Youngsters on song for St David's Day (From South Wales Argus)
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Youngsters from Blackwood, Risca and Bargoed on song for St David's Day
9:52am Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News
Risca Primary School pupils performing at the St David's Day concert at Tredegar Park in Risca
HUNDREDS of youngsters from across Gwent celebrated St David's Day yesterday and in Caerphilly county, children wowed crowds with concerts in the area's major towns.
They gathered at lunchtime events in Blackwood, Risca, Bargoed and Caerphilly towns, singing, dancing and playing instruments.
Thirty six youngsters from Risca Primary were among those at the town's Tredegar Park and sang traditional Welsh songs such as Sosban Fach and Gyda'r Gilydd.
Music co-ordinator Alison Thomas said: "This was only the children's second public performance and the first time they have sang in Welsh."
Around 30 youngsters from Crumlin High Level Primary attended an event at Asda, Blackwood.
They sang songs such as Ar Hyd y Nos and Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer, while year six pupil Megan Hopkins and year five's Holly Marie Watkins played clarinet and flute respectively.
Linda Evans, music co-ordinator at the school for 20 years described her pupils as doing "a fantastic job".
Cwmcarn pupils sing protest song
YOUNGSTERS from Cwmcarn High School travelled to the Risca event, singing one sing in protest before leaving. Music teacher Lyndell Davies said the school hadn't been invited to the Tredegar Park event as usual.
The school's 900 pupils are currently being taught at the former Coleg Gwent site in Ebbw Vale after its site in Cwmcarn closed in October last year when a report found asbestos at the site.
There is currently a war of words between parents and the school, and Caerphilly council education chiefs, about a second report which said asbestos levels were much lower than in the original report. A third survey is due to be carried out.
Ms Davies said: "We would have loved to have been invited as our children have always been involved in the past. We didn't want to overshadow what was happening, so 15 senior learners went down in a mini bus and sang one song outside the bus before leaving."
Ms Davies said they sang Dylan Thomas' Rev. Eli Jenkins Prayer, substituting the words of the last verse for "We want to go home to Cwmcarn and we must go home".
