93rd Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu ~ Purchase a WNGGA Hymnal
Sunday, August 31, 2025, 2:00pm - 6:00pm (with a tea break from 3:30pm - 4:30pm)
Free-will offering on site. No charge. Please per-register on festival registration form to help gauge attendance.
Location: Christchurch Cathedral, 414 Sparks Street, Ottawa, a 5 minute Walk from the Delta Hotel City Center
Sunday afternoon, join us for song and praise in this traditional celebration of congregational singing of Welsh hymns. Hymns will be sung in both Welsh and English in this, our 91st annual Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu. Don’t forget to bring your Welsh hymnals. Hymnals will be available for purchase. Both sessions will be held at Christchurch Cathedral, Director Owain Arwel and Steve Jensen will accompany.
2:00pm - 3:30pm ~ Gymanfa Ganu Session I
3:30pm - 4:30pm ~ Complimentary Afternoon Tea
4:30pm - 6:00pm ~ Gymanfa Ganu Session II
Closing Ceremony (at the conclusion of the Gymanfa)
6:30pm - 7:30pm ~ Sunday Evening Meal at Delta Hotel City Centre Ottawa [Menu]
3:30pm - 4:30pm ~ Complimentary Afternoon Tea
4:30pm - 6:00pm ~ Gymanfa Ganu Session II
Closing Ceremony (at the conclusion of the Gymanfa)
6:30pm - 7:30pm ~ Sunday Evening Meal at Delta Hotel City Centre Ottawa [Menu]
93rd National Gymanfa Ganu Director
~ Owain Arwel Davies, B.Mus M.C.G.I PGCE - Musical Director
Owain Arwel Davies, graduated with honours from the School of Music at Bangor University in 1999, and was Head of Music at Ysgol Tryfan, Bangor from 2005. In 2017 he was appointed Head of Inclusive Education for Gwynedd and Anglesey Education Authority, and is currently the Deputy Head Teacher at Ysgol Glan Clwyd, recognised as the first Welsh Language Secondary school in Wales.
As a diverse musician he has also performed and recorded with some of Wales’ leading Rock and Pop Bands including Band Pres Llareggub, Anweledig and Steve Eaves. Owain Arwel was recently invited to write and arrange the choral parts for Damon Albarn’s (Formerly of Blur) new Album with ‘The Good the bad and the Queen’ where Côr y Penrhyn featured as a guest choir, which followed by performances in The London Palladium and Glastonbury Festival!
As a music teacher, Owain Arwel is well known in Wales for his qualities in nurturing and guiding talented young students, who have gone on to be professional musicians. Also as a highly regarded adjudicator including the National Urdd Eisteddfod. He takes great pride in being invited to lead the North American Festival of Wales for the third time in 2025.
~ Owain Arwel Davies, B.Mus M.C.G.I PGCE - Musical Director
Owain Arwel Davies, graduated with honours from the School of Music at Bangor University in 1999, and was Head of Music at Ysgol Tryfan, Bangor from 2005. In 2017 he was appointed Head of Inclusive Education for Gwynedd and Anglesey Education Authority, and is currently the Deputy Head Teacher at Ysgol Glan Clwyd, recognised as the first Welsh Language Secondary school in Wales.
As a diverse musician he has also performed and recorded with some of Wales’ leading Rock and Pop Bands including Band Pres Llareggub, Anweledig and Steve Eaves. Owain Arwel was recently invited to write and arrange the choral parts for Damon Albarn’s (Formerly of Blur) new Album with ‘The Good the bad and the Queen’ where Côr y Penrhyn featured as a guest choir, which followed by performances in The London Palladium and Glastonbury Festival!
As a music teacher, Owain Arwel is well known in Wales for his qualities in nurturing and guiding talented young students, who have gone on to be professional musicians. Also as a highly regarded adjudicator including the National Urdd Eisteddfod. He takes great pride in being invited to lead the North American Festival of Wales for the third time in 2025.
93rd National Gymanfa Ganu accompanist
~ Organist Steven Jensen will play for both sessions of the 93rd National Gymanfa Ganu on Sunday afternoon and evening. He began playing the piano and organ at the age of 9. He had his first regular church job at the age of 13. During grades 9–12 he studied at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. He continued his organ study during college at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The first gymanfa ganu that he played for was in 1977 in Fort Atkinson, WI. The conductor was Lyn Harry of Canada. Mr. Harry requested that Mr. Jensen play the following year at the National Gymanfa Ganu in Minneapolis in 1978. Since then Steven has played for many local and state cymanfaoedd. He is currently employed as a Compliance Officer for US Bank in Milwaukee, WI, and serves as Organist at Immanuel Presbyterian Church. We’ll
~ Organist Steven Jensen will play for both sessions of the 93rd National Gymanfa Ganu on Sunday afternoon and evening. He began playing the piano and organ at the age of 9. He had his first regular church job at the age of 13. During grades 9–12 he studied at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. He continued his organ study during college at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The first gymanfa ganu that he played for was in 1977 in Fort Atkinson, WI. The conductor was Lyn Harry of Canada. Mr. Harry requested that Mr. Jensen play the following year at the National Gymanfa Ganu in Minneapolis in 1978. Since then Steven has played for many local and state cymanfaoedd. He is currently employed as a Compliance Officer for US Bank in Milwaukee, WI, and serves as Organist at Immanuel Presbyterian Church. We’ll