Welsh Society of Portland to Host
the 2010 North American Festival of Wales
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 AWARD-WINNING Welsh mystery writer Rhys Bowen.
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By JANET FIGINI and GERRI PARRY
PORTLAND, OR – The North American Festival of Wales is coming again to the Pacific Northwest on September 2-5.
The North American Festival of Wales hosted by the Welsh Society of Portland is being held this year in Portland, Oregon. Expect a wonderful experience for all, as you did when you attended the festival in Richmond, B.C. in 2003.
This is an opportunity to once again enjoy a multitude of high quality Welsh entertainment and culture without the need to buy a plane ticket and suffer an airport!
Festivities begin Thursday afternoon with a short but exciting opening ceremony followed by a concert which will feature harpist Bronn Journey and his lovely wife, soprano Katherine Journey.
Friday and Saturday are filled with seminars, Welsh Folk dancing, and a number of excellent Welsh films coordinated by the Welsh Assembly government. Several tours featuring local points of interest are offered as well as a Welsh Market Place and Welsh Tea Room for relaxing and visiting with friends.
As a special feature, author Rhys Bowen, creator of the Evan Evans detective novels will kick off a book tour of her newest novel. On Friday afternoon she will be hosting a special meet and greet reception for her fans.
Friday evening opens with the grand banquet sponsored by the National Welsh American Foundation. The banquet is the setting for the presentation of this year’s winner of the NWAF Heritage Medallion. It is also the time to enjoy a delicious meal followed with entertainment by Glynn Morris, a baritone from North Wales.
Saturday evening’s grand concert features Cor Godre’r Aran, a Welsh male choir from Llanuwchllyn, a town located just north of Bala Lake in North Wales. From all accounts this is the best male choir in Wales, so each will have to attend and decide.
As is tradition, each evening an “afterglow” of informal singing will carry on into the night, or if you prefer, pub singing in the hotel lounge will also carry on.
Sunday morning begins with a bilingual church service, followed with the centerpiece and heart of the festival, the Gymanfa Ganu, held in two sessions.
Eirian Owen, conductor and music director of Cor Godre’r Aran, will direct the afternoon session. Rhiannon Acree, a native of Wales now living in Los Angeles, will direct the evening session.
Accompanist for both sessions is Alan Thomas, organist and choir director at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ottawa. This traditional celebration of Welsh hymns in both Welsh and English is the grand finale of the weekend.
The Welsh Society of Portland is excited to bring this North American Welsh event back to the Pacific Northwest and encourages you not to miss this opportunity to attend.
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For details about the North American Festival of Wales, visit the website www.nafow.org or call (503) 630-5317 or e-mail: jpfigini@cascadeaccess.com.
The Doubletree Hotel, 1000 NE Multnomah Street is located near the Lloyd Center shopping center and has a direct connection by MAX, Portland’s light rail system, from the Portland Airport. Driving directions for those coming from the North on Hwy I-5: take exit 302-A Weidler Street. Go right on Weidler to NE 9th Avenue, right on NE 9th Avenue to Multnomah, turn left into the hotel driveway. The hotel phone number is (503) 281-6111. Use code WGN for special group rates of $114/night.
The Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association organizes the NAFOW each year. For information about volunteering and/or joining WNGGA, e-mail: contact info@wngga.org, or visit: www.wngga.org.
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