Two of Wales’ leading instrumentalists launch new musical career with award-winning band ‘Dewin’

Published

1 year ago

March 5, 2025

How often are children told that learning an instrument is something that will give them untold pleasure for the rest of their lives? Loads.

But how many children actually believe this?

Two local musicians who have spent their childhood years studying, performing and excelling at their musical platforms are now gaining recognition in the cut-throat world of pop.

Jencyn Corp and Lefi Dafydd both accomplished their grade 8s at very young ages and have both performed on the classical stage winning awards and gaining recognition as two of Wales’ most outstanding young performers.

But earlier this year their band, ‘Dewin’ (Wizard), scooped the best band award in Gwyl Fel ‘na Mai’s prestigious ‘Gwobr Goffa Richard a Wyn’. The award is in memory of iconic Welsh musicians Richard and Wyn Jones who formed the influential band ‘ Ail Symudiad’ before launching the Fflach recording studios which are based in Cardigan. As a result of the award, ‘Dewin’ is now proving a firm choice at some of this year’s main Welsh music festivals including the two-day Tafwyl festival in Bute Park, Cardiff, (June 14), and Gwyl Fel na Mai which takes place in Crymych on May 3.

“Having the chance to play at events such as these as well as having the opportunity to start experimenting with a totally different way of performing to what I’ve been used to is a real gift,” said Lefi during a break from his studies as a first year student at Cambridge University, where he’s studying Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic .

“I started playing the piano when I was around six, and then began learning the clarinet shortly afterwards, but I always played in a very correct and classical way.

“Obviously since moving to Cambridge, it’s been difficult for me to continue playing, so having the opportunity to perform with ‘Dewin’ is fantastic. In many ways, ‘Dewin’ has taken over how I’m now performing as a musician.”

Similarly, Jencyn began learning piano at the tender age of six. His love of music as a child led to him subsequently learning the flute, harp, piano accordion and, more recently, the pipe organ.

“My mother always used to play me baby Mozart CDs when I was a child, so maybe this was why I was so keen to learn an instrument,” he laughs in that charismatic Corp way.

“I joined the junior conservatoire when I was a bit older and this was when I started finding out about jazz and learning how to be a bit more adventurous with improvisation. So I suppose this was where the idea of being in a band came from, where I could create my own sounds and write my own material.”

But then A levels took over (both are former pupils of Ysgol y Preseli) followed by the interview and audition processes to continue their studies at university. Jencyn is currently taking a gap year after being accepted to read Music at Southampton University in September 2025.

Jencyn and Lefi had been performing together for several years with their slightly unconventional repertoire of traditional Welsh folk tunes, Jencyn on piano accordion and Lefi on clarinet. And it was during a recent performance at a children’s twmpath (folk dance), that the duo were heard by Fflach Cymunedol’s Nico Dafydd. As a result, the pair were invited into the studio to talk about ways in which their highly original style could be developed.

“And this was how ‘Dewin’ started,” continues Jencyn.

“Even though Lefi is an incredibly good pianist with his highly technical classical repertoire, and even though I’m pretty good at performing jazz, when you put the two of us together we’re actually more similar than you’d think. Lefi has a very creative brain and I’m always working on song ideas and the way in which different instruments, possibly instruments that you wouldn’t normally associate with a pop band, might work together.”

Last May, long before Dewin saw the light of day, Jencyn sat down one afternoon with his phone to do a spot of composition.

“This was very typical of me at the time,” he laughs. “But I started working harder with this one particular song. And when I played the idea to Nico Dafydd, this was the song that Fflach decided to release as our single.”

The song, entitled ‘Syched Cas’ (Nasty Thirst) is being released under the Fflach Cymunedol label this Friday, March 7.

“It’s definitely more interesting than your conventional pop song, and this is probably the result of Jencyn’s considerable understanding of jazz,” continues Lefi. “It’s got all these fantastic harmonies and chords with their ninths and sevenths, but it’s also got this incredibly catchy chorus.”

The opportunity to work and record with the Fflach team has helped Corp and Dafydd gain an invaluable insight into how recording engineers transform a musical idea into an intricately layered finished piece.

“It’s wonderful that we have a community studio such as Fflach on our doorstep, with the aim of nurturing Welsh talent and giving people an opportunity to use the studio and its recording facilities,” continued Jencyn. “It’s certainly given us the technical advantage of being able to use things like cubase and logic pro, and it’s really opened doors for us.

