Dai Jones, "Dai Coch" -
6th October 1933 to 7th February 2007

In a profound shock to his family and to his many friends, Dai Jones died from cancer on the 7th of February, aged 73, after a few weeks’ illness. He was an uncomplaining man and with hindsight we can perhaps see the first stirrings of his tumours many months earlier in the fierce backache he occasionally mentioned. It was typical of Dai to go about his business - his choir, his family, his church - without concerning himself about his “backache” until the pain prostrated him.

He was a kindly generous person, who by some measures lived a modest life. After leaving school, he worked on several farms then settled on the Forestry, where he remained for 38 years until his retirement. He had lived in Llansawel since 1968, not quite in the same house, but within a door or two. However there were two great transforming forces in his life which made it an unusually rich one. They were family and music, especially singing.

He was a fine instinctive tenor, with a marvellously easy production and a pure silvery timbre, who came from a line of gifted singers. He was born at Ffynnon Dafydd Beavon, on Epynt mountain, and aged six came to Cenarth Farm, Brechfa. He performed with success in Eisteddfods as a child and as a young adult toured with the singing group Adar y Cwm in the 60s. In later life his duetting with Rev Huw Roberts (baritone) and others was a popular concert feature. In 1974 he joined Cor Meibion Dinefwr of Llandeiloas first tenor and remained a stalwart there until his last illness. His final public appearance was a small one but it was important to him - on December 17th 2006, a simple Carol Evening with the choir at the Village Hall in Ffarmers. He was standing on the end of the line and was clearly stooped with pain, but was still cheerful - and hopeful that his “backache” would pass with a bit more patience.

A good voice doesn’t necessarily make a good musician but Dai was blessed with natural musicianship. He didn’t read music or study, but he was always on pitch; he was never pushed off the true note and everything he did, he did with ease, out of generosity of voice and of spirit.

He loved and supported his family without stint, his wife, his three daughters, his grandchildren. Many of his walks through the village ended at a house where he was doing chores or just seeing that every body was all right.

His funeral service was in Bethel Chapel on February 12th last, and was conducted by Canon Jo Penberthy of St Sawyls, where he had been People’s Warden for many years and had rung the church bell every morning at seven thirty. That wasn’t really part of his duties, by the way - he just enjoyed doing it.

More than four hundred people attended his funeral. The service started at 1 pm, but the chapel started to fill up before 12 and by about half past people were being turned away. Over a hundred stood on the pavement across the street until the procession came out to take him to Bethel Cemetery.

During the service, his grand daughter Briah Rose recited a poem she had composed about him. It was hard to believe that he had sung a memorable duet with her only a couple of months earlier at St Sawyls’ Christmas Concert.

His great friend and fellow chorister, John Thomas,of Llandeilo, remembers that Dai’s gifts were recognised when he was very young and that he had an offer of a place at the School of Music, but there was no money to send him, and so he had to let it pass. It’s tempting to speculate what might have been if he had been allowed to go, but perhaps it’s better to remember him simply for what he did and for what he was. He was indeed one of those rare spirits that light up a community and he is much missed by many people.

Dai didn’t want to go into hospital and was able to spend his last few weeks at home, through the support of his GP, Dr Rowlands, the nurses at Brynmeddyg Surgery, Llanybydder, and the Acute Response Team at Glangwili Hospital, to all of whom the family is deeply grateful.

Heartfelt thanks too to the many friends who donated a total of £1500, to be divided among the Church, Brynmeddyg and the Glangwili Acute Response Team. 

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