Rydal Penrhos is pleased to share the latest success of Gwyn Davies, one of our skilled musicians.

Rydal Penrhos has a rich and proud musical history, boasting a legacy of talented musicians spanning the 140 years since the school’s founding.

This includes not just the exquisite choirs and bands that have brought joy to many generations of our community, but also modern-day musical stars. From former member of Catfish and the Bottleman, Bob Hall, to the German Eurovision competitor Ann Sophie, the school has been a nurturing ground for musical excellence in recent years.

Now, we are delighted to share a report on one of our latest musical stars, Gwyn Davies, kindly written and shared with us by his father, Mr Davies:

“After a fabulous summer tour playing the cello with the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, culminating in a performance at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, Rydal Penrhos music scholar Gwyn Davies turned to an altogether different genre of music on Saturday 23 September.

“The Dub Farm Volkswagen Weekend is an annual gathering of vehicle enthusiasts, set in the glorious mountains of Snowdonia, near Rhyd Ddu.

“Live bands perform for the campers, and this year, these included a two hour set from ‘Twenty on Black’, a combo led by Rydal Penrhos guitar tutor, Gavin Rasmussen.

“Gavin has been teaching Gwyn bass for a number of years now, and he was delighted to put him in the band for the Dub Farm gig. Their set was a wild success, with covers of classics such as ‘Walking on Sunshine’, ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘Nine to Five’, ‘Rebel Yell’, ‘Molly’s Chambers’, ‘Johnny B. Goode’ and ‘Hey Jude’ going down a storm with the hundred-strong crowd of dancing and singing revellers.

“Gwyn’s bass playing was gutsy, pulsating, tight with the drums, a rock solid foundation for Gavin to sing and thrash his guitar to. An adrenalin rush for Gwyn, his first professional gig as a bass player in a magnificent Welsh setting will be a memory forever.”