It’s finally arrived. Like everyone else, Welsh National Opera has been swept up in the celebration and excitement of Wales’s achievement of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2022, showcasing Welsh talent, determination and values to the billions of people who will tune in to watch over the course of the tournament. We wanted to celebrate the occasion in the only way we know how – with a very special performance of Dafydd Iwan’s enduring favourite and the official Cymru World Cup 2022 anthem, Yma o Hyd, by the sublime WNO Chorus and WNO Associate Artist Dafydd Allen.
First conceived in May 2022, before Wales had even qualified, we knew that we wanted to perform a piece that was special to Welsh football, and Yma o Hyd was a natural choice. Our fantastic Chorus became our own Red Wall, performing Dafydd Iwan’s song of resilience and strength that has become so synonymous with the Welsh team on their path to their first World Cup since 1958. Our team here at the office joined in, celebrating in front of the cameras, as well as members of our sister company, Cardiff Theatrical Services and some very special guests from Welsh Drag Queen, Wilma Balldrops to WNO Youth Opera – all to support the team in their matches during the tournament.
We wanted to highlight the diversity, individuality, excitement, community, and team spirit that makes us proud to represent Wales as Welsh National Opera, and so we took our cameras and travelled across the country. From our home in Cardiff Bay to Newport Corinthians with our South Wales Youth Opera, to West Wales with Aberystwyth Town Ladies FC, and up to North Wales to visit Clwb Pêl-Droed Blaenau Ffestiniog Amateurs FC and our North Wales Youth Opera in Llandudno.
Along our journey across the country, we captured the excitement and passion that the upcoming tournament has inspired, seeing just how important the Welsh football team has been to people in every part of Wales.
We filmed WNO Associate Artist Dafydd Allen performing at the FAW headquarters at The Vale and in Cardiff City Stadium, on the very pitch where Wales qualified for the World Cup after 64 long years. Finally, we filmed our wonderful Chorus at Portland House in Cardiff Bay in an action-packed day that ended in celebration at what we had achieved, both as a Company but also as a nation in the sporting world.
We hope you enjoy our rendition of Dafydd Iwan’s fiercely defiant anthem Yma o Hyd, and join us in wishing our boys well as they, and the Red Wall, take the pride and passion of Wales to the world and show everyone that we are still here!