From the Welsh Tract to a Transatlantic Symphony: Celebrating 250 Years of Welsh-American Connection

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the Welsh Government has presented the nation with a gift that carries a particularly meaningful connection to Greater Philadelphia: a newly commissioned symphonic work celebrating the historic ties between Wales and the United States.

Symffoni’r Môr Mawr – A Transatlantic Symphony, composed by Welsh composer Katie Jenkins, was commissioned to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. Known as the “Land of Song,” Wales has a rich musical heritage, making music a natural way to celebrate the enduring connections between the two nations.

For Greater Philadelphia, those connections reach back more than three centuries to the Welsh Tract.

In the late 17th century, Welsh Quakers immigrated to Pennsylvania, fleeing religious persecution and establishing communities in an area that became known as the Welsh Tract. Located west of the Schuylkill River, the tract encompassed portions of what are now Delaware and Chester Counties and became an important center of Welsh settlement in the region.

As part of her research for the symphony, Jenkins even travelled to Philadelphia to meet descendants of these early Welsh Quakers and learn more about their journeys and the communities they established in Pennsylvania. That history inspired Anweledig, eto’n annwyl (“Invisible, Yet Loved”), one of the symphony’s movements, which draws on the experiences of Welsh communities in America and incorporates Welsh-language hymn material connected to early Welsh-American communities.

The Welsh Tract’s lasting legacy on the Greater Philadelphia region, which can be seen in many ways, including in the survival of Welsh place names such as Bryn Mawr, Bala Cynwyd, and Haverford, stands as an enduring testament to the historic ties between Wales and Pennsylvania. These connections have continued to evolve through generations of cultural, educational, and business exchange. Today, Welsh-American relationships remain an important part of the broader U.S.-UK connection and of Greater Philadelphia’s international business community.

The gift, presented by Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport Heledd Fychan, has now joined the collections of the Library of Congress, a meaningful tribute to the deep and lasting ties between our two nations.

Several BABCPHL members and staff were honored to attend the ceremony and join the many individuals and organizations gathered to celebrate this important milestone. Fellow attendees included His Excellency Sir Christian Turner KCMG CVO, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States, and representatives Lloyd Doggett and Morgan Griffith, Chairs of the Congressional Friends of Wales Caucus.

As the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia continues to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we are proud to highlight this special gift from Wales. From the Welsh Quakers who made their home in Pennsylvania centuries ago to the business, cultural, and international connections that continue to bring our communities together today, Symffoni’r Môr Mawr offers a celebration of the enduring relationship between Wales and the United States. At the BABC, we look forward to building on this longstanding relationship and continuing to strengthen the ties between Wales, Pennsylvania, and the United States for generations to come.