16/04/2026
This absolute beauty from Huw’s recent Heol Las album is out today. Such a special piece of music, from those gentle, lullaby synthesiser chords, to the warm fuzzed guitar melody that drifts through it all to the haunting fiddle playing, we can’t get enough of this one.
Cân Y Saer Maen
Translates as The Stonemason’s Song.
The area of Bro Morgannwg, where this melody was recorded, is an area known for its limestone - Blue Lias (look at the debut album Tresilan Bay for a first reference to this local rock).
Blue Lias is a very distinctive geological formation that stretches throughout the Arfodir Treftadaeth Morgannwg (Glamorgan Heritage Coast).
I have friends in the community I grow up with, still making their living from skilfully cutting this stone, adding to the areas many 500 year old buildings and even older stone walls.
This was probably a tune written and sung by Edward Williams (who’s bardic name was Iolo Morgannwg), as he himself worked as local
stonemason in the same area.
All the songs on third album Heol Las are based on, or reference traditional music from the Morgannwg /Glamorgan area of South Wales.
Heol Las is out now on vinyl and digital.
