Locals save birthplace of famous hymn tune

A community group in Wales is planning to purchase the Grade II-listed chapel where the famous hymn tune Cwm Rhondda was first sung.

Composer John Hughes wrote Cwm Rhondda for a November 1907 anniversary service and it remains one of the most famous traditional hymn tunes – usually sung to "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah."

Capel Rhondda, in Hopkinstown, South Wales, was built in 1885 and closed at the end of last year. When locals discovered it had been put on the market for £47,500, they did not want it purchased by wealthy developers.