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Famous Welsh singer and shearer publishes autobiography

“It’s a remarkable feeling to be able to tell my story in a book like this – something I never thought I’d be doing at 46 – but after years of competing in different fields and experiencing so much while travelling the world, now’s the time to write about my memories before I forget them!” Aled Wyn Davies.

In a book full of fun and humour, farmer and singer Aled Wyn Davies – otherwise known as Aled Pentremawr – shares his experiences and global adventures as he takes the reader on a journey from the world of agriculture to the world of music in O’r Gwlân i’r Gân (From Wool to Song).

It doesn’t take us long to figure out that Aled is at his happiest in the village of Llanbryn-mair and on Pentremawr Farm – right in the middle of his flock of Welsh white-faced sheep. We get to learn all about his idyllic upbringing, the farm’s connection with the medieval poet Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, and how Aled is lucky to still be alive after several mishaps during his life!

A master shearer, Aled also shares his amusing tales from the field. We join him on his journey from the local show in Llanbryn-mair, discovering his competitive streak and on to the moment he won his friend Huw Harding’s memorial award at the Royal Welsh Show.

Like other young people from the Welsh countryside, Aled acknowledges the benefits of the Young Farmers’ Clubs. A member of the Dovey Valley branch, he shares his entertaining stories with us, including how the club allowed him to develop as a singer as well as experiment as an actor and comedy performer. “The Young Farmers’ Clubs are basically the dating agency of rural Wales,” jokes Aled as he details the incredible story of how he met his wife Karina and ended up sharing their first kiss onstage at the Young Farmers’ Eisteddfod!

His wife Karina is the co-editor of the autobiography: “It’s been fascinating to see Aled sit still for a change as he tries to get the highlights of his life down on paper! I can’t praise him enough for writing the entire book himself – mind you, it needed a little bit of editing once he was finished with it! There were a few unexpected moments as I read his stories, but considering I’ve lived with him for nearly twenty years now, nothing about Aled really surprises me anymore!”

We also get to learn more about his wealth of experiences in the world of singing, from his first performance as a four-year-old in a Llanbryn-mair chapel to singing on some of the most renowned stages in the UK and the world with stars including Bryn Terfel! We also discover how winning the Blue Ribbon at the National Eisteddod sparked his global journey to sing on luxury cruises from Bangkok to India, along with his experience singing in groups such as Traed Dan Bwrdd and, more recently, the Three Welsh Tenors with fellow singers Rhys Meirion and Aled Hall.

Aled shares the wonderful welcome he received from Welsh societies across the world. We learn about his delightful experiences performing for Welsh audiences in North America and beyond, along with the fact that it was the North American newspaper Ninnau that inspired him to stay home and continue his beloved farming rather than becoming a full-time performer.

“My heart has always been in the world of agriculture here in Mid Wales, and it would take something major to lure me to a big city, far away from the beauty and serenity of Maldwyn. I love that I’m able to combine my love for singing and farming and find a balance between the two.”

We also get to meet the rest of the Pentremawr clan, including his children. His daughter, Aria, loves to join her father on the stage, while his son Aron – “A storm of a boy” according to Aled – was born during rehearsals for the nativity at the local chapel!

From his love for Liverpool FC to catching a thief in Cardiff, and from unexpectedly losing his voice after using sheep dip to his misadventures in LA with his mischievous friend Wini’r Goedol – not to mention the story about how he nearly missed one performance because he was determined to finish his pudding – there’s something for everyone in this autobiography.