00 PM, when a seat inside is more likely. To contribute to the restoration of Bryn Seion church and the continuation of its Gymanfa Ganu, please send donations in any amount to:- Bryn
Seion Welsh Church
P.O. Box 484 Beavercreek, OR 97004-0484 Here is a link to the Bryn Seion site. Here is a link to the Portland Welsh Society. Here is a link to a report on last year`s Gymanfa Ganu in The Oregon City News. |
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By John Shaffer: A review. The Top Ten most important dates in the Welsh Calendar. 5 Top Reasons to reject the Severn Barrage A three course traditional menu for St Davids day. Does Wales Need a .CYM? The campaign for a Welsh TLD. Lecture Notes on The Herring!! An appreciation of the Google 'My Library' feature. |
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 A fascinating introduction to a beautiful and little known part of Wales. One of the best Welsh American and ex-pat sites on the web An excellent site featuring a DVD movie recording of a tour around Wales in 2006. Merilang Excellent Welsh tuition site. French Russian and Spanish too! Alabama Welsh Website of the Alabama Welsh Association. |
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