A DUO from the Llyn Peninsula will release their first collection of new songs for 10 years.
John ac Alun, who have been singing together since 1989 and who released their first album in 1991, launch the aptly titled Hir a Hwyr (Long and Late) this month.
John Jones and Alun Roberts were raised in Tudweiliog during the 1950s.
Both attended Tudweiliog Primary School and Ysgol Botwnnog.
The recording of the new album took place in Alun’s Tudweiliog home, across a period of two years.
Alun is also responsible for most of the arrangements on this record.
“It was great to be able to drop by every now and then to listen to the tracks and to record the occasional vocal - and to do so in a relaxed atmosphere, over an extended period of time,” John Jones said.
John Williams from Bangor was responsible for the piano and keyboards on the album, whilst he also contributed many great ideas for the songs.
So why has it taken 10 years for John ac Alun to release this album?
The duo say it’s partly to do with their desire to shape every aspect of the work, including the choice of songs, their interpretation and the type of production that would best suit each song.
“I already had a song called Merch y Dre, and we’d performed it live many times” said John.
“That was a start, but we needed more songs, so I picked up the phone and spoke to several songwriters including Alun ’Sbardun’ Hughes. Fair play, he sent me a wonderful song with the title Hir a Hwyr. We’re pleased to say that ‘Sbard’ heard the song before he passed away recently, and he was delighted with the finished product.”
Read the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News