If you like Welsh folk music you’ll enjoy these programmes from S4C. Lots of great music and stories about the songs histories…
http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_level2.shtml?programme_id=516377612
http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_level2.shtml?programme_id=516377630
How does the Ffwrnes Gerdd series compare to the series (Y Goeden Faled) on the roots of famous Welsh folk songs that Cerys Matthews is doing right now?
oh they were great programmes - I watched them back to back and thoroughly enjoyed them. Shivers down my spine with some of them, Kizzy Crawford’s version of David of the White Rock was just amazing…dioch yn fawr for posting about them!
Diane, the Cerys Matthews programme looks at 2 songs per episode so doesn’t have much different music each time but does go into more depth about each one, delving as you say into the roots of those songs. Whereas Ffwrnes Gerdd is more about being able to watch the songs being performed and has 6 or 7 different songs per episode so more variety but also less depth. It isn’t presenter-led either (which is good imho if like me your enjoyment of the programme is slightly spoiled by a presenter you don’t warm to, or who takes focus from the featured musicians), each artist does a little speaking on camera about their history or the history of the song, and then the performance is left to speak for itself. Great stuff!
Well put, Carole!
Cheers 
A bit more Welsh music: Cerys Matthews pops up again on this week’s Soul Music on BBC4, which features the song Myfanwy: