1. A RADNORSHIRE CHURCH Voices - Malcolm Cousins & Huw.

2. A RADNORSHIRE PHONE BOX Voice - Huw.

3. ANOTHER NIGHT IN MERTHYR Voice - Phyl Griffiths. Music - John & Jaye Vickers (Klezmerpolitan.)

4. BANG THE BOMB Voice - Huw. Music - The Adamant Band in Brecon Cathedral.

5. BEING WELSH Voice - Huw. Music - Laura Lewis and the congregation of the Watton Church in Brecon.

6. FINAL FRIEND & SKULL DIGGERY Voices - Sian Drinan & Huw. Music - Sonia Hammond.

7. GOD FORGIVE ME Voices - Phyl Griffiths & Huw. Music - John & Jaye Vickers (Klezmerpolitan.)

8. HEY JONES Voices - Phyl Griffiths & Huw. Music - Nigel Evans

9. LITTLE STATIONS Voice - Huw. Music - Mal Grint.

10. ODE TO HAY FESTIVALS Voices - Tammy Gooding (BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester) & Huw. Music - John & Jaye Vickers (Klezmerpolitan.)

11. SARN HELEN (Parts 1 & 2) Voices - Malcolm Cousins & Huw.

12. THE MERTHYR PILGRIM Voice - Huw. Music - John & Jaye Vickers (Klezmerpolitan.)

13. THE NATURAL ORDER OF ALL THINGS Voices - Karin Mear & Huw.


'I believe that the Welsh are great talkers, enjoy music, love real life drama, are very sentimental and are often over-fond of the demon drink.
I‘d also say that most of us, no matter how rich or successful we may be, have come from humble beginnings (or have parents or grandparents that did) - which may explain why we also have a strong rebellious streak.
I’d like to think too, that we are a people united by a shared culture. For instance, we may not all enjoy rugby (I certainly don’t) but most of us can at least pronounce Welsh place-names, can mumble our way through the National Anthem and, if given the opportunity, will belt out ‘Delilah’ and ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’ with the best of them.
So, even if you don’t know what a gorsedd circle is, or where ‘the Triangle’ was, or where ‘Stack Square’ is. If you are kind, cunning, clannish, hospitable and happy-go-lucky - it doesn’t matter who you are, or where in the world you’ve come from, you’re a Taff!'


CYFARTHA PARK IS MELTING IN THE DARK

There is something brilliant about being Welsh.

It's an exclusive club that you can only be a member of by birth.

It has nothing to do with how much money you have. In fact money is the one thing that will not get you membership.

To be a member you have to be born in Wales. Some desperate people will try to claim Welshness by citing that their grandmother or great grandfather was Welsh.

Now that might account for a few red corpuscles running through your veins but it's not enough really. As I say, you have to be born here.

If you're an immigrant, you will probably have found out during your stay that it has something to do with mining, poverty and exploitation resulting in self-deprecation and humour.

Coincidently, Huw Parsons has a new collection of poetry, some set to music, performed by a number of Welsh people and incomers.

'A Radnorshire Church' features well known Brecon thespian Malcolm Cousins and Huw lost in a 'fabulously creepy' house of God.

A Radnorshire Phone Box' finds Huw in beat poet mode while 'Another Night in Merthyr' features Phyl Griffiths in retrospective mood complete with klezmer accompaniment.

Huw has pulled off a great trick on this CD by using his recordings of people, like the Adamant Band in Brecon Cathedral and Laura Lewis in the Watton Church, to bring the words to life.

He touches on humble beginnings, booze and sentimentality in 'Being Welsh', things we Taffs can all relate to. In the poem of the same name there's a line that makes me smile and Anglo immigrants could learn from this Crawshay quote: 'The Welsh can only be coaxed and never driven.'

Noggin the Nog – Welsh? I'd love to think so!

Huw borrows information about a long barrow in Talgarth from Chris Butcher's book 'Prehistoric Breconshire' for 'Final Friend and Skull Diggery' featuring the wonderfully Welsh voice of Sian Drinan and the mournful and powerful cello of Sonia Hammond.

Obscene greed is covered in 'God Forgive Me,' real life iron man Crawshay's epitaph accompanied by John and Jaye Vickers playing 'If I Were A Rich Man.'

Karin Mear joins Huw for an almost chapel-like prayer on 'The Natural Order Of All Things?' on this remarkable excursion.

Well worth a listen even if, sadly, you're not Welsh.

Nigel Evans, Brecon & Radnor & County Times, Thursday, February 7, 2013.


Sarn Helen: ‘This poem is wonderful, teeming with imagery and so evocative. I want to go there and experience it. A fine salute, Huw, to your talent! Congratulations on another fine piece of work. I love it. You must be proud of it.’ Christine Williams (Poet.)