02 December 2011

The popular Christmas song Gŵyl y Baban by Caryl Parry Jones will be the focus of S4C's Christmas celebrations this year, after some stars of the Channel’s programmes recorded an exciting new cover version of it.

The new video of the song is to be shown on screen to promote a variety of programmes on S4C over Christmas and the New Year.

The song and video are also available to download for free from the S4C website - s4c.co.uk/nadolig

Gŵyl y Baban was first recorded in 1984 and Caryl remembers the occasion. "I was working on a number of programmes for HTV at the time and we needed a festive song for a Christmas special. So my husband Myf and I set about writing a song with a touch of gospel to it, and Gŵyl y Baban was the result."

Mei Gwynedd of the group Sibrydion is responsible for the new arrangement and it is performed by a band consisting of Griff Lynch, Sion Llwyd, Ynyr Roberts, Aled Richards and Meic Stevens. Vocals are provided by Tara Bethan, Elin Fflur, Only Men Aloud and Caryl Parry Jones.

"Mei Gwynedd has done a wonderful job on the new cover and it's really nice to see it established as a song that is played every Christmas. When I play it at gigs with my band, the 405’s, the audience sing along with every note!" adds Caryl.

In the video, we see some of the stars of S4C travel from different locations and meeting outside the Church of St. Illtyd, Llantrithyd in the Vale of Glamorgan. They include cast members from Pobol y Cwm, presenters of Stwnsh and Cyw, actors Nia Roberts and Richard Harrington, Courtnay Hamilton and other presenters including Gareth Roberts, Mari Grug, Dylan Ebenezer and Sarra Elgan.

Also starring is a group of pupils from the Welsh primary school Ysgol Pen-y-bont, Cardiff and children's group Heol-y-March.

Among the highlights on S4C over Christmas and New Year is the film Patagonia and a drama which throws new light on the actor Richard Burton. The schedule also features impresario Stifyn Parry’s challenge of organising a Christmas pantomime in Seren Nadolig Rhos, a culinary challenge with Dudley: Pryd o Sêr and remembering two Welsh legends in the documentaries Orig, about the wrestler Orig Williams, and Cofio Ceredig about the actor Huw Ceredig.

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