Bryn Terfel might perform the song at the Faenol festival this summer

He teamed up with Caryl Parry Jones, Shan Cothi and others to record the song at Caernarfon's Sain Studios.

Broadcasting royalties and sales profits will go towards supporting the work of Ty Hafan, based in Sully, near Cardiff,and Ty Gobaith, a new hospice due to open at Ty'n y Groes, near Conwy next year.

Versions in both English and Welsh will be made and the song could be performed live at Bryn Terfel's Faenol festival in August.

As a father of a young family I know how important it is to have facilities at hand should a child fall ill Bryn Terfel

A CD of the song, which will feature more than 100 singers, will go on sale at selected music stores in Wales and beyond from June.

The recording has been organised by S4C, which has chosen Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith as its nominated charities for the year.

Respite care

A video of the song and a programme on the making of the CD will be broadcast during the channel's appeal week from 23 - 29 June.

Bryn Terfel, a patron of Ty Gobaith, said he was delighted to take part in the project, which he hoped would raise thousands of pounds to support two good causes.

"As a father of a young family I know how important it is to have facilities at hand should a child fall ill, rather than having to deal with the additional stress of travelling hundreds of miles for appropriate treatment," he added.

Ty Gobaith will cost �300,000 to run when it opens next year

Ty Gobaith will be the first children's hospice in north Wales.

The five-bed unit will allow terminally-ill children and their families to get respite care closer to home, saving them the journey to Hope House in Oswestry.

The hospice at the former Conwy Valley Nurseries site is due to open in 2004 and a target of �2m has been set to pay for the building and furnishing of the hospice.

It is estimated it will then cost about �300,000 a year to run Ty Gobaith and up to 95 per cent of the money will be sought by the fund-raising team.