The miners often sang music in parts on the way into the mines. When the LDS missionaries came to Wales, the entire village of Merthyr Tydfil joined the church. Most emigrated to the US. They missed the choirs that they had in Wales and formed a fairly well known group, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The choir leader has been of Welsh ancestry for a very long time.
I've been active with Welsh groups in Southern CA. Periodically, a Gymanfa Ganu is scheduled...often at a Presbyterian church. The community gathers and we sing in Welsh and in parts. Guest soloists are invited from Wales for those events. In August, there is an Eisteddfod held in Wales where music and poetry competitions/performances occur. The best poet (bard) wins a carved wooden chair.
I had need to fill a half a semester in my senior year of high school. Choir was my choice. Cute young ladies and fun music to perform. We competed in acapella format singing in Italian and a modern presentation of the musical Hair.
I didn't get my hands on a Welsh language hymnal until 1993. It took some time to learn the language sufficiently to sing in a choir format. I generally prefer the Welsh folk music genre. Plethyn and Linda Healy have been prolific in recording folk music. It turns out that my friends Meredydd Evans and his wife Phyllis Kinney spent lots of time digging the old music out of the library in Aberystwyth. Linda and her brothers (Plethyn) brought the research to life.
Here is a live concert with Plethyn performing Can Melangell
Thanks!