New Year, New Album, New Tour!!

Allan Yn Y Fan spent the last weeks of 2011 putting the finishing touches to their latest album, their fourth, entitled “Pwnco” which will be released on Steam Pie Records in early April.

Like all of their previous albums this was recorded at the Abergavenny studio of Dylan Fowler - in fact Allan Yn Y Fan was the first band to record in his brand new Stiwdio Felin Fach. “Pwnco” takes its title from battle of wits played out as part of the Mari Lwyd tradition whereby those accompanying the horse eventually secured entry to the chosen house and were afforded food and drink. The band have recorded their version of the song “Canu Cwnsela” which was an integral part of this mid-winter tradition and was noted right across Glamorgan and Gwent through the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. More recently, this tradition has been revived by a number of the Welsh folk dance teams of the region. Chris Jones, the band’s accordionist has taken the opportunity to write a tune he has called “Pwnco” and this is interpolated into this track.

The twelve tracks that make up “Pwnco” include a number of compositions by band members :- Kate Strudwick (flute) has contributed “Death in Ennis & The Audient”, “Sea Sick Sailors” (which is now partnered with a Chris Jones tune “The Rough Crossing”), and the band has taken this opportunity to work with their great friend, German musician Thomas Roth, who joins them for a reworking of Kate’s beautiful tune “Lle Arall”. Making her “Pwnco” debut as a tunesmith, the band’s lead vocalist and fiddle player Meriel Field contributes a new melody for the beautiful Welsh traditional song “Tra Bo Dau” as well as another exquisite composition “Arafu”. For the first time on an Allan Yn Y Fan album there is a brass section which makes a very telling contribution to the band’s arrangement of two sets of traditional tunes.

To accompany the release of “Pwnco”, Allan Yn Y Fan will be undertaking a 12 date tour of England and Wales - thanks to the support of an Arts Council of Wales grant. The tour starts in the Chapel Arts Centre, Bath on Sunday 15th April with other April dates in Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil and Theatr Felinfach, Dyffryn Aeron. The tour continues in May with dates at the brand new Richard Burton Theatre at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff; a first visit to three North Wales venues - Theatr Colwyn, Canolfan Ucheldre and Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli. The full tour list is to be found below.

Later in 2012 Allan Yn Y Fan is looking forward to short tours to the Czech Republic and Germany, as well as performing at some great English festivals. All things considered 2012 is already looking like a signal year for the band Max Boyce calls “inspirational”.

PWNCO Tour 2012

April

15th Chapel Arts Centre, Bath, Box Office 01225 461700, more...

20th Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil, Box Office 01685 722176, more...

27th Theatr Felinfach, Dyffryn Aeron, Box Office 01570 470697, more...

May

5th Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, Box Office 0845 226 3510, more...

11th Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth, Box Office 01970 623232, more...

12th Blackwood Miner’s Institute, Blackwood, Box Office 01495 227206, more...

16th Swansea Grand Theatre(Arts Wing), Swansea, Box Office 01792 475715, more...

17th Richard Burton Theatre, RWCMD, Cardiff, Box Office 029 2039 1391, more...

18th Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, Box Office 01492 577888, more...

19th Canolfan Ucheldre, Holyhead, Box Office 01407 763361, more...

25th Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli, Box Office 01758 704088, more...

26th The Welfare, Ystradgynlais, Box Office 01639 843163, more...

 

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