Urdd: Wales singalong launched ahead of Qatar World Cup
An online World Cup singalong event has been launched as part of the Urdd's centenary celebrations to celebrate Wales' involvement at the tournament in Qatar.
Thousands of primary school children are invited to attend the Jambori Cwpan y Byd, Wales’s World Cup Singalong on the 10th Novermber before the team head out to Qatar.
The aim is for every junior school in Wales to register for the Jambori, which is potentially over 250,000 children.
Wales qualified for the World Cup finals in June after beating Ukraine 1-0. It's the first time the side have been in the tournament since 1958.
The event will feature new World Cup themed songs as well as some of the old favourites, and the highlight of the singalong will be Dafydd Iwan singing 'Yma o Hyd.'
'Yma o Hyd' has become an unofficial anthem for the Welsh team, with fans singing it in the stands and Dafydd Iwan himself performing on match days.
Dafydd Iwan said of the Urdd’s Jambori Cwpan y Byd: “The impact that the Urdd has had on Welsh culture and the Welsh language cannot be underestimated. It was created a hundred years ago with one of its main purposes being to safeguard the language for future generations, and with a little help from the likes of me back in the 70s, S4C in 80s and the Welsh Government now in the 21st century, its succeeded, and we’re Yma o Hyd!
“Hearing Welsh learners and non-Welsh speakers sing Yma o Hyd with such passion shows the power of culture and music, it also shows the power of football and the positive impact that it can have. So, diolch FAW and Urdd for making this Jambori Cwpan y Byd - Wales’s Worldcup Singalong happen, for creating an event for the next generation to cydganu in Cymraeg together. I can’t wait to have as many schools, both Welsh and English singing with me on November 10, because the team deserve the best send-off we can give them!”
The event will feature special messages from Wales’s First Minister and team Cymru players.
FAW Chief Executive, Noel Mooney said of the partnership: “What the Urdd do to engage and encourage young people through sports and culture is admirable and should be emulated right across the world. We are very proud to partner with them for Jambori Cwpan y Byd - Wales’s World Cup Singalong. And in addition to our work with Junior Grassroutes football and our FAW Youth Council, we very much hope to do more with the Urdd in future. We’re definitely Together Stronger.
“The Football Association of Wales and team Cymru is very thankful for the Urdd’s and Wales’s school children for their spectacular send off, diolch yn fawr!”
The Jambori is being produced by the Urdd and in partnership with S4C, BBC Cymru Wales, S4C Stwnsh Sadwrn, ITV Wales, FAW and with the support of Welsh Government.
It is free to attend and will feature live on BBC Radio Cymru and Radio Wales.
Siân Lewis, the Urdd’s Chief Executive said: “We always had a centenary Jambori up our sleave for the autumn, as we wanted to bring Wales’s school children together for a fun and inclusive event. But with Cymru making it to the World Cup Final we had to get behind the team and give them the send-off they deserve from all the junior school children in Wales.
“It’s vitally important for the Urdd to also make itself accessible to not just Welsh speaking children but to every school child in Wales, and as we are the land of song, what better way to bring everyone together than via miwsig and our famous Jamboris. We all know that the FAW’s motto is Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae and I say Gorau Canu Cydganu for the Jambori!”