Jerusalem Presbyterian Church of Wales will host a Christmas Gymanfa Ganu, a traditional Welsh singing festival, on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2:30 p.m. Organized by the Welsh Gymanfa Ganu Association of Wisconsin, the festival is the final event in a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the construction of Jerusalem Presbyterian Church.
“A Gymanfa Ganu is a festival of sacred songs sung in four-part harmony,” explains Becky Gapinski, a member of Jerusalem Presbyterian Church and chairperson of the church’s Century Celebration. The tradition of directed congregational hymn singing dates back to about the 12th century in the country of Wales and is tied to the spiritual life of the Welsh people.
“People who settled the Village of Wales and who founded our church brought the tradition with them when they immigrated to the United States,” Gapinski says.
The Christmas Gymanfa Ganu on Nov. 10 will feature Christmas and traditional hymns, some sung in the native Welsh language and others in English. The public is invited to attend, sing and join in refreshments afterwards.
Jerusalem Presbyterian Church is located at 207 Main Street in Wales. For more information, call the church at 262-968-3408 or visit www.wggaw.org.
