Bethan Myfanwy Hughes is a 28 year old professional harpist and singer from Wales. She has also been called an “Angel of the Battlefield” by battle hardened, tough as nails British and American soldiers. Why? Because she spends a lot of time in the UK and USA visiting wounded troops in hospitals and soothing their minds and bodies with her music.

There is evidence that the music of the harp – it’s unique vibration frequency and resonance tones –  eases pain and helps stressed patients to relax.

Bethan also works with cancer patients in hospices as well as the mentally ill but the soldiers are so special for her that she hopes to raise £25,000 for the charity Help for Heroes, supporting soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan by playing for customers in supermarkets all over Wales.

 “Through my voluntary compassionate care work with the British forces, I have seen a lot of badly injured soldiers.

“Seeing how brave they are and the courage they have, like the amputees and double amputees who still wanted to serve in the forces, has made me want to do this for them.”

From the military comments on her website her work is much appreciated

From OP Herrick 2008, Thank you so much for your support and your music. You truly are an ‘angel of the Battlefield’…WE WANT BETHAN IN THE MIDDLE EAST !! 

Hi Bethan, just wanted to say Thank you for adopting me through my deployment. Your letters,parcels and music helped me through the tough times. You are truly a forces angel and we are lucky to have you xxx 

Diolch or galon am yr cacennau cymreig!!
With fondest love from the field hosp, loving our welsh cakes and cd’s… xxxxx 

‘Our spirits will never be the same, by sharing your gift of music with us, you are truly and angel of the battlefield’  –  Capt Mendoza, US Army, Kuwait, 2005

‘I take care of many soldiers emotional and spiritual wounds, your harp music will help to ease the pain from here. Bethan words cannot describe how much you mean to my soldiers, you are truly their angel’ – US Military Chaplain, Iraq, 2006

…and this from a gruff British squaddie

Ha ha, Yeah Oli is miffed.We ate all his sweets, that you sent!!..
Cheers Beth for being our adopted angel.
Gazza
P.S you still need boots?? 

 In fact her soldiers have made such an impression on Bethan that she plans to switch career and go into nursing

It is for this reason that she hopes to join Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. In preparation for his change of career, Bethan has become a reservist of the A Squadron, 203 Welsh Field Hospital in Swansea and is studying nursing at Swansea University.

Explaining her move from musician to nurse, she said: “Having seen so many injuries and the impact these have had on the soldiers and their families made me feel that I wasn’t doing enough. I felt I wanted to nurse them as well.”

Dedication to UK & US Armed Forces- Bethan Myfanwy Hughes

Bethan was recently interviewed on BBC Radio about her work – go into the clip at 8.33 and run it until 19.55 and hear more about this amazing young lady

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00r323s

Then finally listen to her playing “Fields of Gold”……