“In a studio you can sit down and listen and keep adding and adding. And we’ve set quite a high standard for ourselves. But we’ve also got to perform our songs to the public, and try to set the same standards that we did in the recording studio, and this can be quite difficult to achieve on stage.

“But music has always meant so very much to both me and Lefi, so being able to continue our journey, albeit it in a different direction, is fantastic. In many ways, this is why the name ‘Dewin’, or wizard, is so apt. It has that slightly nostalgic sense of playful magic that we had as children. And once again we’re now having the magic of music to explore and perform to a wider audience.

“But whatever lies ahead, Lewi and I are determined to give ‘Dewin’ absolutely everything we’ve got.”

Given the musical talents that both men have consistently displayed since their primary school days, Welsh music lovers have got an awful lot to look forward to, whenever ‘Dewin’ take to the stage.

Finance

Families urged to claim childcare top-up ahead of summer holidays

Published

14 minutes ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A RECORD number of families are using Tax-Free Childcare to cut the cost of childcare, HM Revenue and Customs has said.

The government paid almost £600m in top-up payments through the scheme in 2025-26, with 868,095 families now benefiting.

Tax-Free Childcare allows working parents to receive government support towards approved childcare for children aged 11 and under, or up to 16 if the child is disabled.

For every £8 paid into an online childcare account, the government adds £2. Parents can receive up to £500 every three months for each child, or £1,000 if the child is disabled.

This means families can save up to £2,000 a year per child, or £4,000 for a disabled child.

HMRC is encouraging parents to check whether they are eligible before the summer holidays, when childcare costs often rise.

HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, Myrtle Lloyd said: “I’m so pleased these figures show more families than ever are using Tax-Free Childcare to save on their bills.

“£2,000 is not a small amount and it can make a real difference – especially with the childcare void of the summer holidays approaching.

“If you haven’t signed up yet, don’t miss out, go to GOV.UK to do it today.”

The scheme can be used to pay for approved childcare including childminders, before and after-school clubs, and holiday activity clubs. It can also help cover specialist equipment needed by a childcare provider for a disabled child.

Families may be eligible if they have a child aged 11 or under, or a disabled child aged up to 16, and if both parents — or a single parent — earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage.

Each parent must earn no more than £100,000 a year, and families cannot receive Tax-Free Childcare if they are also receiving Universal Credit or childcare vouchers.

Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside free childcare hours, provided the family meets the eligibility rules.

Parents can check eligibility and apply through GOV.UK.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

46 minutes ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Health

Woman jailed assaults on police, harassment and XL Bully possession

Published

2 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CARMARTHEN woman has been jailed after admitting a lengthy catalogue of offences including assaults on police officers, harassment, breaching a Community Protection Notice, shop theft, possession of an XL Bully dog and assaulting a paramedic.

Tilly Rees, 25, of Llys Caermedi, Carmarthen, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Jun 18).

The court heard that Rees admitted multiple breaches of a Community Protection Notice issued in 2025, including incidents in which she shouted abuse in public, caused distress to residents and repeatedly targeted individuals named in court proceedings.

Harassment campaign

Among the offences was a harassment charge relating to a course of conduct against a Carmarthen man between March and May this year.

Prosecutors said Rees approached him on multiple occasions, shouted abuse, called him a paedophile and video-recorded him and his home.

She also admitted a series of Community Protection Notice breaches linked to the same behaviour.

Police assaults

The court heard that Rees assaulted a number of police officers during incidents in Llanelli on May 1 and May 5.

Several assault charges against serving police constables were taken into account by the court when sentence was passed.

A further charge of assaulting a paramedic at Dafen Police Station on June 12 was also admitted.

Shop theft and XL Bully

Rees also admitted stealing items including sanitary products, deodorant, skincare products and reading glasses from a Carmarthen pharmacy.

In a separate matter, she admitted possessing an XL Bully dog contrary to the Dangerous Dogs Act. The court ordered the dog to be forfeited and destroyed after Rees relinquished her rights to it.

Restraining orders imposed

District Judge M Layton imposed a number of restraining orders preventing Rees from contacting named individuals or referring to them online.

The orders prohibit direct or indirect contact and restrict social media activity relating to those protected by the orders.

Jailed for 26 weeks

Magistrates concluded that only an immediate custodial sentence could be justified.

Rees was sentenced to a total of 26 weeks’ imprisonment.

The court heard that some of the offences were committed while she was already subject to a suspended sentence, while others involved assaults on emergency workers carrying additional aggravating factors.