Sound of Wales singing a new song in the land of revival

A new band is helping the people of Wales reconnect with their spiritual heritage. Through live events and workshops, Sound of Wales (SOW) hopes to whet people’s spiritual appetites through the power of music and song.

SOW is made up of four musicians, each with a heart to see the land of Wales revived as the land of song, which has been its heritage for many years.

The band consists of lead singer Cath Woolridge, who appeared in Gavin and Stacey, supported closely by Jon Goode and Rachel Mathias, who are multi instrumentalists and compose the band’s tunes. Mark Galozzi Hibberd is the band’s drummer.

And the band has just released its first album. Llef: (The Cry) is part of the band’s vision to use music as the tool to get the word of Christ out to the nations. The album introduces eight brand new anthems of revival written specifically for congregational worship, alongside two new versions of Welsh heritage hymns.

These include Here Is Love, sung in the native tongue until its English translation in 1900, and For Wales Our Land, written by Lewis Valentine to the tune of Sibelius’ Finlandia and considered by many to be the religious national anthem of Wales.

SOW has a three stranded vision. Firstly to capture the sound of Wales: focusing on proclaiming the truth of Jesus through music throughout the land of song. Secondly, by equipping generations it will seek to enable excellence by training and equipping writers and worship leaders through worship schools.

This also includes a new BA Hons degree in Contemporary Music and Worship, written by the SOW team. And thirdly, by impacting communities it aims to realise their dream for revival in Wales by taking the music into churches and communities in remote parts of Wales and the UK.

Cath Woolridge said; “Around the globe, Wales is known as the land of song and the land of great revival. Wales needs the very breath of heaven breathed into its veins again and what better a vehicle than music.”