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welsh trad

new cd

naid tros afon, by twm twp

dance music from wales

listen to an extract :
- "priodas", set of hornpipes, full version mp3 (3,534Mo) : click here
- "bore da", set of jigs, full version mp3 (4,102Mo) : click here
- "blodau", set of polkas full version mp3 (6,479Mo) : click here
- "mympwy llwyd" set of hornpipes from twm twp's first cd, full version mp3 (2,274Mo) : click here

 

twm twp - pronounced "toom toop" ! - traditional dance music from Wales reworked by a band three quarters welsh and one quarter breton. twm twp are based in brittany where they play and organise brassy welsh dance workshops, dixie-ceilidhs, and swing-concerts..

rachel goodwin piano, vocals, calling

richard goodwin soprano, tenor and baritone sax

trefor bennett trombone

mike james melodeon, vocals, calling

hervé dréan soprano sax, bouzouki, flutes

martin goodwin dréan drums, percussion s

 

twm twp proposes :

twmpath (welsh ceilidh) an evening of welsh traditional dances. the caller (rachel or mike) explains the dances with a quick walk-through then "calls" the figures along with the music. twm twp can play for a whole evening's dancing or just for part of an event, alternating with other groups.
courses and workshops of welsh dances - half days, full days or weekends.
concerts of welsh music - a cocktail of dances and songs in welsh and in english.

twm twp at the "sesiwn fawr" festival in dolgellau, wales, in july 2004

 

twm twp tri - une version en trio pour petites salles ou petits budgets... avec rachel, mike et hervé.

 

the first cd : twmpath

to listen to the set of hornpipes : mympwy llwyd - cinio'r sirif, click on the cd

the new cd : naid tros afon

to listen to the polka set blodau, click on the cd

more extracts at the top of the page

press reviews :

Twmpath :

"Now this is the real thing. Brittany based Twm Twp take Welsh dance-tune sets, mix in lots of brass and drums, and come out sounding like a highly danceable English ceilidh band. ... And while this solid, stomping dance music might, at any given moment, be interrupted by a blast of Dixieland or a Klezmer chorus, Welsh and Breton cultures harmonise on the occasional vocal interludes, such as Dau Rosyn Coch and Dacw'n nghariad, where the accordion and Rachel Goodwin's vocals evoke the Breton kan ha diskan tradition. Such quieter moments contrast with a hornpipe set that practically swings itself off the hi-fi. I can't wait to dance to these wonderful people. Won't someone invite them to bring their Welsh music home? Mike Greenwood, Taplas, October 2002

"...the jolly way they play their jigs, hornpipes, polkas waltzes and reels makes them sound as though they would go down a storm at English folk festival dances. Vic Smith, Folk Roots, November 2003

Naid Tros Afon

The album's title is translated as "A Jump Over The River", which gets across admirably the lithe, athletic, spacious outdoor feel of the playing of this new-wave dance band. Twm Twp hail from Wales yet are based in Brittany; their repertoire is rooted in Welsh dance tunes, yet with plenty of juicy Breton inflections built in. Their instrumental complement is unusual - Mike James' accordion takes the lead, pumped along by a brass-heavy bass and occasional ancillary melody line from trombone/euphonium and two saxes (courtesy of Trefor Bennett, Hervé Dréan and Richard Goodwin), all of which is vamped along nicely by Rachel Goodwin's piano and (sometimes) Martin Goodwin Dréan's drumkit or darabuka. Intermittent use of a whistle or bouzouki (Hervé again) adds some textural variety on tracks like the set of polkas. And a couple of sets (notably the wonderfully bouncy trio of ice-breaking hornpipes that make up track 8) invite a scrumptious carefree mardi-gras vibe. Given the above-mentioned "heavy brigade", though, the whole sound turns out to be distinctly light and airy, thoroughly tempting the listener to pace it out on the floor for him/herself (the dance instructions are appended as pdf files!). It's dances all the way, except for two vocal tracks, where Mike delivers a characterful, if (compared to what we're used to!) restrained rendition of A Miner's Life aka. Union Miners (further augmented by a Breton brass band!) and, to close the album, Ambell I Gân, a fetching little waltz-time song from Bala (sung here by Rachel) which was found in the Peter Kennedy collection. All things considered, Naid Tros Afon is an intriguingly different dance-band release that bears closer listening alongside the more expectedly energetic, determinedly foot-friendly responses. David Kidman, Net Rhythms www.netrhythms.co.uk

 

in french and in welsh:

" Voici enfin de la vraie musique ! Basé en Bretagne, Twm Twp prend des suites d'airs à danser gallois, y ajoute plein de cuivres et de batterie, et il en ressort un son hyper-danceable de Ceilidh Band anglais. ... Et alors que cette musique de danse solide et rythmée peut être interrompue par une salve de Dixieland ou un chorus Klezmer, les cultures galloises et bretonnes harmonisent dans les interludes vocales, comme Dau Rosyn Coch ou Dacw 'nghariad, où l'accordéon et les vocaux de Rachel Goodwin évoquent la tradition bretonne de kan ha diskan. Ces moments plus calme contrastent avec une suite de hornpipes qui " swingue " tellement qu'elle menace de faire exploser la chaine ! J'ai vraiment hâte de danser avec ces gens merveilleux. Il n'y a personne qui voudraient les inviter à ramener leur musique galloise chez eux ? "Mike Greenwood, Taplas, octobre 2002

"... leur façon conviviale de jouer les jigs, hornpipes, polkas, valses et reels nous donne l'impression qu'ils feraient un tabac dans les bals des Festivals Folk anglais. Vic Smith, Folk Roots, November 2003

Twm Twp - Clywyd am y band yma am y tro cyntaf pan welwyd adolygiad o un o’r cryno- ddisgiau yn y cylchgrawn ‘fROOTS’. Roedd yr adolygwr yn amlwg wedi mwynhau ac yn canmol y band i’r cymylau, ond pwy oedd Twm Twp? Wedi holi, deall fod aelodau’r band yn Gymry alltud ac yn byw yn Llydaw. Derbyn copi o’r CD a clywed swn gwahanol iawn. Cerddoriaeth dawns draddodiadol ond wedi ei drefnu mewn modd unigryw. Cyfuniad o jazz ac ychydig o ‘oompha’! Gwnewch yn siwr eich bod yn gweld Twm Twp yn y Sesiwn eleni. Sesiwn Fawr, Dolgellau, Gorffennaf 2004

We first came across Twm Twp in a review of their first CD in the magazine fROOTS. The reviewer was singing the praises of this Welsh band. But who were Twm Twp? No-one had seen or heard anything of them on the Welsh scene. A little more investigation found that they are based in Brittany and that one of their members was none other than Mike James who was one of the founders of the Pontardawe Festival many years ago. After hearing the CD there was no doubt that we had to try to bring this band over to Wales for the Sesiwn. Brass, jazz, trad it’s all here in an exciting mix of memorable music. Sesiwn Fawr, Dolgellau, July 2004

" Twm Twp are foremost in the new movement of bands playing traditional music for dance. They bring a terrific energy with an interesting and original mix of influences. Good time music." Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span...), mars 2005

 

contact twm twp

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