Sion Jobbins

This is a very short book and a quick read, but it still manages to pack quite a lot of content. After a short introduction, the author starts by the creation of the original song, its development and how it gained the form it has today. He then traces its history through concerts, rugby and football matches and other events until it was established as the official national anthem of Wales. There is a short chapter on the composers, Evan and James James (yes, that is his name!), and another one on versions of this anthem in other countries and nations. The last chapter is a line by line explanation and interpretation of the anthem, followed by a sheet of music, the Welsh text, an English translation and a phonetic version.

I read this book with interest and while I have some basic knowledge of Welsh history, I learned some interesting facts that I did not know about and refreshed my memory of other aspects. The book is entertaining but not sloppy. The author is one of the co-founders of YesCymru, so of course he has a strong viewpoint of Welsh independence and especially the Welsh language. He does not hide that he is not an admirer of the British Royal Family. I found it interesting to learn about his points of view in the light of the discussions following Prince William becoming the new Prince of Wales.… (meer)