A poem read by Britain’s Prince Charles was heard at a Dylan Thomas celebration last night (27.10.14).
An audio recording of the prince reciting ‘Fern Hill’ was among the performances at Swansea Grand Theatre’s 36-hour Dylathon, which was held as part of the Dylan Thomas 100 Festival – of which Charles is patron – in celebration of the acclaimed poet’s centenary.
Charles originally made the recording last year to mark National Poetry Day and it was broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme.
He said he enjoys the verse for its "poignant and moving evocation of a rural west Wales childhood" and that one of the legacies of Thomas’ poetry is that it inspires people to appreciate the landscape of Wales.
Charles’ recital can also be heard at an exhibition dedicated to the poet at Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre, and his granddaughter Hannah Ellis is thrilled by the tribute.
She said: "This is potentially one of the biggest legacy projects to have emerged in this centenary year of my grandfather’s birth.
"It’s extremely important to me that Swansea Council safeguards this legacy and makes the most of this generous investment from the HLF. I’m expecting this project to really engage the local community, as well as the wider Dylan Thomas community, through their new education and outreach programme and play a central role in ensuring that future generations are inspired by my grandfather’s literary successes."
Prince Charles’ Dylan Thomas tribute
