The launch of Torri Naws, the album from the band Clatshobant, represented a long-time ambition achieved for local singer Delyth Wyn. Celebrating its release at the Small World Theatre at the week-end, was an array of top class musical talent, much appreciated by a sizeable crowd, many of them fans of the band..

‘We’ve been performing for years together,’ Delyth says of herself and Joseph Caswell who are at the heart of Clatshobant and who both worked on creating the album. ‘Wherever we play people have always asked whether we have a CD they could buy. So this is it. All of our favourites are on it.’

Traditional songs make up a part of the CD, and then there is also the material they have written themselves, and all of it shares a very distinctive rhythmic style and in the manner of the best of folk rock it certainly managed on Friday night to get people on their feet and dancing. Many of the songs were familiar to a large percentage of the audience who were there to support a favourite local performer. Family and friends were joined by a lively social gathering, who crowded in for what became a great party. Songs like Mochyn du and ar Lan y Mor were familiar enough for some to feel quite relaxed about joining in and singing along and the band were actually joined on stage by willing voices.

Before the show started Delyth confessed she had a slight trepidation about the launch of the album which has been in the making for at least eighteen months, and has involved the goodwill and hard work of a lot of people. ‘I really want it to do well,’ she says. ‘for us, and for Fflach, and everyone who set us on the road.’

And is she nervous about performing? ‘Not a bit! these are my friends,’ she grins. ‘I’m afraid of nothing here! I love performing in Aberteifi, but it would be really nice to think that people enjoy the show enough to buy the CD after hearing what we have done.’

On stage Delyth Wyn is an electric performer, lithe and slender in her trademark trilby hat and boots, with a quirky profile more like a street performer than a stage diva, she moves as though the music is an electric current that takes her body by surprise and propels it into action. The musicians were headed up by Joseph Caswell and also along for the evening were guest musicians, Jacob Caswell, Sior Boyeson and on the CD were also Doc and Brychan Llyr, Delyth’s brother. Their father, the late Dic Jones was also included when, in a moving moment, Delyth read one of his poems before the end of the evening. Outside there was a mini-circus atmosphere with fire-eating and juggling in evidence for those wanting to escape briefly the crush indoors.

Clatshobant’s CD is available from Awen Teifi at £10.00 per copy.

LW