Swansea musician Mal Pope leads the vocals for Good As Gold, which was composed by local producer Andrew Griffiths.

The Good As Gold project invited young disabled people from schools throughout Swansea to interpret inspiring stories from the lives of our Welsh Paralympic heroes through poetry and art. After workshops led by Phil Cope (Swansea Council) and Sara Beer (Disability Arts Cymru), under the musical direction of Andrew Griffiths, the poems became lyrics for the unique piece of music.

Through the eyes of these young poets the song reflects the core movements of IPC athletics – running, throwing, jumping, the pride of representing your country and the elation of winning.

And the song will be a big part of the opening ceremony on Monday August 18^th as Wales welcomes around 600 of Europe’s best athletes competing for honours at the IPC Athletics European Championships.

Andrew Griffiths, who lives in Ystradgynlais, is a composer, producer and filmmaker with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. He said:

“I was approached by someone about the event and asked if I could help out. Of course, I was delighted to, particularly as it is a big event for Swansea and a chance to involve local children.

“It all took about a month to pull together. The words from the poems we used were really inspirational and they really make the song.”

Originally just a poetry and artwork project, the challenge was laid down to turn the poetry of sport into the music of sport. Andrew enlisted his good friend Mal Pope to lead the vocals on the song.

Pope commented:

“I’ve worked with Andrew on so many projects and it’s always an honour to be involved in something with the people of Swansea.”

As well as the opening ceremony, the music will be used for medal ceremonies throughout competition time.

Paul Thorburn, Chair of the Local Organising Committee for Swansea 2014 said:

“Swansea 2014 has unashamedly set out to raise the bar of the European Championships.

“This ambition not only relates to the field of play and athlete services but also with the way in which we have engaged with local communities and in particular young disabled people, placing equality at the heart of our approach. 

“Good as Gold is a project that Swansea can be proud of. It is ground-breaking, reflecting the talent and achievement of young people from across the county.

“Most of all my thanks and congratulations go to the pupils whose contributions have brought this project to life.” 

The competition will feature a wealth of Paralympians, World Champions and record holders from over 40 nations.

Swansea 2014 has released around 15,000 tickets for the 5-day Championships, available both online at www.swansea2014.com and from local outlets.  Priced at between £3-£7 per session, people from the city and athletics fans across the country can secure their place to witness action up close at morning and afternoon sessions.

Swansea University will host the event, creating an integrated venue and athlete village environment, supported by a strong Championship delivery team including Disability Sport Wales, Swansea Council, Welsh Government, British Athletics and Welsh Athletics.

Link to the IPC web site which is hosting the Youtube footage of the Good as Gold music track http://bit.ly/1nNY5v9